African Five-lined Skink
Trachylepis quinquetaeniata
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyScincidae (Skinks)
- GenusTrachylepis (Afro-Malagasy Mabuyas)
- SpeciesTrachylepis quinquetaeniata (African Five-lined Skink)
About the African Five-lined Skink
The African five-lined skink (Trachylepis quinquetaeniata, formerly Mabuya quinquetaeniata), or rainbow mabuya, is a north-central African species of skink lizard. T. margaritifera is another closely related skink species that is also called the "rainbow skink" (although it occurs primarily in Eastern Africa); T. margaritifera, overall, possesses more colourful, "rainbow"-like scales (as opposed to the predominantly blue, black and yellowish five-lined skink, T. quinquetaeniata).
The African five-lined skink has two subspecies: Trachylepis quinquetaeniata quinquetaeniata (Lichtenstein, 1823) Trachylepis quinquetaeniata riggenbachi (Sternfeld, 1910) Trachylepis margaritifera, formerly treated as a subspecies of T. quinquetaeniata, was elevated to full species status in 1998.
Trachylepis quinquetaeniata is a smaller- to medium-sized lizard, maturing to a length of about 20 centimetres (7.9 in). The colour of this skink is quite variable, depending on the lizard's gender, its age and the time of the year. As with most skinks, its scales are glossy, shiny, and the body is rather smooth to the touch, with a 'metallic', reflective quality. The base scale... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of African Five-lined Skink in Samburu National Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Samburu National Reserve
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 4 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 5 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a African Five-lined Skink in Samburu National Reserve?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a African Five-lined Skink sighting in Samburu National Reserve, based on 56 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see African Five-lined Skink in Samburu National Reserve?
October has the highest sighting rate for African Five-lined Skink in Samburu National Reserve in our monthly data.