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Plestiodon tetragrammus

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Four-lined skink
Plestiodon t. tetragrammus, municipality of Aldama, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Plestiodon
Species:
P. tetragrammus
Binomial name
Plestiodon tetragrammus
Baird, 1859
Synonyms
  • Eumeces tetragrammus
    (Baird, 1859)

The four-lined skink (Plestiodon tetragrammus)[2] is a species of lizard, which is endemic to North America. It is a medium-sized member of the Plestiodon skinks.

Taxonomy

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At least two subspecies are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies:

  • Long-lined skink, P. t. tetragrammus Baird, 1859
  • Short-lined skink, P. t. brevilineatus (Cope, 1880)

Some herpetologists also consider the mountain skink (Plestiodon callicephalus) to be a subspecies of Plestiodon tetragrammus under the name P. t. callicephalus. Others, however, prefer to treat the mountain skink as a distinct species because its range is geographically distinct and there are morphological differences.

Description

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The two subspecies can be distinguished by their color and their stripes. The long-lined skink is gray to light brown in color and has light stripes from the eyes extending to beyond its forelegs, whereas the short-lined skink is darker in color and has stripes that end before the forelegs.

Juveniles of both subspecies have — like many Plestiodon — a blue tail; this color fades with age.

Adults reach a maximum SVL (Snout-Vent-Length) of some 7.5 cm (about 3 inches), and a TL (total length) of about 18 cm (7.1 in).

Geographic range

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Plestiodon tetragrammus occurs in northern Mexico and along the Mexican Gulf coast and in western and central Texas.

Habitat

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Both subspecies live in lightly wooded areas, with the short-lined skink having a preference for rocky areas, whereas the long-lined skink is also found in grasslands.

Reproduction

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The female lays about 5 to 12 eggs once a year, which she broods. Males develop orange (short-lined skink) to red (long-lined skink) coloration of the head during the breeding season.

References

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  1. ^ Hammerson, G.A.; Lavin, P. & Mendoza-Quijano, F. (2007). "Plestiodon tetragrammus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007. IUCN: e.T64241A12757814. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T64241A12757814.en. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  2. ^ Plestiodon tetragrammus, The Reptile Database

Further reading

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  • Baird, S.F. 1859. Descriptions of New Genera and Species of North American Lizards in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia "1858" [10]: 253-256. ("Plestiodon tetragrammus, Baird", p. 256.)
  • Behler, J.L., and F.W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Knopf. New York. 743 pp. ISBN 0-394-50824-6. (Eumeces tetragrammus, pp. 577–578.)
  • 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 tetragrammus, pp. 375–376.)
  • Conant, R. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin. Boston. xviii + 429 pp. ISBN 0-395-19979-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Eumeces tetragrammus, pp. 125–126 + Plate 19 + Map 82.)
  • Cope, E.D. 1880. On the Zoological Position of Texas. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. (17): 1-51. ("Eumeces brevilineatus sp. nov.", pp. 18–19.)
  • Smith, H.M., and E.D. Brodie Jr. 1982. Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. Golden Press. New York. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3. (Eumeces tetragrammus, pp. 76–77.)
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