Plestiodon fasciatus
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The (American) five-lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to North America. It is one of the most common lizards in the Eastern United States and one of the five native species of lizards in Canada.
Other common names for P. fasciatus include blue-tailed skink (for juveniles) and red-headed skink (for adults). It is technically appropriate to call it the American five-lined skink to distinguish it from the African skink Trachylepis quinquetaeniata (otherwise known as five-lined mabuya) or the eastern red-headed skink to distinguish it from its western relative Plestiodon skiltonianus (otherwise known as the western skink). The blue-tailed skink proper is Cryptoblepharus egeriae from Christmas Island, but in North America the juveniles of any Eumeces or Plestiodon species may be called this.
The American five-lined skink is small to medium-sized, growing to about 12.5 to 21.5 centimetres (4.9 to 8.5 in) total length (including tail). Young American five-lined skinks are dark brown to black with five distinctive white to yellowish stripes running along the body and a bright blue tail... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toledo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Trailside Museum & Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Five-lined Skink sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 1,330 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 25 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and August
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Five-lined Skink in Washington on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Five-lined 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 6 cities where we can rate Common Five-lined Skink sightings, Washington has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Houston (United States, about 10%) and Philadelphia (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Five-lined Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Washington (1,330 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.
