Many-lined skink facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Plestiodon multivirgatus |
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Plestiodon
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multivirgatus
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The many-lined skink (Plestiodon multivirgatus) is a cool, medium-sized lizard found in North America. It's part of the skink family, known for their smooth, shiny scales. These skinks are sometimes called the northern many-lined skink or the variable skink because they can look a bit different depending on where they live.
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What's in a Name? (Taxonomy)
Scientists love to organize living things into groups, and this is called taxonomy. It helps us understand how different animals are related. For the many-lined skink, things can get a little tricky, even for experts!
Most of the time, scientists recognize two main types, called subspecies:
- P. m. multivirgatus: This is the northern many-lined skink.
- P. m. epipleurotus: This one is often called the variable skink or sometimes the two-lined skink.
Sometimes, P. m. epipleurotus is even thought of as its own separate species. One of its scientific names, Plestiodon gaigeae, honors an amazing American herpetologist named Helen Beulah Thompson Gaige. She was a scientist at the University of Michigan.
How to Spot a Many-Lined Skink (Description)
The many-lined skink is a medium-sized lizard. It can grow to about 7.5 cm (3.0 in) long from its snout to the start of its tail. Its total length, including the tail, can be around 19 cm (7+1⁄2 in).
Its body is usually an olive green or brown color.
- The P. m. multivirgatus subspecies has black stripes running along its body and tail.
- The P. m. epipleurotus subspecies looks a bit different. It has two white stripes, and these stripes have black borders.
Where Do They Live? (Geographic Range & Habitat)
Many-lined skinks live in different parts of North America, and each subspecies prefers certain places.
Northern Many-Lined Skink Habitat
The P. m. multivirgatus subspecies lives in the northern parts of its range. You can find it in southern South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Its home also stretches south to the Arkansas River in Colorado. This skink likes places with sandy soil. It usually lives in areas that are below 1,675 m (5,495 ft) in elevation.
Variable Skink Habitat
The P. m. epipleurotus subspecies lives further south and west. Its range goes from southeastern Utah and southern Colorado. It continues through Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas. You can even find it in Chihuahua, a state in Mexico. This skink prefers rocky places. It can live in higher elevations, up to 2,600 m (8,500 ft).
