The scientific name for this animal is Plestiodon inexpectatus
This photo is of a southeastern five-lined skink. They are common to the southeastern United States. I took this photo while in Siesta Key, Florida. The scientific name for this animal is Plestiodon inexpectatus. It was only discovered 92 years ago in 1932. This was 175 years after Linnaeus had first described the American five-lined skink.
There are five lines that run along the body of the southeastern five-lined skink. These tend to fade as the skinks age. The middles stripe tends to be narrower than the other four. There are dark areas between the five lines. This dark space starts out as black when they are young, and it fades to brown as they age. The American five-lined skink is similar in description, but it is smaller.
The southeastern five-lined skink belongs to the family Scincidae. The common name for the animals in this family are skinks. They are a type of lizard with more than 1,500 species described across 100 different genera. Compared to lizards, skinks have smaller legs. There is even a genus of African skinks that have no legs at all! They also have a less pronounced neck compared to lizards.
Skinks tend to be insectivores. They will eat many types of insects: caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, earthworms, centipedes, snails, slugs, isopods, millipedes, and moths. There are some species that will eat small lizards and rodents. There are some species that eat an omnivorous diet. Although they are the predators to all the previously mentioned species, there are many predators that skins have to deal with. They are preyed on by all sorts of animals, including: raccoons, lizards, hawks, cats, dogs, crows, weasels, coatis, snakes, foxes, possums, herons, and more. In New Guinea they are hunted by the indigenous people.
They will eat many types of insects
Did you know?
- The scientific name of the gold dust day gecko is Phelsuma laticuda.
- They are often kept as pets, and they can live for up to 15 years in captivity.
- According the IUCN their conservation status is Least Concern.
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