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Five-lined skink.

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Spotted the five-lined skink on a log near our water feature. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 16, 2025. Common five-lined skink   is a small (up to 8.6 cm ) black or grey coloured lizard. Juveniles have five cream-coloured stripes along their back and a blue tail. It is the only   lizard native to Ontario. Found in a small area of southwestern Ontario near the shorelines of Lake Erie, St. Clair, and Huron. This population is considered endangered due to habitat loss and other threats. Plestiodon  fasciatus 

Five-lined skink

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Male five lined skink during molt. Rondeau provincial Park, May 21, 2023. Saw this skink, which is shedding its skin like a snake does. The colour on its face was unusual and ,Anne did the photo colour is correct - I'm red/green colour blind. Plestiodon fasciatus Common Five-lined Skink is a small (up to 8.6 cm) black or grey coloured lizard. Juveniles have five cream-coloured stripes along their back and a blue tail. The stripes and blue tail fade with age. During the breeding season, males have orange colouration around the jaws and chin. Common Five-lined Skink feeds on insects, worms and other invertebrates. They are very agile hunters.

More from the archives.

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Five lined skinks, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Aug 27, 2019. Plestiodon fasciatus The five-lined skink is a smooth, slender lizard that can grow to 21 centimetres in length, but most individuals are much smaller. Their coloration varies with age. Juveniles and young adult females are glossy black with five cream stripes down the back and a bright blue or blue-grey tail. Males and older females gradually fade to a more uniform bronze, although often the stripes are still visible. Males in breeding condition have a bright orange chin and jaw.

Common Five-lined Skink

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August 13, 2019, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Plestiodon fasciatus The Common Five-lined Skink is the only lizard native to Ontario. Juveniles and some adults have five stripes that run down the back. Juveniles have bright blue tails, but the colour fades with age. Females typically lay a clutch of 9-10 eggs under cover, such as logs or rocks. The young mature in just under two years and typically live less than five years.
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My little lizard We are fortunate to have five lined skinks around our yard. They have been hiding and this is the first one I have photographed this year. He was in a little burrow under a piece of wood. The head and tail are together with a foot near the bottom. Plestiodon fasciatus The five-lined skink is a smooth, slender lizard that can grow to 21 centimetres in length, but most individuals are much smaller. Their coloration varies with age. Juveniles and young adult females are glossy black with five cream stripes down the back and a bright blue or blue-grey tail. Males and older females gradually fade to a more uniform bronze, although often the stripes are still visible. Males in breeding condition have a bright orange chin and jaw. source - Ontario Nature.

The hatchlings

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The hatchlings , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. The skink researcher came to the cottage today and we checked on the skink nest. At least three of the eggs had hatched, possibly more. The egg at the top appears to be just starting to hatch out. The scientific stuff - The five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) is a small, smooth-bodied lizard, with black or grey colouring and five white or yellow stripes along the back. The colour pattern diminishes with age as the stripes darken, and the contrast is less apparent in adults. Juveniles have bright blue tails, but this also diminishes with age. In adults, the tail is grey. Adult males can be distinguished from females by their broader heads and bright orange jaws and chin. Adults can reach a length of 20 centimetres. Skinks are very active predators, and they dart quickly from place to place looking for insects, worms or other invertebrates. The southwestern populations of the five lined skink, are Endangered Provincially and Nati...

Five lined skink and eggs

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Five lined skink and eggs , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. I came upon this nest on our cottage lot by accident the other day. Female skink and 8 eggs. I will check now and then to see if I can get a photo of a hatchling. So as not to disturbed the nest too much I am limited to once every two days. Plestiodon fasciatus

If I don't move you can't see me.

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If I don't move you can't see me. , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. This five-lined skin was sunning on a fallen log as I walked by. It watched me closely but didn't move until I was about 10 feet away. Extremely fast, it was gone in the blink of an eye. It is the only species of lizard found in Ontario. (Plestiodon fasciatus) It is a small, smooth-bodied lizard, with black or grey colouring and five white or yellow stripes along the back. The colour pattern diminishes with age as the stripes darken, and the contrast is less apparent in adults. Juveniles have bright blue tails, but this also diminishes with age. In adults, the tail is grey. Adult males can be distinguished from females by their broader heads and bright orange jaws and chin. Adults can reach a length of 20 centimetres. Skinks are very active predators, and they dart quickly from place to place looking for insects, worms or other invertebrates. Source - ROM www.rom.on.ca/ontario/risk.php?doc_type=fact...