Southeastern Five-Lined Skink
Plestiodon inexpectatus
The Southeastern Five-Lined Skink is a fast native lizard whose juveniles display bright stripes and an electric-blue tail.
The Southeastern Five-Lined Skink is a fast native lizard whose juveniles display bright stripes and an electric-blue tail.
Juveniles are dark with five pale stripes and a vivid blue tail. Adults become brown or olive as stripes and blue fade. Males may develop orange-red color on the head.
Forages in leaf litter, on logs, and around tree bases. It escapes quickly into cover and may release part of its tail when seized.
Nonvenomous and harmless when left alone. Avoid handling because a frightened skink may bite or drop its tail.
Treat native reptiles as wildlife. Do not collect from protected lands and follow current state and local possession rules.
Habitat:
Pine Flatwoods and Sandhills, Forests and Woodlands, Urban and Residential Areas
Area / Range:
Florida Panhandle, North Florida, Central Florida, South Florida
Diet:
Insects, spiders, snails, and other small invertebrates.
Behavior:
Forages in leaf litter, on logs, and around tree bases. It escapes quickly into cover and may release part of its tail when seized.
Daytime
Active Times:
Best time to see:
Warm sunny mornings on logs, pine trunks, leaf litter, fences, and woodland edges
Florida Native Status:
Native
Conservation Status:
Least Concern
Safety Level:
Safe to Observe
Safety Information:
Nonvenomous and harmless when left alone. Avoid handling because a frightened skink may bite or drop its tail.
Benefits to Property:
Consumes insects and spiders and responds well to leaf litter, logs, native groundcover, and lower pesticide use.
Property Concerns:
Outdoor cats, broad insecticide use, and removal of natural cover reduce skink populations.
Fun Fact:
The bright blue juvenile tail directs predator attacks away from the head and body and may detach during escape.
Wildlife Laws:
Treat native reptiles as wildlife. Do not collect from protected lands and follow current state and local possession rules.
Identification:
Juveniles are dark with five pale stripes and a vivid blue tail. Adults become brown or olive as stripes and blue fade. Males may develop orange-red color on the head.