Common Five-Lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus)

Young Common Five-Lined Skink - Photo by Nathaniel Sharp

One of only three lizards commonly seen in Northern Virginia, this skink goes through a visual metamorphosis as it moves through its active life. It starts out just a few inches long with a brilliant blue tail and black, cream-striped body.

The blue tail of juveniles is an antipredator adaptation that serves to attract the predator away from the vulnerable part of the lizard, its body. Juveniles escape potential predators by disappearing into the leaf litter, lashing their tails back and forth above the leaves. The blue tail, contrasting with the brown background, attracts predators (birds and small, lizard-eating snakes) to the less vulnerable appendage. Once broken off, the tail twitches for a period of time, distracting the potential predator further.

Once the skink reaches its second or third year the tail loses its turquoise coloring and begins to turn tan along with the body. Mature adults lose most of their stripes and gain a bright, orange-red wash over their head and neck.

Cold-blooded reptiles, skinks hatch from eggs laid in rotting logs or loose soil and then spend much of their lives warming themselves in the sun. They love to bask on logs, trees and rocks. When fall days become cool they burrow down to hibernate until late April. Once warm, they dash, dart, climb and scurry after invertebrates such as grasshoppers, slugs, cockroaches, caterpillars, beetles, spiders and termites. Excellent predators, beneficial guests in any landscape and harmless to people, they’re a treat to host in your yard. They’re also an important food for hawks, snakes and weasels.

Two other less common skinks in northern Virginia are the Broad-headed (Eumeces laticeps) and the Southeastern five-lined (Eumeces inexpectatus) skinks.  They are slightly more arboreal and can tolerate drier woodlands, but their habits, needs, and appearance are very similar to Five-lined skinks.

For more information see the Virginia Herpetological Society

What Skinks Need How Can We Help
Food and Water: To find food, skinks hunt the forest floor and sometimes climb shrubs and trees. They eat insects, spiders, slugs, millipedes, worms, young mice, and other lizards.
  • Create a native garden to attract insects with native wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs.
  • Place a few old logs and rocks around the edges of the garden paths.
  • Reduce or eliminate use of pesticides that will kill off the insects that skinks eat.
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    Shelter: Skinks shelter in thick underbrush, fallen trees, rock outcroppings, standing dead trees and downed branches.
  • Place rock piles or log shelters, dense shrub plantings or hedgerows and old branch clusters along the edges or in the corners of your yard.
  • Skinks love to sunbathe, so be sure to place a few rocks, logs, or branches in sunny corners of your yard.
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    Nesting: Skinks lay eggs in stumps, rotting logs, and loose soil in moist woodlands. The female stays to guard them.
  • Skinks need fallen trees, old logs, rotting stumps; try not to remove all downed wood.
  • Create a skink nurseryallow a corner of your yard to hold a few old logs and thick leaf mulch.
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    Other Threats: Lawnmowers, pesticides, outdoor cats and habitat destruction are the main threats to this beautiful reptile.
  • Keep cats indoors.
  • Reduce the area of lawn that's mowed, and instead plant native plants and shrubs, and leave the leaves.
  • Reduce or eliminate use of insecticides,
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    Additional Resources: Virginia Herpetelogical Society

    Wildlife Rescue Assistance: If you find an injured or ensnared skinkyou can get help through the Wildlife Rescue League

    Examples of Model Snake Habitat:

    Alexandria City: Dora Kelley Nature Park

    Arlington County: Barcroft Park — Long Branch Nature Center — Gulf Branch Nature Center

    Fairfax County: Riverbend Park — Huntley Meadows Park

    Fauquier County: The Clifton Institute

    Loudoun County: Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve

    Prince William County: Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area — Neabsco Regional Park — Prince William Forest — Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge

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