Rare Species Guide

  Synonyms

Eumeces fasciatus

  Basis for Listing

The Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus), also known as the Blue-tailed Skink, is widely distributed throughout central and eastern United States and southeastern Ontario. Its status is considered secure in much of its range (NatureServe 2025). That generalization does not represent all populations, however, especially those in northern latitudes which tend to be more localized and fragmented and face different environmental pressures (Watson and Gough 2012). These include disjunct populations in Minnesota (Moriarty and Hall 2014).

In Minnesota, it was formerly known from only five scattered locations along the Minnesota River Valley (Minnesota River Prairie Subsection), and was classified as a state endangered species in 1984. Later, additional populations were found in two additional counties in southeastern Minnesota (The Blufflands Subsection) and in one east-central county (Mille Lacs Upland Subsection). The species' status was subsequently downgraded to special concern in 1996. Surveys since 1996 suggest the Upper Minnesota River Valley may be this skink’s stronghold in Minnesota. In 2017, all lizards native to Minnesota received protection as “protected wild animals” under amended state law (M.S. 97A.501) which states that “a person may not take, buy, sell, transport, or possess a protected wild animal unless allowed by the game and fish laws.”

  Description

The Common Five-Lined Skink is a shiny-scaled lizard, deriving its name from the five distinct yellowish stripes that run along its sides, back, and tail. These stripes may fade in adult males. The stripe down the center of the back splits at the neck and forms a "V" on the top of the head. The background color is variable with age and sex, with the young being black and older adults being gray or light brown. The tail is bright blue in the young, blue gray in adult females, and gray in adult males. Because of this, people also call it the Blue-tailed Skink. During mating season, the face and throat of adult males is orange red. Adults average 12.5-21.5 cm (4.9-8.5 in.) in length. Common Five-lined Skinks may be confused with the more common Northern Prairie Skink  (Plestiodon septentrionalis septentrionalis), which has dark brown lines along its sides and 3 wide tan stripes separated by 2 narrow dark stripes along its back (Moriarty and Hall 2014; MNDNR 2018).

  Habitat

Common Five-lined Skinks are associated with hardwood forests throughout most of their range (Fitch 1954). In contrast, northern populations typically use more open habitats with limited canopy cover, likely related to increased sun exposure for temperature regulation (Watson and Gough 2012). Rock outcrops are a critical habitat component for northern populations (Lang 1982; Howes and Lougheed 2004; Quirt et al. 2006). In addition to nesting and foraging habitat, outcrops supply open areas for basking and deep crevices for frost-free overwintering (Lang 1982).  In the Upper Minnesota River Valley of western Minnesota, it primarily inhabits large open granite or gneiss bedrock outcrops (Type ROs12a) within a mosaic of hardwood (Souther Floristic Region) or coniferous woodlands or oak savanna. These habitat complexes may also include prairie and other grasslands, wetlands and riparian areas. Some inhabited outcrops are flatter expanses, whereas others are steep and rugged. Historically, these outcrops were quite open, but over time fewer natural disturbances such as fire and grazing led to extensive canopy closure. Gelvin-Innvaer et al. (2025) summarized historical landcover changes and described the skinks’ recent microhabitat use in this landscape. Common Five-lined Skink studies from southern Ontario, Canada are applicable to Minnesota populations in the Upper Minnesota River Valley. In east central Minnesota, Common Five-lined Skink sites are characterized by basalt outcrops (Type ROs12b) ranging from somewhat flat to very steep. In southeastern Minnesota, these skinks are found on exposed limestone and sandstone outcrops (Type ROs12c) and bluff prairies (Type UPs13c). Since 2000, all Common Five-lined Skinks found by the DNR Nongame Wildlife Program in the southeastern blufflands have been on only a very small number of bluffs with open prairie and sandy blowouts  (J. Edwards 2014, personal communication). All sites inhabited by this species generally have abundant basking areas and cover objects, including natural features such as flatter loose rocks, stumps, and large moderately decayed logs (Hecnar 1994), or sometimes human-made items such as sheet metal or tar paper.

