Plestiodon multivirgatus
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Through Species, North America and Taxonomy (biology)
Taxonomy
The taxonomy of this species is somewhat unclear, even amongst researchers. Most commonly, two subspecies are recognized:
- P. m. multivirgatus (Hallowell, 1857) – northern many-lined skink
- P. m. epipleurotus (Cope, 1880) – variable skink
The latter is sometimes treated as a separate species Plestiodon epipleurotus or Plestiodon gaigeae (Taylor, 1935), or given as the subspecies P. m. gaigeae. These last two scientific names are in honor of American herpetologist Helen Beulah Thompson Gaige (1890–1976) of the University of Michigan.
P. m. epipleurotus is also called the two-lined skink.
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Description
The many-lined skink is a medium-sized skink reaching a maximum snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about 7.5 cm (3.0 in) and a total length of roughly 19 cm (7.5 in). Its body is olive to brown in color. P. m. multivirgatus has black stripes along the body and tail, while P. m. epipleurotus has two white stripes with black borders.
Geographic range & habitat
The geographic range of P. m. multivirgatus in the north includes southern South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming, and extends in the south to the Arkansas River in Colorado. P. m. multivirgatus prefers sandy soil and occurs in habitat below 1,675 m (5,495 ft).
P. m. epipleurotus occurs from south-eastern Utah and southern Colorado through Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas. It lives in rocky habitat up to elevations of 2,600 m (8,500 ft).
Reproduction
P. multivirgatus is oviparous. Eggs are deposited under rocks.