The southeastern five-lined skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus) is one of the many species of skinks found in North America. Like many lizards, it is cold-blooded, which means that its body does not regulate its temperature, and thus, it is often seen basking in the sun to warm up. In winters, when the sun can’t help them much, it goes into hibernation below the ground. This is also why its breeding season is in the summer. This skink is black or gray in color but grows brown with age in adult males, with a reddish-orange coloration on its head. It is named after the location of its range that is limited to the southeastern part of the United States, and the five stripes that are present on the back and tail of its body. A juvenile can be easily recognized because of its bright blue tail with the stripes turning to bright orange. These colors are generally believed to fade with age.These five-lined skinks are often confused with two other members of their genus which are also found in the same geographical range as the five-lined skinks. These are the common five-lined skinks (Plestiodon fasciatus) and the broad-headed skinks (Plestiodon laticeps). They can be distinguished from their differences in the size of their scales. The common five-lined skinks are slightly smaller in length, with broader stripes in comparison to the narrow stripes of the five-lined skinks.If you like these interesting facts and want to know more about other reptiles, check out our crocodile skink facts and western skink facts pages.
Fun Southeastern Five-lined Skink Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Beetles, grasshoppers, roaches, caterpillars
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 6-12 eggs
How much do they weigh? 0.5 oz (15 g)
How long are they? 5.5-8.5 in (14-21.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, yellowish stripes, orange head
Skin Type Smooth glossy scales
What were their main threats? Predators, Human Development
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Coastal Plains, Dry Pine Forests, Abandoned Buildings
Locations Southeastern United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Plestiodon
Class Reptilia
Family Scincidae
Southeastern Five-Lined Skink Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a southeastern five-lined skink?The southeastern five-lined skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus) is a type of skink, which is a type of lizard that has smaller legs than a typical lizard.What class of animal does a southeastern five-lined skink belong to?The southeastern five-lined skink is a reptile belonging to the family Scincidae, which is known to consist of only skinks.How many southeastern five-lined skinks are there in the world?The southeastern five-lined skinks have a large number of sub-populations within their range, and despite their secretive nature, are abundantly found. Their total population is roughly estimated to be more than 100,000 individuals.Where does a southeastern five-lined skink live?This species of five-lined skinks can be considered endemic to the United States as this species has been found nowhere else in the world as of yet. They can be found in the forests, shrublands, and other dry places of the states of North Carolina, Florida, Maryland, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and eastern Louisiana. They have even occurred on small islands off the coast of Florida.What is a southeastern five-lined skink’s habitat?Five-lined skinks are known to prefer and inhabit drier habitats like shrublands and rocky areas but have also been found in relatively wetter and more moist areas like a coastal plain, wet pine forest, and seashore islands. They can be spotted in dry pine forests and other wooded areas. These skinks are highly adaptable to any kind of habitat and are even found under sawdust piles, debris, decaying logs, and in abandoned buildings. Mostly, they stay to the ground despite being good climbers and in the breeding season, females are known to lay eggs inside decaying logs, stumps, or under other decaying objects in a forest or in other habitats that can provide a cover.Who do southeastern five-lined skinks live with?The social structure of the southeastern five-lined skinks is currently unknown due to a lack of research.How long does a southeastern five-lined skink live?Although the lifespan of the southeastern five-lined skinks is not known, a similar species, the common five-lined skinks, can live up to six years in the wild.How do they reproduce?The southeastern five-lined skinks reproduce by sexual reproduction, and their breeding season begins in the month of June. Both males and females become sexually mature at the age of around 21 months. During the breeding season, adult males develop a reddish-orange coloration on their heads. Females usually lay only a single clutch of eggs in a year under a log or some other cover found in their habitat, and the clutch size is usually 6-12 eggs. The incubation period of this species is not clearly known but can be around 20-50 days based on the incubation period of a similar species, the common five-lined skink. The females display higher levels of caring for the young by protecting them from predators. The young juveniles have a bright blue tail and orange-yellowish stripes towards their heads.What is their conservation status?These lizards have been given the conservation status of Least Concern because they are abundantly found in their range because of several subpopulations of theirs and their capability to adapt to different habitats despite some changes.Southeastern Five-Lined Skink Fun Facts What do southeastern five-lined skinks look like?Southeastern five-lined skinks are usually black or brown in color with five narrow stripes on their body that are yellow or white. They have short legs and smooth scales. In the breeding season, adult males develop a reddish-orange coloration on their heads. The stripes of adult males usually fade to a lighter color along with the orange coloration, but female skinks are known to retain their bright yellow or white stripes. Adult males are generally found to be bigger than adult females. These skinks are different from other similar species in having same-sized scales on the underside of their tailsA juvenile of this species is identified by its bright blue tail and bright yellow stripes on the head and body. Their body is completely black below the stripes but turns to a brown coloration as they grow into an adult, though sometimes the yellow stripes on the head and body may remain for some time.How cute are they?These skinks can be extremely cute with the bright coloration on their scales, especially the young juveniles who have bright blue tails and bright yellow coloration on the stripes of their head and body.How do they communicate?There is no information available about the populations of skinks being able to communicate with each other.How big is a southeastern five-lined skink?The southeastern five-lined skink can have a body length of 5.5-8.5 in (14-21.6 cm), which is about twice the size of a common garden skink.How fast can a southeastern five-lined skink run?The speed of southeastern five-lined skinks is unknown but they are seen running fairly fast for their body and size to catch their prey or to escape from a predator in their natural habitat.How much does a southeastern five-lined skink