Plestiodon chinensis chinensis (Gray, 1838)
Chinese Skink 中國石龍子

Plestiodon chinensis
Order
Suborder		 Squamata 有鱗目
Lacertilia 蜥蜴亞目
Family Scincidae 石龍子科
Genus Plestiodon
Species Plestiodon chinensis chinensis
Other name -
Chinese name 中國石龍子指名亞種, 山龍子, 石龍蜥, 豬婆蛇, 山彈
Total length Total length 35 cm; snout-vent length 13 cm.
Description Body robust and large, Olive green or oliver brown in colour, usually with reddish spots on the flanks.
Underside creamy or pale yellow. Head strongly triangular; very broad in adult males.
Juveniles undergo a change in body colour as they grow to the adult form.
Young lizards black or chocolate brown, with three light-coloured dorsal stripes, blue tail and white spots on the flanks forming a broken lateral stripe.
Older juveniles have olive-coloured dorsum, with three pale dorsal stripes. Scales smooth and glossy, with no keels.
Habitat

Primarily found in lowlands; Rarely in hill and mountain grassland.
Frequently seen prowling in grassy or shrubby areas, cultivated fields and on the edge of mangrove swamps.
Also found hiding beneath stones and old boards.
Behaviour Diurnal.
Diet In captivity feeds on large insects including crickets, grasshoppers and cockroaches;
also earthworms, snails, and small lizard such as Grass Lizard (Takydromus sexlineatus ocellatus)
Gressitt (1941) records a wide variety of insect species in the stomach contents of this skink.
Reproduction Oviparous, probably laying eggs in late spring.
Clutch size 5 -7. Lay beneath rock or among crevices of tree roots.
Young about 4 cm in length at hatching.
Distribution Common in many cultivated areas of the New Territories, Lantau Island and Cheung Chau Island.
A widely distributed and common species in southern China and Vietnam.
Conservation Status IUCN Redlist: NE (Not Evaluated)
Plestiodon chinensis Plestiodon chinensis Plestiodon chinensis
Plestiodon chinensis
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