Scientific Name: Eumeces laticeps
Size: 6.5-12.75 inches (13-18 cm) in length
PA Status: Candidate Species

Habitat Type:
Wooded habitat with plenty of dead laying trees, stumps and hollow logs

Colorations:

• The dorsal background is black with five yellowish stripes that run down the back. These striped include a vertebral stripe, a pair of dorsal lateral stripes, and a pair of ventral lateral stripes.
• The vertebral strip bifurcates on the nuchal region of the head. The divided lines run along the medial boundary of the supraocular scales then converge at the tip of the snout and then extend to the approximate half of the tail.
• The dorsal lateral stripes extend from the anterior margin of the eyes along the body and to the proximate half of the tail.
• The ventral lateral stripes extend from the supralabials to the proximate half of the tail.
• In young adults the tail is colbalt blue.
• The ventral is white or bluish grey.
• Older adult females keep there stripes, but the vertebral stripe may fade. The background color changes to brown, and the coloration between the dorsal lateral and ventral lateral stripes remains uniformly dark brown. The tail fades to a brown.
• Older males lose the longitudinal stripes and the dorsal color and tail becomes a uniform light brown to olive brown. The head becomes a orange-red during mating season.

Characteristics:

• Large-sized species.
• Postmental scale is divided.
• The scales are smooth and have a polished, glossy look.
• 5 supralabials before the subocular scale.

Confused with:

• Coal Skink
• Five-lined Skink

Coloration/Pattern Photos:
Adults

Juveniles

Range Map:

References:

• Hulse, C. and McCoy C. J. and Ellen Censky ,1998. Amphibians and Reptiles of Pennsylvania and the Northeast. 259-262pp.

Photo Credits:

• Tom Diez