Common Five-lined Skink Plestiodon fasciatus (Linnaeus, 1758)    Synonyms: Five-lined Skink.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Chordata   >   Class Reptilia   >   Order Squamata   >   Family Scincidae   >   Genus Plestiodon   

Status:

Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) is the most familiar Plestiodon in Maryland, and it is distributed statewide in suitable habitat, but more commonly in the coastal plain. It generally favors relatively humid woodland habitats, especially in rocky areas, or near logs or tree stumps, rotting wood, or sawdust piles. This species is much more terrestrial than its relative, the Broad-headed Skink (Conant & Collins, 1998; Maryland DNR site).

Description:

Although there are several useful marks for distinguishing Common Five-lined Skink from the larger Broad-headed Skink, the most reliable method involves counting facial scales. Close-up head shots can sometimes be used to ID confidently to species. Common Five-lined show four labial scales anterior to the subocular scale on the face, and two postlabial scales in front of the ear canal. Broad-headed shows five labials, and no large postlabial scales (Conant & Collins, 1998).

There are 939 records in the project database.

View taxon at iNaturalist

View taxon at NatureServe

Search Google Images

Search MBP Facebook posts (beta | requires login)


[View seasonality details]
GA AL WA FR CLMO HO BA BC HA CE PG AA CV CH SM KE QA CN TA DO WI SO WO 
A Common Five-lined Skink in Charles Co., Maryland (4/18/2010). Photo by George Jett. (MBP list)

A Common Five-lined Skink showing the labial scales in Talbot Co., Maryland (5/21/2017). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

An adult Common Five-lined Skink in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (5/12/2014). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Common Five-lined Skink in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/12/2015). Photo by David Hilmy. (MBP list)

An immature Common Five-lined Skink in Wicomico Co., Maryland (9/15/2014). Photo by Mike Burchett. (MBP list)

Common Five-lined Skinks in Prince George's Co., Maryland (5/5/2012). Photo by Barbara Thurlow. (MBP list)

A Common Five-lined Skink in Kent Co., Maryland (4/12/2017). Photo by Nancy Wyman. (MBP list)

Common Five-lined Skinks in Calvert Co., Maryland (6/4/2016). Photo by Ben Springer. (MBP list)

A Common Five-lined Skink in Dorchester Co., Maryland (9/22/2020). Photo by Richard Crook. (MBP list)

An adult Common Five-lined Skink in Frederick Co., Maryland (5/25/2021). (c) Emilio Concari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Emilio Concari. (MBP list)

Common Five-lined Skink in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (5/12/2014). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Common Five-lined Skink in Calvert Co., Maryland (6/23/2018). Verified by Scott McDaniel. Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

A Common Five-lined Skink in Caroline Co., Maryland (6/21/2013). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

An immature Common Five-lined Skink along the C&O Canal in Montgomery Co., Maryland (8/20/2005). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)(More of this species)

Close-up of the head of a Common Five-lined Skink found in Talbot Co., Maryland (10/3/2009). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

A Common Five-lined Skink in Worcester Co., Maryland (3/25/2017). Photo by Ashley Bradford. (MBP list)

A female Common Five-lined Skink in Kent Co., Maryland (8/3/2010). Photo by Nancy Martin. (MBP list)

A Common Five-lined Skink in Talbot Co., Maryland (5/21/2017). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

A Common Five-lined Skink in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (8/26/2015). Photo by Bill Keim. (MBP list)

A Common Five-lined Skink in Frederick Co., Maryland (4/19/2014). Photo by Richard Orr. (MBP list)

A juvenile Common Five-lined Skink in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/28/2010). Photo by Robert Aguilar, SERC. (MBP list)

A Common Five-lined Skink in Dorchester Co., Maryland (4/19/2015). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Common Five-lined Skink with eggs in Charles Co., Maryland (7/5/2021). (c) Scot Magnotta, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Scot Magnotta via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Common Five-lined Skink in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (7/1/2020). (c) flgirl09, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by flgirl09 via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Common Five-lined Skink in Prince George's Co., Maryland (5/31/2009). (c) jugbayjs, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by jugbayjs via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Common Five-lined Skink being consumed by a spider in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/28/2018). Photo by Tyler Bell. (MBP list)


View All Images

Use of images featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.

View Bibliography