Family: Scincidae, Skinks view all from this family

Description 5-7" (13-17.8 cm). Brown, with 4 light stripes extending from neck onto tail. Dark band on side, more than 2 scale rows wide, separates pair of light side stripes. Upper light stripe follows edge where 3rd and 4th scale rows meet, counting from middle of back. No stripes on head. Upper labial scales, 7. Male sometimes has reddish color on head. Young have blue tail.

Subspecies Northern (E. a. anthracinus), young striped like adults; w. New York and c. Pennsylvania, also scattered south through the Appalachians to Kentucky and North Carolina.
Southern (E. a. pluvialis), young black or with only an occasional trace of light stripes; c. Kansas and s. Missouri through ne. Texas and nw. Louisiana, e. Gulf coast from s. Louisiana to w. Florida panhandle, with scattered populations in Alabama, Georgia, and extreme w. South Carolina.

Breeding Mates in spring, early summer. Clutch of 8 or 9 eggs is laid in June, hatches in 4-5 weeks.

Habitat Damp wooded areas with abundant leaf litter or loose stones.

Range Scattered populations; w. New York through Appalachians to Gulf Coast, Louisiana and Missouri west to c. Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Discussion Diurnal. Coal Skinks readily dive into water to avoid capture. When this happens, they can usually be located by turning over stream-bed rocks, under which they tend to hide.