Make sure your skink has a comfortable tank with plenty of space to roam and hide. With such variation in environment, a certain amount of variation in diet also occurs. Lizard adoption is a wonderful way to provide a Lizard a second chance and caring environment. Strictly Reptiles, Inc. The body is gray, brown, or black, in background color with five white or yellowish stripes (two on each side and one down the center of the back). Broadhead skinks reach a much larger size than the other two, and adult males, with their bronze bodies and broad Broadhead Skinks will have wide jowls with an orange-red head. Winter aggregations in underground retreats were found in Alabama (Cooper and Garstka, 1987). The Broadhead Skink is the largest species of legged lizard native to South Carolina. 7 ways to help, 7 Amazing Benefits of CBD for Pets That Every Pet Owner Should Know, Gifts for Dog Owners That Already Have Everything, How To Tame Your Pet Lizard: Have More Fun Safely. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I was able to get some extreme close-ups of it one day when it was cool outside and he was a little sluggish. Unlike many other predominantly ground-dwelling southeastern Scincidae species, broad-headed skinks can often be seen sunning themselves high up on exposed tree branches. Broadhead skinks are much larger and can achieve lengths of approximately 12 inches. I had a fairly easy time identifying it simply based on its appearance, but to be certain, I used the key to the lizards of Arkansas contained in the … var adElem = document.getElementById('vi-ad'); In these fights, one combatant may tip his head, deliberately presenting the broadest possible expanse of his cranium so that the other lizard can attempt to seize it in a test of strength. BROADHEAD SKINK Eumeces laticeps Adult male Broadhead skink. Lizards and snakes of Alabama. Broadhead skinks are the largest skinks in our region.  Adults are usually olive-brown, and males have orange-red heads which fade by early summer.  Adult females are often striped, resembling adult five-lined skinks. Alabama's largest and most arboreal skink. All of the known Virginia specimens were collected April through August. Juveniles and some females have five white or yellowish stripes, making them hard to distinguish from the Southeast's most common lizard, the five-lined skink, but the stripes on the broad-headed skink fade to a uniform grey or brown as they age. Skinks are a common garden lizard among coastal states. If a teenager is attacked, the bright blue tail breaks away and disturbs the predator. Although they may be found both on the ground and in trees, broadhead skinks, particularly large males, are more arboreal (tree-dwelling) than any of the other southeastern skinks. Broadhead skinks can be distinguished from five-lined skinks by larger size and five labial (lip) scales rather than four. Skinks will guard their eggs for a couple of months until the 21/2 to 31/2-inch-long hatchlings emerge. These arboreal lizards are found in the southeastern United States. Nat. lined skinks reach a maximum length of about 8 inches. - get paper here; Harlan, R. 1824. Males become identical brown color by sexual maturity, lose all their stripes. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service lists them as being of low conservation concern, meaning they are not presently considered. The minimum length of an adult Broadhead Skink is barely less than the maximum size attained by Pennsylvania’s other skinks. Juvenile members of the species prefer to keep to the cover of fallen trees and dislodged bark. Adult broad-headed skinks range in size from 6-13 inches (15-33 centimeters). et al. Description of a new species of Scincus. If you are one of the editors of this guide it should copy everything, but if you're not, it will only copy the licensed content. This folk nomenclature refers to the erroneous belief that they are venomous, a belief also based on the bright orange heads of breeding males. They typically eat. Your email address will not be published. This broadhead skink, Eumeces laticeps, has been seen hanging around my house several times in the last few weeks.I was able to get some extreme close-ups of it one day when it was cool outside and he was a little sluggish. Most species measure about five inches long, but each species is different. A triumphant male may guard a female for as long as a week to make sure only he fertilizes her eggs. Please add www.petworlds.net  to your ad blocking whitelist or disable your adblocking software. Skinks are medium-sized reptiles many enjoy keeping as pets. Winter aggregations in underground retreats were found in Alabama. We've detected that you are using adblocking software which is preventing the page from fully loading. lizards and mammals. Required fields are marked *. Thus, small skinks are best identified by close examination of the scales: broadhead skinks have an enlarged row of scales under the tail and five labial (along the upper lip between the nose and eye) scales. This species of the skink can grow up to 13 inches in length, along with the Great Plains Skink, it is one of the biggest Plestideon skinks. The young are dark brown or black with five, sometimes seven, yellow stripes and bright blue tails. We do not implement these annoying types of ads! They are most common in open, mature pine stands and in open stands of mixed hardwood-mostly live and turkey oak and loblolly and Virginia pines. Skink moms lay up to 18 whitish eggs in a moist, covered place, such as under a log or in a rock pile. Juveniles of all three species have five stripes and a bright blue tail. Scincidae, Scincinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) Subspecies : Common Names: Broadhead Skink : Synonym: Scincus laticeps SCHNEIDER 1801: 189 Sclncus erythrocephalus GILLIAMS 1818: 461 (fide COOPER 1988) Scincus bicolor HARLAN 1824 Scincus americanus HARLAN 1835: 138 Plestiodon laticeps — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 705 These are the smoothest-scaled lizards in the world, and they often become some of the most tame (especially the Blue-tongue species). 2000. var adElemSticky = document.getElementById('vi-sticky-ad'); STATUS: Common statewide and frequently encountered in areas with rotting logs, stumps, and tree cavities. A skink can be an excellent pet with proper care. The color of the skink will be olive-brown to copper for the main portion of their bodies with a series of five off-color lines running down the body. Aaron Freeze 4,925 views During this time of year, these skinks are nesting. Broadhead skinks are the largest skinks in our region. Although broad-headed skinks occur in a variety of habitats, their preferred one is humid oak forests with abundant leaf litter. All of the known Virginia specimens were collected April through August. Provide a diet rich in the nutrients a skink needs to thrive. University of Alabama Press, 397 pp. adElem.style.zIndex = '2147483647'; Like many other lizards, broadhead skinks will break off their tails when restrained, distracting the predator and allowing the lizard to escape. The Broad-headed Skink is the largest skink in Tennessee and can be found across the state, except the extreme northeastern corner. } These stripes change from white to light orange, which is a trend on the Wild Blue on the tail. sThey have also been found on houses and barns in wooded areas. They can drop their tail to escape danger. While these animals possess no venom or poison, some biologists speculate that they taste unpleasant to predators. Does your dog show signs of anxiety? In South Carolina, these skinks were most abundant in stands of live oak (Vitt and Cooper, 1985a, 1985b). Females lay eggs in a protected space such as a hole in a tree stump or under the bark of a fallen log in moist detritus. The broad-headed skink or broadhead skink (Plestiodon laticeps) is species of lizard, endemic to the southeastern United States. adElem.style.top = '0'; This broadhead skink, Eumeces laticeps, has been seen hanging around my house several times in the last few weeks. When pursued, broadhead skinks generally run for the nearest tree or log and can be quite difficult to capture. Skinks for Sale. Adult males, the namesake of this species, are olive-brown with large, swollen red heads during the breeding season. Skinks live throughout the world but are concentrated in the coastal states here in the United States. 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