African Striped Skink
Trachylepis striata
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyScincidae (Skinks)
- GenusTrachylepis (Afro-Malagasy Mabuyas)
- SpeciesTrachylepis striata (African Striped Skink)
About the African Striped Skink
The African striped skink (Trachylepis striata), commonly called the striped skink, is a species of lizard in the skink family (Scincidae). The species is widespread in East Africa and Southern Africa. It is not a close relation to the Australian striped skink, Ctenotus taeniolatus.
Former subspecies T. s. punctatissima, T. s. sparsa, and T. s. wahlbergii have been elevated to species level. T. striata is brown or bronze-coloured with two yellowish stripes that run lengthwise on either side of the spine. Both sexes grow to a total length (including tail) of 25 cm (9.8 in). Their tails are often missing due to predators.
Striped Skink, Destination Kruger Park Media related to Trachylepis striata at Wikimedia Commons Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III.... Scincidæ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (Mabuia striata, pp. 204–205; Mabuia wahlbergii, pp. 205–206).
Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of African Striped Skink in Kruger National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Kruger National Park
Rainbow Skink
Trachylepis margaritifera
Damara Skink
Trachylepis damarana
Variable Skink
Trachylepis varia
Eastern Sand Skink
Trachylepis depressa
Montane Speckled Skink
Trachylepis punctatissima
Giant Lance Skink
Acontias plumbeus
Sundevall's Writhing Skink
Mochlus sundevallii
Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink
Panaspis wahlbergii
Spotted-neck Snake-eyed Skink
Panaspis maculicollis
Lowveld Dwarf Burrowing Skink
Scelotes bidigittatus
Mozambique Dwarf Burrowing Skink
Scelotes mossambicus
Montane Burrowing Skink
Scelotes mirus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a African Striped Skink in Kruger National Park?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a African Striped Skink sighting in Kruger National Park, based on 607 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see African Striped Skink in Kruger National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for African Striped Skink in Kruger National Park in our monthly data.