Five-Lined Skink
Adult Size: 12.5 - 21.5cm Head-Body Maximum: 8.6cm
At Hatching: 5.1 - 6.4cm
When one thinks of a skink, the usual image that comes to mind would be the Five Lined Skink. From hatching to near adult, Five Lined skinks will have a bright blue tail with five yellow to white stripes running down its black body. As the animal ages, the patterns become more uniform; stripes on the animal will begin to darken as the background color will fade into a more olive to brown color. Females will maintain the striped patterns - especially the broad dark band starting from they eye - while in males the stripes will be less obvious.. During spring breeding season, orange-red coloration will appear on the jaws. Will feature 26-30 scales midbody (Connant and Collins 262-263).
Broadhead Skink - Eumeces laticeps - Extremely similar in early stages. Broadhead Skinks will feature 30-32 scales midbody where as the Five Lined Skink will have 26-30
Conant and Joseph T. Collins. A Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians: Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
Top Image: J Harding