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The broad-headed skink, which grows from 6 to 12 inches long, is the largest lizard in Ohio.
Unlike snakes, lizards usually have four legs, external ear openings, and movable eyelids. Instead of the snake's single row of ventral scales, lizards have several rows of scales on their undersides. |
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Broad-headed Skink
Plestiodon laticeps
At-a-Glance
• Peak Breeding Activity: May-July
• Number of offspring : 6-16 eggs
• Typical Foods: insects
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Description
The female and young closely resemble the female and young of the five-lined skink. Young specimens even have a bright blue tail. Large males become a uniform olive-brown and have considerable red coloration on the head. The back of the head is greatly enlarged.
Habitat and Habits
This skink is essentially a woodland inhabitant. It is found only in several counties in the southern half of the state, and is rare even there. Occasionally, broad-headed skinks can be observed high in the branches of dead trees. This skink has the distinction of being the most arboreal of all our skinks.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
Eggs are laid in excavations under logs or leaf litter. The female watches over the eggs until they hatch. |
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