  Biology / Life History

The Common Five-lined Skink is a year-round resident. It brumates (i.e. undergoes dormancy) to survive winter from early October to late April or early May (Lang 1982). In Minnesota, breeding peaks in late May. About one month later, the female digs a small chamber under a rock or in a decaying log or stump, and lays 5-13 eggs. She guards them from predators until they hatch, in 30-60 days during July- August. Hatchlings are precocial (i.e. able to move around almost immediately after hatching), leaving the nest within 1-2 days after hatching (Moriarty and Hall 2014). Food consists of a variety of invertebrate prey especially spiders and roaches (Lang 1982, Moriarty and Hall 2014). This lizard is a solitary species. Males will defend their territories against intruders during the breeding season. Their documented home territory, based on recaptured individuals, has a diameter of 9-27m (30-90 ft.) (Fitch 1954).  A Canadian radiotelemetry tracking study (Brazeau and Hecnar 2018) documented highly variable skink’ movement distances, with some reaching nearly 200m (656 ft). Further, the skinks did not occupy traditional home ranges, but rather most made straight-line movements while returning to the same locations periodically. The skinks occurred outside of typical cover locations more often than expected from earlier recapture studies (Fitch 1954; Hecnar and M'Closkey 1998). Normally found on the ground, this lizard also may climb into low shrubs or trees (Moriarty and Hall 2014). Common Five-lined Skinks readily release their tails when attacked by a predator. The tail will continue to wiggle on the ground, distracting the predator while the skink makes its escape. Skink tails will re-grow, but the new tail is generally not as long or colorful as the original.

  Conservation / Management

Primary threats to this species’ survival are habitat degradation, fragmentation, and destruction. Because the Common Five-lined Skink exists in small, isolated populations in Minnesota, even small-scale habitat disruption could lead to local elimination of the species (Gelvin-Innvaer et al. 2025).  Plant community succession in the absence of natural processes, like fire, leads to encroachment by woody vegetation. Aggressive native trees like eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) and non-native shrubs like invasive buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.) substantially reduce open outcrop habitat for this species (Lang 1982). Development (e.g. buildings, roads, recreational facilities, outcrop mining) results in direct habitat losses and indirect hazards that increase vulnerability of small populations. Roads and trails can serve as pathways for the spread of invasive species (Hansen and Clevenger 2005, Lucas 2020). Skinks in areas fragmented by roads and off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails face increased mortality (Farmer and Brooks 2012). Outcrop mining permanently alters and eliminates this non-renewable habitat. Habitat fragmentation and human development can increase predation, such as by raccoons (Procyon lotor) and domestic cats (Felis catus) (Schneider 2001). Free-roaming cats are non-native predators whose impact on reptiles has often been overlooked and warrants further attention (Fitch 1954; Lloyd 2012). Greater human activity has been associated with increased removal of natural features skinks depend on for cover and higher collection risk. Lizard collection from the wild is poorly documented, possibly more widespread, and concerning (Hecnar and M'Closkey 1998; Quirt et al. 2006).

Landcover is dynamic due to factors such as vegetative succession, invasive species, climate change, and anthropogenic habitat alteration including habitat management (Gelvin-Innvaer et al. 2025). Habitat management is necessary to restore and periodically maintain open habitats needed by these skinks. Hecnar and Brazeau (2017)  noted benefits of management practices such as mechanical clearing, burning, and augmenting microhabitat by placing suitable woody debris. Prescribed fire is beneficial to maintaining open habitats, but burning over consecutive years may have a negative impact on skink populations by killing individuals or eliminating fallen logs, which skinks use as nesting areas (Klemens 1993). General prescribed burning guidelines have been developed for amphibians and reptiles in the Midwest, though land managers conducting burns in areas with known rare reptile or amphibian populations or high concentrations of reptiles and/or amphibians  are advised to contact their regional Nongame Wildlife Specialist for guidance to minimize impacts. Minimally, managers should avoid burning all the occupied habitat on a site in a single year. Timing, frequency, direction of burn, as well as unburned refuge areas and logs within burn units are also considerations.

