Life History and Ecology of the Five-Lined Skink, Eumeces fasciatusFitch, Henry S. (Henry Sheldon)
Science
Life History and Ecology of the Five-Lined Skink, Eumeces fasciatus
Fitch, Henry S. (Henry Sheldon)
Eumeces fasciatus
One clutch of eggs laid in a terrarium probably on June 17,
1951--possibly a day or two earlier--hatched on July 30, after an
incubation of about 44 days. Another clutch, found in a terrarium on
July 17, 1951, was estimated to have been laid about a week earlier,
judging from the average length (11.8 mm.) and average weight (.55 gm.)
of the eggs. These eggs hatched on August 9, a little more than three
weeks after their discovery. A clutch found in the field on June 25,
1951, evidently recently laid (average length 12 mm., weight .45 gm.),
hatched 41 days later, on August 5. Another clutch found in a terrarium
on July 17, 1951, was estimated to have been laid ten days or two weeks
before, as the average length was 12.7 mm. The eggs hatched on August 7,
three weeks after their discovery. On June 25, 1951, an incomplete
clutch of three eggs was found with a female which still had an unlaid
egg. The three eggs probably had been laid the same day or the day
before. They were kept in the laboratory and weighed and measured at
intervals until July 28, 33 days after their discovery when both those
that remained were accidentally punctured and found to have nearly full
term fetuses. In the field a nest which contained only a gravid female
on June 24, 1951, had a clutch of eggs already mud stained and slightly
enlarged on June 29. The most probable date of laying was June 26. On
August 6 the eggs had all hatched but several young were still in the
nest. Probably most hatched on August 5. The incubation time was hence
approximately 40 days.
On June 21, 1951, a natural nest was found with eggs already somewhat
enlarged (12.5 × 8 mm.) and mud stained. This nest was checked from time
to time in the next few weeks, and after 39 days, on July 30, it was
found that all the eggs had recently hatched, but six young were still
in the nest cavity.
Another nest was found on June 24, 1951, with the eggs already markedly
enlarged (14 × 8 mm.) indicating that laying must have been several days
earlier--probably well over a week. Hatching occurred approximately 34
days later, probably on July 28, since on July 26 there was no sign that
hatching was imminent, and on July 30 only the empty dried eggshells
remained in the nest.
The incubation time approximated six weeks for those nests with most
complete records. Under wet and stormy weather conditions such as
prevailed in 1951, this may have been the normal incubation period, but
in warmer and drier years incubation time is shortened.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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