Blue-tailed Skink
Plestiodon quadrilineatus (Scincidae) - Syn. Eumeces quadrilineatus -, better known as Blue-tailed Skink or Asiatic four-lined skink, is a flashy lizard, little known and apparently rarely encountered on some continental shelf islands in tropical China. It has also been recorded in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand [1].
Plestiodon quadrilineatus is a medium-sized skink, up to 20 cm in total length. Dorsal color varies from dark brown to jet-black. Scales are smooth and glossy. Two prominent, whitish stripes extend from snout to tail dorsally. Parallel to these are two thinner white lateral stripes. These four stripes eventually merge with the brilliant blue of the tail. The blue color may fade with age [2].
Photo credit: ©Rob Ferguson | Blue Tailed Skinks in Hong Kong, China.
The half-blues!
