Broad Headed Skink

The broad headed skink is the largest native skink in the eastern United States. It is a heavy bodied lizard that climbs trees as often as it hunts on the ground. Adults reach roughly 6.5 to nearly 13 inches long.

Breeding season turns a mature male’s head bright orange red. That is why some people call it the red headed skink or red headed lizard. It is not venomous, and it is not a scorpion, despite an old backwoods myth that still follows it around.

It belongs to the same Plestiodon genus covered in our skinks hub guide. That group includes more than a dozen native North American species, several of which share parts of this skink’s range.

Identification: how it differs from the five lined skink

Three native skinks in the five lined group look almost identical as juveniles. They are the broad headed skink, the five lined skink, and the southeastern five lined skink. All three hatch jet black with pale stripes and a bright blue tail.

Telling the adults apart comes down to size and scale counts, not color alone. The broadhead is the giant of the group.

Missouri and Illinois wildlife surveys both put its maximum length near 12.75 inches. That is well past the five lined skink’s usual ceiling of about 8.5 inches.

Scale counts confirm the split when size alone is not conclusive. State agencies count the scales two ways, but they agree on the pattern.

The broadhead typically carries eight or nine upper labial scales along the lip, five of them between the nose and the eye. Only one small postlabial scale sits behind the last one.

The five lined skink has seven upper labials, four of them in front of the eye, and two postlabial scales. A hand lens usually settles the question in the field.

The southeastern five lined skink complicates the picture further. It overlaps both other species across much of the Southeast and looks nearly identical to the five lined skink, but the scales under its tail are all about the same size, with no widened middle row. It lays 3 to 8 eggs, a far smaller clutch.

Two smaller relatives, the ground skink and the coal skink, are far easier to rule out since neither grows past a few inches.

Separating the three reliably relies on tail and lip scale counts, not color. Our five lined skink guide walks through that comparison in more depth.

Size and lifespan

Adults measure anywhere from about 6.5 inches to nearly 13 inches at maximum size. That figure comes from North Carolina and Missouri wildlife survey data. Males typically outgrow females and carry a visibly wider head and jaw.

Wild lifespan is not precisely tracked. Missouri’s Department of Conservation lists roughly 7 to 8 years as typical once a skink survives its vulnerable first year. The Animal Diversity Web reports at least one captive individual living at least 8 years.

Wild survival is likely shorter, given predation from birds, snakes, and cats. Most hatchlings never reach adulthood at all. Growth is fastest in the first two years of life.

Missouri’s data puts sexual maturity around age 2. The Animal Diversity Web ties maturity to a snout to vent length near 75 millimeters instead, not a fixed age. Warmer conditions and more food can speed growth along.

For how this compares across species, see our lizard lifespan guide.

Behavior: the scorpion myth, tree climbing, and whether it bites

Old field guides and rural folklore both repeat the same myth. They claim this skink is a poisonous “scorpion” that can sting or kill with a bite. It cannot.

Every state wildlife agency that documents the species, including North Carolina’s, states plainly that it is non venomous. It poses no danger to people. The myth likely grew from the lizard’s thick jaws and quick strike, which look intimidating up close.

A broadhead skink bite is possible if a large adult male is handled or cornered. The same jaw muscles built for crushing beetles and snails can pinch human skin. It carries no venom and is not medically significant, closer to a hard scratch than a snake bite.

Most individuals would rather bolt for cover than bite at all. This is one of the most arboreal lizards across its range. Illinois surveys describe it climbing trees, loose bark, and even barn walls the moment it feels threatened.

A five lined skink usually dives straight into leaf litter instead. The broadhead still hunts and nests at ground level. It simply splits its time between the two zones.

Adult males turn a striking orange to red across the head and jowls during spring. That is where the common names red headed skink and red headed lizard come from. The color fades again by early summer.

Females and juveniles keep the striped, dark pattern with a blue tail well into adulthood. The blue fades with age in both sexes.

