Scientific Name: Plestiodon fasciatus
(Formerly: Eumeces fasciatus)
Family: Scincidae
Description and Size
- Smooth scales
- Short fore and hind limbs
- Total length: 11.4-21.5 cm (4.5-8.5 inches)
- 5 white stripes extend down the back
- Base color: black (juveniles), brown to olive green (adults)
- Males: reddish-orange head during breeding season
Habitat
- Moist woodlands
- Edges between woodlands and grasslands
- Under rocks, logs, and leaf litter
- Occasionally in trees or snags
Diet
- Terrestrial arthropods
- Worms
Life History
- Diurnal
- Active season: April – October
- Breeding season: Spring
- Lays eggs
- 6-15 eggs per female (Cagle, 1940)
Range
Most common range within the last 50 years and does not include outliers. For more info email dferraro1@unl.edu.