Coal Skink
Plestiodon anthracinus
A medium-sized skink with a thick body and skinny legs. Its scales are smooth and shiny. It has a total of 4 thin light lines running the length of its body; 2 on each si…
How to identify
A medium-sized skink with a thick body and skinny legs. Its scales are smooth and shiny. It has a total of 4 thin light lines running the length of its body; 2 on each side, with darker coloration between them on the skink's sides. These lines fade with age. The dark coloration between the lines breaks down into dark speckles about half way down the tail. It grows to a length of 5-7 inches. The lack of a central stripe down its back distinguishes this species from other skinks.
Range
Patches of range stretching through the eastern United States from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. A large patch of range is located in the central US from eastern Kansas and central Missouri down to eastern Texas and western Louisiana.
Habitat
This species likes humid wooded hillsides with lots of leaf litter near streams. It can also be found near springs and rocky bluffs. They're known to dive underwater and hide under rocks at the bottom when threatened.
Variations
Background color varies from tan to light brown to grey. Dark lateral coloration can be reddish or chocolate brown to black. Some individuals have an orange throat. Hatchlings have a blue tail.
Similar species
This species looks a lot like the southeastern five-lined skink (*Plestiodon inexpectatus*) which has a central light stripe down its back. Also could be confused with the common five-lined skink (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) which shares its range, or the western skink (*Plestiodon skiltonianus*) which does not.
Name and etymology
Anthracinus: Greek for pertaining to coal or carbon (anthrakos), referencing its dark dorsolateral color.
At a glance
Range
Patches of range stretching through the eastern United States from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. A large patch of ra…
Habitat
This species likes humid wooded hillsides with lots of leaf litter near streams. It can also be found near springs and rocky…
Guide
Reptiles and Amphibians of North America
Range map
Approximate range. © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap