Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Broad-headed Skink

Plestiodon laticeps

(Schneider, 1801)

Broad-headed Skink

G5Secure Found in 11 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100658
Element CodeARACH01080
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyScincidae
GenusPlestiodon
Synonyms
Eumeces laticeps(Schneider, 1801)
Other Common Names
broad-headed skink (EN) Broadhead Skink (EN)
Concept Reference
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 (Plestiodon) and the family Scincidae. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 165(1):163-189.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly 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. Richmond (2006) found a substantial division between mtDNA haplotypes of eastern and western P. laticeps but did not draw any taxonomic conclusion from it (Crother 2017).

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. See Murphy et al. (1983) for information on the relationships among E. inexpectatus, E. fasciatus, and E. laticeps.
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 Comments
The range extends from southeastern Pennsylvania, central Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and eastern Kanas south to eastern Texas, the Gulf Coast, and central Florida. An isolated population may occur in northeastern Indiana (record could represent an atypical E. fasciatus juvenile; Minton 2001 ). Isolated questionable records exist west of established range in western Oklahoma and central Texas, and to the south in southern Florida (Cooper 1988).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a very large number of occurrences or subpopulations. Cooper (1988) mapped hundred of collections sites rangewide, and Palmer and Braswell (1995) mapped well over 100 sites in North Carolina alone.
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats have been identified. The species is tolerant of moderate habitat alteration (e.g., logging, partial clearing, nonintensive rural residential development).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Rangewide, the species occupies wooded areas and woodland edges having diverse soil types and moisture conditions; hammocks and cypress heads in Florida; also swamps, vacant debris-strewn lots, and barrier islands. These lizards are semiarboreal and often sun themselves on snags or stumps; they take refuge in rotting stumps and standing dead trees, occupying old woodpecker holes and other hollows. On coastal islands in South Carolina, they prefer large live oaks having holes and a fringe of dense cover (bushes) (Cooper 1993); adults occur most often in oaks or on the ground, juveniles occur most often on walls, palmettos, or on the ground; they may actively avoid pines (Cooper and Vitt 1994). Eggs are laid in a nest in a rotting stump or dead tree or under rocks or other cover.

Reproduction

Eggs are laid during May-July (June in South Carolina). Clutch size is 6-18 (average about 14). Female attends eggs until hatching, about 48 days in South Carolina; hatching occurs from late July to mid-August in South Carolina. Sexually mature in 21 months. Females breed annually (Vitt and Cooper 1985). Large males guard adult females (exclude smaller males) during the breeding season (Cooper 1993).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodWoodland - HardwoodShrubland/chaparralSuburban/orchard
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLAND
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
South CarolinaS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
ArkansasS5Yes
MississippiS5Yes
District of ColumbiaS1Yes
OklahomaS3Yes
DelawareSHYes
FloridaS4Yes
TennesseeS5Yes
MissouriS5Yes
MarylandS4Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
OhioSNRYes
KansasS3Yes
IllinoisS5Yes
LouisianaS5Yes
West VirginiaS3Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS2Yes
IndianaS4Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
TexasS5Yes
Roadless Areas (11)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainTalladega National Forest4,986
Arkansas (3)
AreaForestAcres
Brush HeapOuachita National Forest4,205
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Pedestal RocksOzark-St. Francis National Forest21,957
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
Clear LakeApalachicola National Forest5,592
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
References (28)
  1. Ashton, R. E., Jr., and P. S. Ashton. 1991. Handbook of reptiles and amphibians of Florida. Part two. Lizards, turtles & crocodilians. Revised second edition. Windward Pub., Inc., Miami. 191 pp.
  2. Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999a. A field guide to Texas reptiles & amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. xviii + 331 pp.
  3. Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999b. A field guide to Florida reptiles and amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. xvi + 278 pp.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Cooper, W. E. 1993. Tree selection by the broad-headed skink, <i>Eumeces laticeps</i>: size, holes, cover. Amphibia-Reptilia 14:285-294.
  12. Cooper, W. E., Jr. 1988. <i>Eumeces laticeps</i>. Cat. Am. Amph.Rep. 445:1-3.
  13. Cooper, W. E., Jr., and L. J. Vitt. 1994. Tree and substrate selection in the semi-arboreal scincid lizard <i>Eumeces laticeps</i>. Herpetological Journal 4:20-23.
  14. 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
  15. 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.
  16. 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]
  17. Fitch, H. S. 1970. Reproductive cycles of lizards and snakes. Univ. Kansas Museum Natural History Miscellaneous Publication 52:1-247.
  18. Green, N. B., and T. K. Pauley. 1987. Amphibians and reptiles in West Virginia. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. xi + 241 pp.
  19. 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.
  20. Minton, S. A., Jr. 1972. Amphibians and reptiles of Indiana. Indiana Academy Science Monographs 3. v + 346 pp.
  21. Minton, S. A., Jr. 2001. Amphibians & reptiles of Indiana. Revised second edition. Indiana Academy of Science, Indianapolis. xiv + 404 pp.
  22. Mount, R. H. 1975. The reptiles and amphibians of Alabama. Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama. vii + 347 pp.
  23. 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.
  24. 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.
  25. 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.
  26. Trauth, S. E., H. W. Robison, and M. V. Plummer. 2004. The amphibians and reptiles of Arkansas. University of Arkansas Press.
  27. Vitt, L. J., and W. E. Cooper, Jr. 1985. The relationship between reproduction and lipid cycling in the skink <i>Eumeces laticeps</i> with comments on brooding ecology. Herpetologica 41:419-432.
  28. Vitt, L. J., and W. E. Cooper, Jr. 1986. Foraging and dietof a diurnal predator (<i>Eumeces laticeps</i>) feeding on hidden prey. J. Herpetol. 20:408-415.