• Males: wider head and jaw, orange to red head during breeding season, larger overall body, and more likely to bite if threatened.
• Females: olive brown to tan with faint striping, narrower head, generally smaller, and the sex that guards a clutch of eggs.
• Juveniles of both sexes: jet black body, five to seven yellow stripes, and a bright blue tail that fades with age.

What a broad headed skink eats in the wild

This species is strictly carnivorous. Grasshoppers, beetles, spiders, earthworms, and land snails make up the bulk of its diet, per Missouri Department of Conservation surveys. It will also take small lizards, other skinks, reptile or bird eggs, and even newborn mice.

The Animal Diversity Web lists insects, arachnids, mollusks, rodents, and smaller reptiles as its main prey categories. It specifically notes that adults will eat juveniles of their own species. Strong jaws let it crush snail shells and beetle exoskeletons that weaker jawed lizards cannot manage.

Foraging happens both on the ground and up in trees. Insects and snails collect in bark crevices and rotting wood just as often as in leaf litter. A skink hunting a fallen log in the morning may climb a trunk after the same prey by afternoon.

Our guide to what lizards eat covers how this compares across species with different lifestyles.

Breeding and egg guarding

Courtship runs from April through June, depending on latitude. It starts earlier in the Deep South and later toward the northern edge of the range. Missouri’s Department of Conservation records courtship there from late April through June.

Clutch size varies by source. Missouri reports 6 to 25 eggs, and North Carolina reports 8 to 22.

The Animal Diversity Web gives a narrower figure of 8 to 13, with an average near 11. The spread likely reflects female size and regional conditions, not any real disagreement about the species.

Females lay their eggs in rotting logs, stumps, or loose soil under cover. They then stay with the clutch until it hatches. Missouri describes females brooding the eggs through incubation.

Illinois surveys note that females typically guard the nest until the young emerge in July or August. This kind of maternal care is unusual among lizards. It sets skinks apart from most other lizard families.

Hatchlings emerge fully independent at around 6 to 8 centimeters long. They are glossy black with yellow stripes and an electric blue tail. That color fades as the animal grows, and by breeding age a male’s stripes are largely gone.

Can you keep a broad headed skink as a pet, and should you?

This is a wild, native lizard, not a captive bred pet trade animal. There is no established breeding program supplying the species to hobbyists. Almost any individual offered for sale or held in a private collection was taken directly from the wild.

Native reptiles in the United States fall under state wildlife law, not one federal exotic pet rule. The details vary sharply by state. Some states allow limited collection of common native reptiles with a hunting or fishing license.

Others require a specific scientific or collector permit. A few restrict or protect native skinks in certain counties or habitats. Rules on a care blog can be years out of date, so check with the state wildlife agency directly.

Beyond legality, there is a welfare case against taking a wild adult skink into captivity. Wild caught adults typically carry more stress and more internal parasites than an animal bred for the pet trade. They also have a higher chance of dying in the first weeks of captivity.

Removing a breeding adult from a wild population carries a real, if small, ecological cost. Most zoos and researchers that keep this species work with rescued or research animals. They rarely collect healthy wild adults on purpose.

Zoos and educational collections that legally house the species focus on the welfare needs covered below. Those include room to climb and burrow, correct heat and humidity, and a varied invertebrate diet. Our skink care guide covers the daily side of that care for the wider family.

Enclosure needs for a semi arboreal skink this size

A lizard that reaches close to 13 inches and climbs as readily as it burrows needs floor space and height together. Zoos and licensed keepers typically use an enclosure at least 4 feet long, 2 feet deep, and 2 feet tall for a single adult. It should be taller still where branches and cork bark are added for climbing.

Substrate needs to hold a burrow without collapsing. It also needs to stay slightly damp without turning to mud. A mix of organic topsoil, coconut fiber, and leaf litter is standard for this group.

In the wild this skink uses tree cavities, loose bark, and rotting logs as retreats. A captive setup mirrors that with real or artificial hollow logs, cork rounds, and stacked bark pieces.

This is a wild collected species, not a captive bred one, so new arrivals are typically quarantined separately for several weeks before joining any collection. Quarantine catches mites, ticks, and internal parasites before they spread. Our skink enclosure guide and skink habitat guide cover the substrate and furniture layer in more detail.

Heating and lighting

This is a diurnal, sun basking species. In captivity it needs a basking surface around 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

The ambient side of the enclosure should sit in the mid 70s to low 80s. It can drop into the upper 60s overnight.

A gradient like this lets the lizard move to whatever temperature its digestion or activity level calls for. UVB lighting is essential, not optional, for a species that basks in full sun on logs, fences, and tree trunks.

A full spectrum UVB tube rated for the enclosure’s size should be replaced on schedule. Do not wait until it visibly dims.

That light supports the vitamin D3 synthesis this species needs to process dietary calcium. In the wild, this species hibernates from roughly October through March across the northern part of its range. It stays active longer in the Deep South.

Captive animals kept at stable warm temperatures year round generally skip that dormancy. Some keepers still cool their animals slightly in winter to match a more natural cycle.

Common health problems

Metabolic bone disease from too little calcium or UVB exposure is one of the most common preventable illnesses in captive skinks. It shows up as a soft jaw, bowed limbs, or fractures after a minor fall. Dusting feeder insects with calcium and providing genuine UVB light are the two main defenses.

Wild caught adults commonly arrive carrying internal parasites, mites, or ticks picked up before capture. Stress from handling and transport can let a mild parasite load turn into a serious one. A reptile experienced veterinarian can run a fecal exam to check for parasites.

Respiratory infections tend to follow enclosures kept too cool or too damp for too long. They show up as open mouth breathing, wheezing, or mucus around the nostrils. A checkup soon after acquisition catches most of these problems while they are still treatable.

Our lizard health guide covers warning signs across species in more detail.

Cost of keeping one

There is no retail price to quote for this species. It is not commercially bred or sold through the pet trade the way a leopard gecko or bearded dragon is. Any figure attached to one for sale reflects a collector’s asking price for a wild caught animal, not a farmed market rate.

The real cost of keeping one legally comes from permits, where a state requires them. It also comes from the same enclosure and equipment costs as any mid sized, semi arboreal skink. That means a large glass or PVC enclosure, a UVB fixture and basking bulb, thermostats, substrate, and ongoing feeder insect costs.

None of that is unique to this species. Together, it lands closer to a small monitor lizard’s setup cost than a simple ground dwelling gecko’s.

Anyone drawn to the look of this lizard but unable to legally source one has another option. Watching wild skinks in a park or backyard costs nothing at all.

They could also look into other types of lizards available through licensed breeders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a broad headed skink poisonous?

No. It has no venom glands and no toxic bite or sting.

Every state wildlife agency that documents the species describes it as harmless to people. The poisonous scorpion reputation is a folk myth, not biology.

Does it bite?

A cornered or handled adult, especially a large male, may bite in self defense. The bite can pinch or scratch bare skin, but it carries no venom. It is closer to a firm pinch than any real hazard.

What is a red headed skink?

Red headed skink and red headed lizard are common regional nicknames for this species. They describe the bright orange red head that adult males develop during spring breeding season. It is the same animal as the broadhead skink, not a separate species.

How do I tell a male from a female?

Adult males are larger, with a visibly wider head and jaw. They develop the orange red breeding head color that females lack. Females keep a more olive or tan, lightly striped pattern, and are the sex that stays to guard a clutch of eggs.

How big does a broad headed skink get?

Most adults measure between 6.5 and 10 inches long. The largest recorded individuals reach close to 12.75 inches, according to state wildlife surveys. That makes it noticeably larger than the closely related five lined skink, which tops out around 8.5 inches.

Can I legally catch or keep a broad headed skink?

That depends entirely on the state, since native reptiles fall under state wildlife law rather than one national rule. Some states allow limited collection with a license.

Others require a specific permit, or protect the species in parts of its range. Check with the state wildlife agency before catching or keeping one.