Plestiodon inexpectatus
(Taylor, 1932)
Southeastern Five-lined Skink
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105537
Element CodeARACH01070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyScincidae
GenusPlestiodon
SynonymsEumeces inexpectatusTaylor, 1932
Other Common Namessoutheastern five-lined skink (EN)
Concept ReferenceBrandley, M. C., H. Ota, T. Hikida, A.Nieto, M. De Oca, M. Feria-Ortiz, X. Guo, and Y. Wang. 2012. The phylogenetic systematics of blue-tailed skinks (Plestiodon) and the family Scincidae. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 165(1):163-189.
Taxonomic CommentsFormerly in the genus Eumeces. Smith (2005) and Brandley et al. (2005) formally proposed that all North American species (north of Mexico) be placed in the genus Plestiodon.
See Murphy et al. (1983) for information on the relationships among E. inexpectatus, E. fasciatus, and E. laticeps. In a phylogenetic analysis of Eumeces based on morphology, Griffith et al. (2000) proposed splitting Eumeces into multiple genera, based on the apparent paraphyly of Eumeces.
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-08-26
Change Date1996-10-28
Edition Date2005-08-26
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Range Extent CommentsThe geographic range extends from southern Maryland to the Florida Keys, and west to Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and eastern Louisiana (Conant and Collins 1991).
Occurrences CommentsThis species is represented by a very large number of occurrences or subpopulations. Steiner (1986) mapped perhaps 150-200 collection sites throughout the range whereas Palmer and Braswell (1995) mapped hundreds of collection sites in North Carolina alone. This secretive lizard undoubtedly occurs in many more sites than are currently known.
Threat Impact CommentsNo major threats have been identified. The species tolerates moderate habitat alteration (logging, partial clearing). Frequent burning can be detrimental.
Ecology & Habitat
Habitat
The habitat of this terrestrial and arboreal species includes various situations such as wet pine flatwoods, cutover woodlots, cypress heads, scrub and sandhill (high pine) habitats, ridgetops, well-drained sandy places, seashore islands, and abandoned buildings. These skinks often are under or in ground litter, logs, piles of wood, or stumps, which appear to be important elements of the habitat (Mushinsky 1992, Anderson and Tiebout 1993). Eggs are laid in logs or stumps or under rocks or other cover.
Reproduction
Eggs are laid in late May-early June in South Carolina. Clutches of 6-11 eggs have been found. Eggs hatch mid-July to mid-August in South Carolina. Female attends eggs until hatching. Sexually mature in second year. See Fitch (1970), Mount (1975), and Vitt and Cooper (1986).
Terrestrial HabitatsWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralSand/dune
Palustrine HabitatsFORESTED WETLAND
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
| Province | Rank | Native |
|---|
| South Carolina | S5 | Yes |
| Virginia | S5 | Yes |
| Tennessee | S5 | Yes |
| Mississippi | S5 | Yes |
| Maryland | S4 | Yes |
| Louisiana | S4 | Yes |
| Alabama | S3 | Yes |
| Kentucky | S2 | Yes |
| Florida | S4 | Yes |
| Georgia | S5 | Yes |
| North Carolina | S5 | Yes |
References (23)
- Anderson, R. A., and H. M. Tiebout, III. 1993. The effects of timber management practices on the lizards of xeric pineland habitats: an investigation of the Florida sand pine scrub. Final report to The Nature Conservancy.
- Ashton, R. E., Jr., and P. S. Ashton. 1985. Handbook of reptiles and amphibians of Florida. Part two. Lizards, turtles & crocodilians. Windward Pub., Inc., Miami. 191 pp.
- Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999b. A field guide to Florida reptiles and amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. xvi + 278 pp.
- Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
- Brandley, M. C., A. Schmitz, and T. W. Reeder. 2005. Partitioned Bayesian analyses, partition choice, and the phylogenetic relationships of scincid lizards. Systematic Biology 54:373-390.
- Brandley, M. C., H. Ota, T. Hikida, A.Nieto, M. De Oca, M. Feria-Ortiz, X. Guo, and Y. Wang. 2012. The phylogenetic systematics of blue-tailed skinks (<i>Plestiodon</i>) and the family Scincidae. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 165(1):163-189.
- Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
- Collins, J. T., and T. W. Taggart. 2009. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians, turtles, reptiles, and crocodilians. Sixth edition. The Center for North American Herpetology, Lawrance, Kansas. iv + 44 pp.
- Conant, R. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xvii + 429 pp.
- Conant, R. and J. T. Collins. 1991. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 450 pp.
- Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1998. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition, expanded. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 616 pp.
- Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
- Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
- Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
- Fitch, H. S. 1970. Reproductive cycles of lizards and snakes. Univ. Kansas Museum Natural History Miscellaneous Publication 52:1-247.
- Griffith, H., A. Ngo, and R. W. Murphy. 2000. A cladistic evaluation of the cosmopolitan genus <i>Eumeces</i> Wiegmann (Reptilia, Squamata, Scincidae). Russian Journal of Herpetology 7(1):1-16.
- Mount, R. H. 1975. The reptiles and amphibians of Alabama. Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama. vii + 347 pp.
- Murphy, R. W., W. E. Cooper, Jr., and W. S. Richardson. 1983. Phylogenetic relationships of the North American five-lined skinks, genus <i>Eumeces </i>(Sauria: Scincidae). Herpetologica 39:200-211.
- Mushinsky, H. R. 1992. Natural history and abundance of southeastern five-lined skinks, <i>Eumeces inexpectatus</i>, on a periodically burned sandhill in Florida. Herpetologica 48:307-312.
- Palmer, W. M., and A. L. Braswell. 1995. Reptiles of North Carolina. North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
- Smith, H. M. 2005. <i>Plestiodon</i>: a replacement name for most members of the genus <i>Eumeces</i> in North America. Journal of Kansas Herpetology 14:15-16.
- Steiner, T.M. 1986. <i>Eumeces inexpectatus</i>. Cat. Am. Amph. Rep. 385.1-385.2.
- Vitt, L. J., and W. E. Cooper, Jr. 1986. Skink reproduction and sexual dimorphism: <i>Eumeces fasciatus</i> in thesoutheastern United States, with notes on <i>Eumeces inexpectatus</i>. J. Herpetol. 20:65-76.