Common Five-lined Skink
Plestiodon fasciatus
A small, fast lizard of eastern North American forests, woodland edges, rocky outcrops, and fallen-log cover. It hunts by day for insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates, darting between sunning spots and hiding places. Juveniles are dark with five pale stripes and a vivid blue tail that can draw attacks away from the body. Like many skinks, it can shed part of its tail to escape a predator, later regrowing a shorter replacement.
- Type
- Swift
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- Common Five-lined Skink Hatchling
- Common Five-lined Skink