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Do Five Lined Skinks Play Dead?
Do Five Lined Skinks Play Dead?
Sophia Al-Mansoor••7 min read
Skinks can perform autotomy
autotomy
The technical term for this ability to drop the tail is caudal autotomy. ... In this second type of autotomy the lizard contracts a muscle to fracture a vertebra, rather than break the tail between two vertebrae. Sphincter muscles in the tail then contract around the caudal artery to minimize bleeding.
; if seized by a predator its tail is deliberately cast and wriggles violently attracting attention while the lizard may escape. The tail will grow back with time but is often darker in color and misshapen. It will play dead, but this behavior is rarely seen.
Do five-lined skinks hibernate?
Five-lined skinks inhabit moist forested areas where there are plenty of places to hide, like rock crevices or piles of wood and leaf debris, and plenty of open areas to bask in the sun. Skinks are active during the day and are solitary outside of mating season. During the winter months, they hibernate.
Do five-lined skinks tails grow back?
Juveniles can regenerate their tails in about five weeks. When five-lined skinks reach sexual maturity, the tails lose their brilliant blue coloration and they are not as easily lost.
