Five-lined Skink

Eumeces fasciatus

Skinks are small to medium-sized active lizards with light stripes arrayed longitudinally (from nose to tail). During breeding season, the coloration on the side of males' heads becomes red or orange. When threatened, the tail can be shed, after which it thrashes about, presumably to distract predators. This phenomenon of discarding body parts is called "autotomy". The five-lined skink is an average sized skink, reaching maximum lengths of 20 centimeters. In Canada, it is only found in southern Ontario, where it exists in sporadic, but locally dense, populations.

Distribution of Five-lined Skink in Canada