Broadhead skink , Broadhead 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 five-lined skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus) in forest of the Southeastern United States. All three species are phenotypically similar throughout much of their development and were considered a single species prior to the mid 1930s.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
In
InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
Ar
ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Pr
PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
Pr
PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Te
TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Po
PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
So
SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
Hi
HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
B
starts withThe Broad-headed skink is a nonvenomous species of lizard, native to the United States. It gets its name from the wide jaws, giving the head a triangular appearance. Adult males are brown or olive-brown in color and have bright orange heads during the mating season in spring. Females have five light stripes running down the back and the tail. Juveniles are dark brown or black and also striped and have blue tails.
Broad-headed skins are found in the southeastern United States from the East Coast to Kansas and eastern Texas and from Ohio to the Gulf Coast. They prefer humid forest areas with abundant leaf litter, especially oak forests, and can also be found in urban areas.
Broad-headed skinks are solitary animals that only come together to mate. They are active during the day from April through November. Although they forage on the ground, Broad-headed skins are mainly arboreal and easily and often climb trees for shelter, to sleep, or to search for food. They find their food visually and by smell through tongue-flicking. When threatened, Broad-headed skinks will flee to the nearest tree or log; they may also detach their tails to distract potential predators and use the moment to escape.
Broad-headed skinks are carnivores (insectivores). They eat mainly insects and spiders, but will also feed on mollusks, rodents, and small reptiles.
Broad-headed skinks are polygynous which means that one male mates with more than one female. Males typically are larger than females. The larger the female, the more eggs she will lay. Males thus often try to mate with the largest female they can find, and they sometimes engage in severe fights with other males over access to a female. Breeding usually occurs in late spring. The female lays between 8 and 22 eggs, which she guards and protects until they hatch in June or July. The hatchlings have a total length of 6 to 8 centimeters (2.4-3.1 in) and leave the nest a few days later.
There are no major threats to Broad-headed skins at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Broad-headed skink total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Broad-headed skinks feed on many insects and control their populations. They are also a food source for local predators such as birds, larger reptiles, and domesticated cats.
