How can you tell a young Japanese five-lined skink apart from an adult?

Juveniles have five bright stripes on a black body and a vivid blue tail, while adults lose most of the striping and breeding males take on a reddish head and belly.

Can it really drop its tail?

Yes—when grabbed by a predator it can autotomize its tail, which keeps twitching to distract the attacker while the skink flees; the tail later regrows.

Japanese Five-lined Skinkニホントカゲ

Plestiodon japonicusLC— Least Concern

The Japanese five-lined skink is endemic to Japan, found from western Honshu to Kyushu and the Osumi Islands. Juveniles are strikingly patterned with a black body, five light stripes, and a bright blue tail, while adults lose the stripes and breeding males develop reddish heads. Like many skinks, it can shed its tail to escape predators; it is assessed as Least Concern.

Japanese Five-lined Skink (reference photo) — Photo: Yasunori Yamamoto / CC BY 4.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Squamata / Scincidae Source
Distribution: Endemic to Japan, ranging from western Honshu to Kyushu and the Osumi Islands; it was long treated as the same species as the eastern Japanese five-lined skink until molecular analysis distinguished them. Source

Did You Know?

Juveniles have a black body with five light stripes and a bright blue tail; as they mature the stripes fade, and breeding males develop reddish coloring on the head and belly. Source
When threatened it can autotomize (self-detach) its tail, which continues to twitch and distract predators while the skink escapes. Source

Where to See This Species

1 facilities · 0 individuals

桐生が岡動物園 (Kiryuugaoka Doubutsuen)Gunma自動車の場合、カーナビ検索は「桐生が岡動物園」ではなく「桐生が岡遊園地」で設定すると駐車場に到着できる（動物園名で検索すると誤った経路になる場合がある）。

桐生が岡動物園のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

IUCNではLC。地域ごとの生息地を維持することが重要です。

Habitat

草地、林縁、石垣などの地表環境。

Threats

生息地の改変
餌となる昆虫の減少
交通事故

Conservation & Breeding Efforts

身近な爬虫類を紹介する展示
地域の陸上環境を守る活動

Sources

en.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

How can you tell a young Japanese five-lined skink apart from an adult?: Juveniles have five bright stripes on a black body and a vivid blue tail, while adults lose most of the striping and breeding males take on a reddish head and belly. Source
Can it really drop its tail?: Yes—when grabbed by a predator it can autotomize its tail, which keeps twitching to distract the attacker while the skink flees; the tail later regrows. Source

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org