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
Size: Total length 16–25 cm
Diet: Insectivore Carnivorous, eating insects, earthworms, and spiders, and occasionally fruit
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
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org

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

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 1

Kiryuugaoka DoubutsuenGunmaIf driving, set your car navigation to "Kiryugaoka Amusement Park" (Kiryugaoka Yuenchi) rather than "Kiryugaoka Zoo" to reach the parking lot (searching by the zoo name may give an incorrect route).

Source

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

Least Concern (LC)

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
How many operating facilities are registered here?: Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 1 Source

Books & gear

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