The Great Plains skink (''Plestiodon obsoletus'')
[''Plestiodon obsoletus'']
The Reptile Database is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...
of
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia altho ...
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...
.
Description
The Great Plains skink, together with the
broad-headed skink
The broad-headed skink or broadhead skink (''Plestiodon laticeps'') is species of lizard, endemic to the southeastern United States. The broadhead skink occurs in sympatry with the five-lined skink (''Plestiodon fasciatus'') and Southeastern f ...
, is the largest
skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. ...
of the genus ''
Plestiodon
''Plestiodon'' is a genus of lizards in the family Scincidae (skinks). The genus contains many species formerly classified under the genus ''Eumeces'', except those now placed in '' Mesoscincus''. They are secretive, agile animals with a cylin ...
''. It reaches a length of 9 to 13 cm from snout to vent (SVL) or up to nearly 34 cm total length (including the tail).
This
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia altho ...
is light gray or beige in color; its dorsal scales have black or dark brown edges. The scales on the sides run diagonally. The belly is yellow. Juveniles are black with white sports on the lips and the head and have a blue or bluish tail.
[
]
Geographic range
The Great Plains skink is very common on the Great Plains
The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, a ...
, ranging from southeastern Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...
and Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
(and also Fremont County, Iowa) southward to eastern Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, New Mexico, Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, and into Mexico
Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
.[
]
Habitat
This skink lives in open plains habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
or the eastern foothills
Foothills or piedmont are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills and the adjacent topogr ...
of the Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...
, in areas near water, e.g. irrigation ditches. In southeastern Colorado, it occurs in elevation up to about 1900 m (7200 ft); in northern Colorado, only at elevations below about 1400 m (4500 ft).[
]
Reproduction
The mating season of the Great Plains skink is in April or May. The female lays between 5 and 32 eggs (on the average about 12) in early summer, which she guards until they hatch in late summer.[Collins, J.T. (1993). ''Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas, Third Edition.'' University Press of Kansas. Lawrence, Kansas.]
References
Further reading
* Baird, S.F., and C.F. Girard. 1852. Characteristics of some New Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Second Part. ''Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia'' 6: 125-129. (''Plestiodon obsoletum'', p. 129.)
* Behler, J.L., and F.W. King. 1979. ''The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians''. Knopf. New York. 743 pp. . (''Eumeces obsoletus'', p. 575 + Plate 432.)
* Boulenger, G.A. 1887. ''Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. Lacertidæ, Gerrhosauridæ, Scincidæ,...'' Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers.) London. xii + 575 pp. + Plates I. XL. (''Eumeces obsoletus'', p. 374.)
* Conant, R. 1975. ''A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition''. Houghton Mifflin. Boston. xviii + 429 pp. (hardcover), (paperback). (''Eumeces obsoletus'', p. 125, Figure 28 + Plate 19 + Map 79.)
* Smith, H.M., and E.D. Brodie Jr. 1982. ''Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification''. Golden Press. New York. 240 pp. . (''Eumeces obsoletus'', pp. 80–81.)
* Stebbins, R.C. 2003. ''A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition''. The Peterson Field Guide Series ®. Houghton Mifflin. Boston and New York. xiii + 533 pp. . (''Eumeces obsoletus'', pp. 310–311 + Plate 36 + Map 109.)
External links
Great Plains Skink
on Reptiles and Amphibians of Iowa
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1682032
Plestiodon
Reptiles of Mexico
Reptiles of the United States
Fauna of the Great Plains
Fauna of the Plains-Midwest (United States)
Fauna of the Southwestern United States
Reptiles described in 1852
Taxa named by Spencer Fullerton Baird
Taxa named by Charles Frédéric Girard