Mechanical removal of woody cover may be used if fire does not carry well on rock outcrops. Yet, rugged terrain may preclude the use of heavy equipment, while hand cutting is labor intensive. Goat grazing under a prescribed conservation grazing plan may be a viable option in some circumstances, but still likely must be combined with other management such as cutting and targeted, spot treatment with herbicides.

  Conservation Efforts in Minnesota

Although challenging to conduct, survey and longer-term monitoring are vital for targeting conservation efforts for Common Five-lined Skinks and assessing management effectiveness, The Minnesota DNR funded several surveys (1979-1986) yielding records of this species. Lang (1982) conducted a survey of its distribution and abundance in the Upper Minnesota River Valley. The Minnesota Biological Survey (MBS) targeted this species during reptile and amphibian surveys of this corridor in 1982, 1998, and1999, as well as in southeastern Minnesota during 1984. The MBS focused on documenting the species in new counties in the southwestern portion of the state in 2006 but found none.  By 2013, nearly all Common Five-lined Skink records for southwestern Minnesota were from the 1920s to the early 1980s with numerous sites with suitable habitat yet unsurveyed. This prompted formation of the Minnesota River Reptile Project (Gelvin-Innvaer 2018), a partnership between the DNR Nongame Wildlife Program and MBS. Part of this initiative entailed assessing the distribution, habitat use and response to management of Common Five-lined Skinks during 2015-2017.

Because this species’ habitats are fragmented and highly limited in distribution in Minnesota, protection and management efforts have been key. For example, in 2007-2010,  Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) in cooperation with state and federal agencies permanently protected 784.4 acres of most ecologically intact rock outcrops and associated wetlands along the Minnesota River Valley via Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) easements. Additionally, state Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and Scientific and Natural Areas (SNA) containing skink habitat have also been established. Periodic removal of encroaching woody vegetation from prairie outcrops and bluffs benefit Common Five-lined Skinks and other wildlife depending on these open habitats. The DNR and partners have collaboratively managed thousands of acres of these habitats on public and private lands. Management of woody encroachment is challenging due to its recurrence in this rugged terrain and requires a long-term maintenance approach.

For rock outcrop sites with known or potential Common Five-lined Skink populations in the Minnesota River Valley, Gelvin-Innvaer et al. (2025)  recommended managing for:

·       Herbaceous cover: Less than 75% of the area

·       Canopy closure: 8–25%

·       Buckthorn density: No more than 5 stems per 10 m2 (about 108 ft2)

·       Sumac density: 2–15 stems per 10 m2 (about 108 ft2)

Leave large fallen logs distributed throughout the site to supplement existing loose rock as cover. Each log should be at least 15 cm (about 6 in.) in diameter.  The total length of all these logs combined should be about 1.6 m (about 5 ft.)  per 10 m2 (about 108 ft2).

Promoting five-lined skink conservation also entails public outreach, such as social media, Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine articles , and a segment of the DNR Prairie Pod podcast (Benage and Worland 2019).

  Authors/Revisions

Lisa A. Gelvin-Innvaer (MNDNR), 2025

(Note: all content ©MNDNR)

  References and Additional Information

Fitch, H. S. 1954. Life history and ecology of the Five-lined Skink, Eumeces fasciatus. University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History 8:1-156.

Harding, J. H. 1997. Amphibians and reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. The University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, Michigan. xvi + 378 pp.

Howes, B. J., and S. C. Lougheed. 2004. The importance of cover rock in northern populations of the Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus). Herpetologica 60: 287-294.

Klemens, M. W. 1993. Amphibians and reptiles of Connecticut and adjacent regions. State Geological and Natural History Survey of Connecticut, Bulletin 112. xii + 318 pp.

Lang, J. W. 1982. Distribution and abundance of the Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus) in Minnesota. Final report submitted to the Nongame Wildlife Program, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 109 pp.

Lang, J. W. 2003. Biological assessment of the proposed bike trail on Five-lined Skinks. Final report submitted to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Unpaged.

Oldfield, B., and J. J. Moriarty. 1994. Amphibians and reptiles native to Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 237 pp.