# General Topics > General Discussion & News > Care Sheet Proposals >  Care-sheet for American Five-Lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) And relatives

## Xavier

A male Common Five-Lined Skink, who kept some of his hatchling coloration 

Introduction:
The Common Five-Lined Skink, one of the many species of lizard found throughout North America. Most people like these lizards due to their bright coloration as juveniles and hatchlings, which typically fade with age, but some can be found with a blue tail, or stripes down the back. First described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, It was later revealed in 1932, that a sub-species of this skink in the southeast United States, was an actual species.(Plestiodon inexpectatus) This care-sheet is designed to inform people on the natural history of this species of lizard, and to inform people on how to care for them in captivity. This care-sheet is also helpful in care for the two other large species of skink found throughout much of the Eastern Seaboard. (Plestiodon inexpectatus and Plestiodon laticeps)


A female Common Five-Lined with stripes down her back (Females tend to keep coloration longer than males)

Natural History:
The Common Five-Lined Skink is a reptile of great range, it extends to Extreme southern Ontario, to eastern Texas, and roughly halfway down the Florida Panhandle. North of areas where it stays warm enough for activity on a daily basis, these skinks Hibernate (Or brumate in reptile terms) from mid October to mid March, and after hibernation these skinks eat some food and put breeding on top priority. The males are very aggressive to other males in their territory, and presumably use scents and pheromones to determine male from female, and if the females are ready to mate. After mating, females lay 4-15 eggs and stay with them the entire 24-55 days it takes them to hatch. Hatchling skinks are pitch black with five bright yellow lines leading down to the bright cobalt blue tail, which scientists believe that either the skinks are toxic, or to lure predators to the tail which they can regrow. Prey items in the wild include the following: Field Crickets, grubs, butterflies, moths, slugs and snails, earthworms, spiders, and millipedes. Presumed prey could include small vertebrates, such as small or newly morphed frogs and toads, small and again freshly morphed salamanders and newts, fish if they are in an area where they can catch them, small and baby birds, and small and baby mice. These skinks are also a food item for many animals, including large invertebrates, including large web-making spiders and praying mantids, such as Orb-weavers and Chinese mantids, vertebrates such as fish and large amphibians and reptiles eat them, as do birds such as Crows and American kestrels. Many mammals love the taste of skink, as many eat this species. Raccoons, Moles, Red foxes, Striped skunks, Virginia opossums, and Domestic cats are all confirmed to eat this little skink. This species counteracts its predators, by using short bursts of speed to dash away from its chaser. They can either burrow to avoid predators, or climb trees and shrubs to escape. From personal experience, these skinks find a escape route, and stay near it no matter what. When a predator tries to attack them, they retreat to their escape route, (Mine was a broken column) and don't leave until the cost is clear. Hatchling and juvenile skinks however, have a different strategy when it comes to outsmarting predators. The bright blue tail lures the attack away from the body, but to something the skink can afford to lose. Scientists also believe that the skink is toxic,(Or at least the tail) because some cats have been hospitalized from eating the Southeastern Five-Lined. 


A great photo showing the coloration that these skinks have as juveniles

General Captive Care:
Common Five-Lined Skinks thrive and flourish in captivity, but they need certain care that some people may not be able to supply. These reptiles are cold blooded, which means that they cannot hold their body temperature like us mammals. They need a terrarium with enough space to bask to build up body heat, and space to cool down. They also need hides and décor, such as leaves, rocks, and live plants, and they also need water like everything else. You should have a water dish, but you need to mist them daily until you see it drink from a water dish. They also need live foods, as in insects, like Crickets, Roaches, Night-crawlers,(Earthworms) Meal-worms, Wax-worms, and other insects commonly available in pet-stores. [Also, a note about catching insects and other feeders from the wild: Even though you probably caught your skink from the wild, I would strongly advise against catching wild insects from your backyard, because the risk of contamination from food is t high. Even if you do not use pesticides in your yard, other people could use them around you, and even then, one that was sprayed could have flown to your yard where you feed it to your skink by mistake. Also, wild things have parasites in them, that could very well survive in the new hosts (The lizard and possibly you!) and cause detrimental affects on it, and again possibly you, so make sure you feed it foods not from the wild!] And before making the decision of getting a skink, go ahead and look up reptile and amphibian vets (Exotic animals) near you, incase anything goes south. 


A wild female Five-Lined Skink eating a roach

Breaking It Down:
This section will be different from the others, as I am going to explain the care in sections, otherwise it would take too long to do
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Basking Light And Daily Temperature:
These skinks like it hot! A prefered basking bulb is a UVB light that is at the very least 100 watts. The basking/warm spot should be 85/100 degrees fareinheit, and the cool/water area should be 80/75 degrees. Night-time temperatures should be 75/65, colder than that should only be for brumation if you want to breed them, and any hotter could flat out kill them, so be cautious when making sure about heating.
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Terrarium Size and Personal Reccomended Brand: 
For one skink, an adult will need at least 20 gallons of space, for daily activity. It should also be said, that these skinks need space to burrow instead of climb, so width is better that height. Juveniles can be kept in a 10 gallon, but will soon outgrow it! If keeping more than one, you will need to add 20 more gallons for each lizard. 2 in a 40 gallon, 3 in a 80 gallon, and no more can be safely kept, because it will lead to a pecking order and will lead to fights among the lizards. My personal reccomendation is Exo-Terra, because the tanks come with extra ventalation and locks, so it makes everything much safer
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Humidity:
No more than 60, and no less than 20. To keep humidity up, you can get a spray bottle, not used for chemecals, and mist with water daily to every two days, or you can get an automatic mister, and set a specific time to mist and for how long, and it will do it automatically.
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Water: 
Unless you see your skink start drinking water from its water dish, mist it daily to make sure it is geting enough water. Don't use tap water, as it has dangerous chemecals that make it safe to drink for people.
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Feeding:
Small live foods, such as Dubia roaches,(The personal best feeder) calcium dusted crickets, grasshopers and locusts,(Second favorite) and earthworms and night-crawlers.(third) Other foods I do not reccomend, unless you are feeding a sick one, one that will not eat, or there is a shortge on other foods. Meal-worms and Super-worms may sound good, but these are not very good, ad they are hard to digest properly. Wax-worms are not very good either, as they are extremly fatty, and should only be used feeding something skinny or sick. Fruit flies are actually a good feeder, but only for small hatchlings and Juveniles.
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Set-up: 
A good set-up has easly plyable soil to burrow in, at the very least two hides to hide underneath, a water dish, basking light, plants, rocks and that sort of thing to help with stress, and to hide/camoflauge with, and good, nutritous food. If done corectly, your skink/s should thrive in captivity, and should have years and years to live a long life in its cage
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A sub-adult female Five-Lined, with juvenile coloration

Summary:
With dragon claws and scales, an attitude to match, and an easy to care for life, these magnificent reptiles are almost miniature dragons.

Links and further reading:
http://photobucket.com/images/five%20lined%20skink
http://srelherp.uga.edu/
http://srelherp.uga.edu/lizards/eumfas.htm
http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critter...don_fasciatus/
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ec...ined_skink.htm
http://people.wcsu.edu/pinout/herpet.../behavior.html
http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/
http://www.repticzone.com/caresheets/241.html
http://www.repticzone.com/forums/Skinks/index.html

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John, Larry Wardog

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