Southeastern five-lined Skink
Encyclopedia
The Southeastern five-lined skink (Eumeces inexpectatus) is a common skink
in the southeastern United States
. Its scientific name E. inexpectatus ("the unexpected") is possibly a reference to the unexpected discovery of this species.
As their name suggests, Southeastern five-lined Skinks have five characteristic narrow stripes along their bodies that become lighter with age. The middle stripe tends to be narrower than the others, and the dark areas between stripes are black in young skinks but become brown with age. A similar lizard
, the Five-lined Skink
(Eumeces fasciatus), is slightly smaller than the southeastern five-lined skink and has broader stripes. However, it is difficult to discriminate between these two species on the basis of physical appearance.
Young Southeastern five-lined Skinks have a bright blue or purplish tail, especially towards the tip. Also, stripes become a bright reddish orange towards the head. Juvenile coloration may persist into adulthood, giving the head of the animal an altogether orange-brown appearance.
Southeastern five-lined Skinks are common inhabitants of wooded areas of the southeastern United States. They are commonly found on small islands off the southeastern coast even in the absence of fresh water and vegetation. They are diurnal
ground-dwelling animals. Like other Eumeces, they feed primarily on insects, preferring larger prey such as grasshopper
s. This skink species is easy to maintain in captivity. It has the same requirements as the five-lined skink, although it can tolerate dryer conditions.
Southeastern five-lined Skinks are oviparous; the clutch size varies from 6 to 12, with the number of eggs diminishing with higher latitudes. The female broods the eggs and protects them from predators, including other skinks. The hatchlings appear about one month after the eggs have been laid in early summer.
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
in the southeastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its scientific name E. inexpectatus ("the unexpected") is possibly a reference to the unexpected discovery of this species.
As their name suggests, Southeastern five-lined Skinks have five characteristic narrow stripes along their bodies that become lighter with age. The middle stripe tends to be narrower than the others, and the dark areas between stripes are black in young skinks but become brown with age. A similar lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
, the Five-lined Skink
Five-lined Skink
The Five-lined Skink is one of the most common lizards in the eastern U.S. and one of the five species of lizards in Canada...
(Eumeces fasciatus), is slightly smaller than the southeastern five-lined skink and has broader stripes. However, it is difficult to discriminate between these two species on the basis of physical appearance.
Young Southeastern five-lined Skinks have a bright blue or purplish tail, especially towards the tip. Also, stripes become a bright reddish orange towards the head. Juvenile coloration may persist into adulthood, giving the head of the animal an altogether orange-brown appearance.
Southeastern five-lined Skinks are common inhabitants of wooded areas of the southeastern United States. They are commonly found on small islands off the southeastern coast even in the absence of fresh water and vegetation. They are diurnal
Diurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...
ground-dwelling animals. Like other Eumeces, they feed primarily on insects, preferring larger prey such as grasshopper
Grasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
s. This skink species is easy to maintain in captivity. It has the same requirements as the five-lined skink, although it can tolerate dryer conditions.
Southeastern five-lined Skinks are oviparous; the clutch size varies from 6 to 12, with the number of eggs diminishing with higher latitudes. The female broods the eggs and protects them from predators, including other skinks. The hatchlings appear about one month after the eggs have been laid in early summer.