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Reptiles of the United States  
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A Guide to the Reptiles &
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Home »» Lizards »» Scincidae (Skinks) »» Prairie Skinks »» Northern Prairie Skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis septentrionalis)


Northern Prairie Skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis septentrionalis)Species of Least Concern





Description: The northern prairie skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis septentrionalis) has more dark striping along the body and tail than the slightly smaller southern prairie skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis obtusirostris), whose stripes are fewer and fainter. Another way to tell them apart is their location. Total length: 5 to 7½ inches (average).


Habitat: The preferred habitat is flat rocks or similar shelter near small prairie streams in tallgrass prairie. This species spends much time under rocks and thatch. It suns for short periods during morning or early afternoon. These lizards require native prairie habitat in order to survive.


Range: USA (Wisconsin, Minnesota, SE North Dakota, E South Dakota, E Nebraska, C/E Kansas, Oklahoma, E Texas, Iowa), Canada (S Manitoba)


Found in these States: IA | KS | MN | NE | SD | WI


Diet: They feed on small invertebrates, preferring spiders, crickets, and grasshoppers, but avoiding ants.


Reproduction: Clutch size is about 4-18; averages 7-9 in Minnesota, 8 in Kansas, 11 in Nebraska, 9 in Texas; larger females produce larger clutches. Eggs hatch in 1-2 months (by mid-July in Iowa). Sexually mature in 2 years. Female attends eggs until shortly after hatching. Courtship and egg-laying occur in May and June, with the female laying 5–18 eggs in a shallow burrow under rocks or thatch. She remains with her eggs until they hatch. As with many other skinks, the hatchlings have a bright blue tail.


Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a degree of habitat modification, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.


Taxonomy:

»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
   »» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
     »» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
       »» Class: Reptilia - Reptiles
         »» Order: Squamata - Lizards
           »» Family: Scincidae - Skinks
             »» Genus: Plestiodon
               »» Species: Plestiodon septentrionalis - Prairie Skink
                 »» Subspecies: Plestiodon septentrionalis septentrionalis - Northern Prairie Skink

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Prairie Skink", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.

 

 

 

 

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Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

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