THE BLUE-TAILED SKINK 



RICHARD DECKERT 



NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL GARDEM 



RED-HEADED AND BLUE-TAILED PHASES OF PLESTIODON FASCIATUS 



Painted from life bj) trie autkor 



The lizard known under the above 

 name belongs in the family of Skinks ; 

 lizards having smooth scales, a cylindrical 

 body, tail of moderate length and short 

 limbs. The scientific name of the species 

 has been for many years Bumeces 

 quinque-lineatus, but in adherence to the 

 rules of priority adopted by the Zoologi- 

 cal Congress of Paris, has been changed 

 to Plestiodon fasciatus. (Plestiodon: 

 pleistos — many, odon — tooth ; fasciatus — 

 striped.) 



Two distinct color phases, with inter- 

 grading forms, are met with. When the 



young lizard emerges from the egg it is 

 shiny black with five pale yellow longi- 

 tudinal lines on the back and sides, the 

 tail being brilliant blue. Both sexes are 

 alike in this coloring until a length of five 

 inches has been attained, when the male 

 shows reddish tints on the head, which 

 also widens perceptibly at the temporal 

 region in this sex. While the males still 

 retain the brilliant coloring, the females 

 seem to "fade out," that is, the pale 

 stripes become dull, the dark ones paler 

 and the blue of the tail less brilliant, until, 

 at a maximum length of about seven 