weigh?The average weight of an adult male or female lizard of this species is 0.5 oz (15 g). The weight of a lava lizard is about 15,000 times more than that of a southeastern five-lined skink.What are the male and female names of the species?There are no sex-specific names for the male and female skinks of this species.What would you call a baby southeastern five-lined skink?A baby southeastern five-lined skink can be called a hatchling when it has just hatched out of its egg, and a juvenile when it has not grown into an adult yet. These young juveniles have smooth black scales and different colored stripes than the brown-colored adults of this species, along with a bright blue tail.What do they eat?The southeastern five-lined skink (Pleastiodon inexpectatus) is a carnivore and preys on small insects like grasshoppers, caterpillars, and roaches. They are also known to eat wolf spiders.Are they poisonous?These lizards are usually thought to be venomous because of the blue tails of the young skinks, but they are not dangerous to human beings in any way. They may bite someone only if they are being mishandled or harmed. However, they can carry diseases like salmonella and cause a bacterial infection if ingested by you or a pet dog.Would they make a good pet?It is possible to keep these lizards as a pet. However, thorough research should be done to replicate the conditions of their natural habitats.Did you know…The scientific name for the southeastern five-lined skinks, Plestiodon inexpectatus, is based on the unexpected discovery of this species in 1932.How many babies do southeastern five-lined skink have?An average female skink of this species lays 6-12 eggs each year in a single clutch. The eggs are laid at the beginning of summer and hatchlings emerge about a month later. Nests are made under decaying logs, stumps, or any other cover found in the wild, and males develop a reddish-orange coloration on their heads instead of the usual brown color of their scales.Are skinks related to snakes?No, skinks are not very closely related to snakes, even though they belong to the same class of reptiles. Skinks have a snake-like appearance, owing to similar scales, length, and shape, except skinks have tiny legs. In fact, skinks are lizards with shorter legs than typical lizards, and some skinks are even known to be legless!Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Aldabra giant tortoise facts and sand lizard facts for kids.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable blue tongue skink coloring pages. Second image by Judy Gallagher.
What type of animal is a southeastern five-lined skink?
The southeastern five-lined skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus) is a type of skink, which is a type of lizard that has smaller legs than a typical lizard.
Fun Southeastern Five-lined Skink Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Beetles, grasshoppers, roaches, caterpillars
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 6-12 eggs
How much do they weigh? 0.5 oz (15 g)
How long are they? 5.5-8.5 in (14-21.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, yellowish stripes, orange head
Skin Type Smooth glossy scales
What were their main threats? Predators, Human Development
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Coastal Plains, Dry Pine Forests, Abandoned Buildings
Locations Southeastern United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Plestiodon
Class Reptilia
Family Scincidae
Fun Southeastern Five-lined Skink Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Beetles, grasshoppers, roaches, caterpillars
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 6-12 eggs
How much do they weigh? 0.5 oz (15 g)
How long are they? 5.5-8.5 in (14-21.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, yellowish stripes, orange head
Skin Type Smooth glossy scales
What were their main threats? Predators, Human Development
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Coastal Plains, Dry Pine Forests, Abandoned Buildings
Locations Southeastern United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Plestiodon
Class Reptilia
Family Scincidae
Fun Southeastern Five-lined Skink Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Beetles, grasshoppers, roaches, caterpillars
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 6-12 eggs
How much do they weigh? 0.5 oz (15 g)
How long are they? 5.5-8.5 in (14-21.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, yellowish stripes, orange head
Skin Type Smooth glossy scales
What were their main threats? Predators, Human Development
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Coastal Plains, Dry Pine Forests, Abandoned Buildings
Locations Southeastern United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Plestiodon
Class Reptilia
Family Scincidae
Fun Southeastern Five-lined Skink Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Beetles, grasshoppers, roaches, caterpillars
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 6-12 eggs
How much do they weigh? 0.5 oz (15 g)
How long are they? 5.5-8.5 in (14-21.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, yellowish stripes, orange head
Skin Type Smooth glossy scales
What were their main threats? Predators, Human Development
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Coastal Plains, Dry Pine Forests, Abandoned Buildings
Locations Southeastern United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Plestiodon
Class Reptilia
Family Scincidae
What do they prey on? Beetles, grasshoppers, roaches, caterpillars
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 6-12 eggs
How much do they weigh? 0.5 oz (15 g)
How long are they? 5.5-8.5 in (14-21.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, yellowish stripes, orange head
Skin Type Smooth glossy scales
What were their main threats? Predators, Human Development
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Coastal Plains, Dry Pine Forests, Abandoned Buildings
Locations Southeastern United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Plestiodon
Class Reptilia
Family Scincidae
What do they prey on? Beetles, grasshoppers, roaches, caterpillars
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 6-12 eggs
How much do they weigh? 0.5 oz (15 g)
How long are they? 5.5-8.5 in (14-21.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Black, yellowish stripes, orange head
Skin Type Smooth glossy scales
What were their main threats? Predators, Human Development
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
What do they prey on?
Beetles, grasshoppers, roaches, caterpillars
What do they eat?
Carnivore
Average litter size?
6-12 eggs
How much do they weigh?
0.5 oz (15 g)
How long are they?
5.5-8.5 in (14-21.6 cm)
How tall are they?
N/A
What do they look like?
Black, yellowish stripes, orange head
Skin Type
Smooth glossy scales
What were their main threats?
Predators, Human Development
What is their conservation status?
Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Coastal Plains, Dry Pine Forests, Abandoned Buildings
Locations Southeastern United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Plestiodon
Class Reptilia
Family Scincidae
Where you’ll find them?
Coastal Plains, Dry Pine Forests, Abandoned Buildings
Locations
Southeastern United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Plestiodon
Kingdom
Animalia
Genus
Plestiodon
Class Reptilia
Family Scincidae
