Plestiodon laticeps
Silhouette: Gabriela Palomo-Munoz · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 Washington on a given day, based on 64 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 17th most-seen of the 25 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.
May to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Broadhead Skink in Washington on a given day, against under 5% in September to April, the lowest months.
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.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Broadhead Skink sightings, Washington ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Dallas (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 Washington (64 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.
