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 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 Plestiodon septentrionalis obtusirostris (BOCOURT 1879: 423) Eumeces obtusirostris BOCOURT 1879: 423 Eumeces pachyurus COPE 1880: 19 (fide TAYLOR 1936: 405) Eumeces pachyurus — STRECKER 1910 Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris — STEJNEGER & BARBOUR 1917: 70 Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris — TAYLOR 1936: 405 Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris — SMITH 1946 Eumeces septentrionalis pallidus SMITH & SLATER 1949 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 obtusirostris pallidus — COLLINS & TAGGART 2009 Plestiodon septentrionalis pallidus — CROTHER et al. 2012 Plestiodon septentrionalis obtusirostris — CROTHER et al. 2012 Plestiodon septentrionalis obtusirostris — LIEB 2023 |
| 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) |
| Comment | Subspecies: Plestiodon septentrionalis pallidus has been treated as a subspecies of P. obtusirostris. However, Lieb 2023 treated it as a synonym of septentrionalis. |
| 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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