Plestiodon tetragrammus
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The four-lined skink (Plestiodon tetragrammus) is a species of lizard, which is endemic to North America. It is a medium-sized member of the Plestiodon skinks. At least two subspecies are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies:
Some herpetologists also consider the mountain skink (Plestiodon callicephalus) to be a subspecies of Plestiodon tetragrammus under the name P. t. callicephalus. Others, however, prefer to treat the mountain skink as a distinct species because its range is geographically distinct and there are morphological differences.
The two subspecies can be distinguished by their color and their stripes. The long-lined skink is gray to light brown in color and has light stripes from the eyes extending to beyond its forelegs, whereas the short-lined skink is darker in color and has stripes that end before the forelegs.
Juveniles of both subspecies have — like many Plestiodon — a blue tail; this color fades with age. Adults reach a maximum SVL (Snout-Vent-Length) of some 7.5 cm (about 3 inches), and a TL (total length) of about... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Four-lined Skink sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 31st most-seen of the 37 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Four-lined Skink in Austin on a given day, against under 5% in May–June and August–March, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Four-lined Skink sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Four-lined Skink sightings, Austin ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Monterrey (México, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Four-lined Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Austin (20 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
