Plestiodon laticeps
Silhouette: Gabriela Palomo-Munoz · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The broad-headed skink or broadhead skink (Plestiodon laticeps) is species of lizard, endemic to the southeastern United States. The broadhead skink occurs in sympatry with the five-lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) and Southeastern five-lined skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus) in forest of the Southeastern United States. All three species are phenotypically similar throughout much of their development and were considered a single species prior to the mid-1930s.
Together with the Great Plains skink it is the largest of the "Plestiodon skinks", growing from a total length of 15 cm (5.9 in) to nearly 33 cm (13 in). The broad-headed skink gets its name from the wide jaws, giving the head a triangular appearance. Adult males are brown or olive brown in color and have bright orange heads during the mating season in spring. Females have five light stripes running down the back and the tail, similar to the Five-lined Skink. However, they can be distinguished by having five labial scales around the mouth, whereas Five-lined skinks have only four. Females can also retain their blue juvenile tails, unlike males. Juveniles are black and with 5 (sometimes 7 in eastern parts of... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Broadhead Skink sighting in Dallas on a given day, based on 104 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 15th most-seen of the 33 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Broadhead Skink in Dallas on a given day, against under 5% in August to February, the lowest months. That is one of Dallas's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain against 55 mm in July.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Broadhead Skink sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Broadhead Skink sightings, Dallas has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Washington (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Broadhead Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Dallas (104 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.
