Plestiodon septentrionalis BAIRD, 1858
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Plestiodon septentrionalis
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Scincinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | Plestiodon septentrionalis obtusirostris (BOCOURT 1879) Plestiodon septentrionalis pallidus (SMITH & SLATER 1949) Plestiodon septentrionalis septentrionalis (BAIRD 1858) |
| Common Names | E: Northern Prairie Skink obtusirostris: Southern Prairie Skink |
| Synonym | Plestiodon septentrionalis BAIRD 1858: 256 Eumeces septentrionalis — TAYLOR 1936: 394 Eumeces septentrionalis septentrionalis — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 134 Eumeces septentrionalis — GRIFFITH, NGO & MURPHY 2000 Plestiodon septentrionalis — SCHMITZ et al. 2004 Plestiodon septentrionalis septentrionalis — CROTHER et al. 2012 Eumeces pachyurus COPE 1880: 19 (fide TAYLOR 1936: 405) Eumeces pachyurus — STRECKER 1910 Plestiodon septentrionalis obtusirostris (BOCOURT 1879: 423) Eumeces obtusirostris BOCOURT 1879: 423 Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris — STEJNEGER & BARBOUR 1917: 70 Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris — TAYLOR 1936: 405 Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris — SMITH 1946 Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 134 Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris — CROTHER 2000 Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris — DIXON 2000 Plestiodon obtusirostris — SCHMITZ et al. 2004 Plestiodon obtusirostris obtusirostris — COLLINS & TAGGART 2009 Plestiodon septentrionalis obtusirostris — CROTHER et al. 2012 Plestiodon septentrionalis obtusirostris — LIEB 2023 Plestiodon septentrionalis obtusirostris — NICHOLSON et al. 2025 Plestiodon septentrionalis pallidus (SMITH & SLATER 1949) Eumeces septentrionalis pallidus SMITH & SLATER 1949 Plestiodon obtusirostris pallidus — COLLINS & TAGGART 2009 Plestiodon septentrionalis pallidus — CROTHER et al. 2012 Plestiodon septentrionalis pallidus — NICHOLSON et al. 2025 |
| Distribution | septentrionalis: USA (Wisconsin, Minnesota, SE North Dakota, E South Dakota, E Nebraska, C/E Kansas, Oklahoma, E Texas, Iowa), Canada (S Manitoba) pallidus: USA (Texas); Terra typica: USA: Palo Pinto, Palo Pinto, County, Texas; obtusirostris: USA (E Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma); Type locality. Originally, “Texas” with no specific locality. The locality information accompany- ing the relocated holotype (see Remarks) indicates it originated from Dallas in Dallas County, Texas. septentrionalis: USA (Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma); Type locality: Minnesota and Nebraska. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: USNM 3156 (specimen of the three under this number with SVL 70mm), Fort Ripley, Minnesota, collected J.F. Head. Designation by Taylor (1936). Holotype: ZMB 8689, Dallas, Texas, USA, collected Boll. [obtusirostris] Holotype: INHS (= UIMNH) 1961, P. Harter; May 1, 1946 [pallidus] Holotype: lost, fide Strecker 1910: 119 [pachyurus] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: “A medium-sized species (maximum size, about 75 millimeters) with (normally) two postmentals and no postnasal; frontonasal small, frequently fused with adjoining scales or absent, not in contact with the anterior loreal; limbs relatively short, not overlapping when adpressed in adult specimens; dorsolateral white line arising on the posterior part of the supraocular or superciliary region, and continuing some distance onl tail; lateral white line arising on snout, passing back above ear to some distance on tail; these lines bordered above and below by dark brown, and the entire space between them of the same color: ground color of back usually forming three light-brown lines, usually bordered by darker brown lines.” (Taylor 1936) Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 12203 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Subspecies: Plestiodon septentrionalis pallidus has been treated as a subspecies of P. obtusirostris. However, Lieb 2023 treated it as a synonym of septentrionalis. Nicholson et al. 2025 listed it as a “legacy” subspecies that has not been confirmed by genetic data. |
| Etymology | The specific epithet is an adjective in the nominative case derived from the Latin for ‘northern’, referring to the distribution of this species. |
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