Coal Skink

Snapshot

An uncommon mid-sized skink of moist mountain and west-Georgia forests — about 5–7 inches — four light side stripes and no mid-dorsal stripe. Native; leave alone.

Photos

(Photos pending — see photos/coal-skink/MANIFEST.md.)

Description and identification

SREL (Plestiodon anthracinus, formerly Eumeces): 5–7 in. Mid-sized, short-legged, streamlined. Gray or brown ground color with four white or yellowish stripes (two per side). Lack of a stripe down the center of the back distinguishes it from five-lined types within its restricted range.

Look-alikes

Five-lined / southeastern five-lined / broadhead skinks — five light lines including a mid-dorsal stripe (especially in young). Coal skink’s four-stripe, no mid-back stripe pattern is the outdoor cue within mountain / west-Georgia moist forest.

Range in Georgia

Patchy in the eastern states. In our region: mountainous northern Georgia and western South Carolina, plus a small distinct area of western Georgia (SREL). Full eastern U.S. range is discontinuous.

Full species range map

(Full native-range map pending — maps/coal-skink-full-range.png. Georgia occurrence in text; prefer GA DNR / SREL / georgiawildlife.com. Not Georgia-only art.)

Habitat preferences

Moist forests, usually along stream margins; shelters under rocks, logs, and other cover.

Natural history

Uncommonly encountered; habits poorly known. Often found along stream edges. When disturbed, may dive into water and hide under rocks or aquatic debris. Tail autotomy if restrained. Females lay several eggs in moist soil or rotten logs in summer and attend the clutch until hatch.

Food preferences

Presumably insects, spiders, and other invertebrates (SREL).

Temperament and encounters

Secretive streamside skink — watch, don’t grab. Water-diving flight is normal for this species.

Conservation and legal notes

Uncommon even within its restricted Georgia range; status research still needed (SREL). Habitat loss and stream degradation are concerns.

In Georgia, native nongame lizards are wildlife. Possession and take rules differ from popular pet-trade assumptions — check current Georgia DNR guidance (native wildlife / legal pets) before any collection. Do not invent statutes. Habitat loss, roads, and free-ranging cats drive many local declines. Educational observation from a distance is the default.

If you meet one

Watch from a distance; do not grab lizards by the tail (many species drop tails as defense — costly to the animal). Keep pets from chasing wildlife. Local educators — including community resources around Cartersville such as Etowah Valley Exotics when appropriate — can help with distant photo ID. This profile is educational, not a husbandry or collecting guide.