The vibrant, electric-blue tail is a common characteristic across several different species, most notably within the family Scincidae, or skinks. The blue tail is typically not a permanent feature of the lizard’s life, but rather a temporary badge of youth. This conspicuous coloration represents a survival strategy found in the reptile world.
Identifying the Common Blue-Tailed Lizards
The most frequently encountered blue-tailed lizards in North America are the juveniles of certain skink species, particularly the Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) and the Broad-headed Skink (Plestiodon laticeps). Juvenile Five-lined Skinks are easily recognizable by their dark bodies, which feature five distinct, light-colored stripes running longitudinally down their backs, culminating in a brilliant, sapphire-blue tail.
The juveniles of the Broad-headed Skink are nearly identical in appearance, also displaying the five stripes and the vivid blue tail. Distinguishing between these two similar species often requires detailed examination of scales, such as counting the labial scales along the upper lip. As these lizards mature, they undergo a significant color change; the blue tail coloration begins to fade, and the body stripes become less distinct. Adult Five-lined Skinks develop a uniform brown or olive color, while adult males of the Broad-headed Skink are notably larger and develop a distinctive, swollen, reddish-orange head during the breeding season.
The Biological Purpose of the Blue Tail
The bright blue coloration on the tail of these juvenile skinks serves a biological purpose as a specialized anti-predator adaptation. This visual signal is an example of the “risky-decoy hypothesis,” where the conspicuous color draws a predator’s attention toward an expendable body part. By making the tail the most noticeable feature, the lizard increases the likelihood that an attacking predator will strike the tail rather than the head or body, which contain the animal’s vital organs.
This defense strategy is paired with the lizard’s ability to perform caudal autotomy, the voluntary shedding of the tail. When grasped, the lizard can detach its tail at a pre-formed fracture plane, allowing the segment to continue wriggling independently for several minutes. This continued movement, combined with the bright blue color, creates a powerful distraction that occupies the predator while the lizard makes its escape. Although losing the tail is costly in terms of lost fat reserves and energy required for regeneration, it is an effective last-resort defense mechanism. The regenerated tail is often duller in color and contains cartilage instead of bone, making the demarcation visible.
Habitat, Diet, and Life Cycle
These blue-tailed skinks are commonly found across the eastern and southeastern United States, often inhabiting moist, wooded areas. They prefer habitats with plenty of ground cover, such as under logs, leaf litter, rock piles, or bark, which provide both shelter and foraging opportunities. They are largely terrestrial but are also competent climbers, occasionally scaling trees or old buildings in search of food or basking spots.
The diet of these skinks consists mainly of small invertebrates, making them important consumers in their ecosystem. They actively hunt insects such as crickets, spiders, grasshoppers, termites, and beetles. Females lay a clutch of eggs, typically between four and fourteen, in a sheltered location like a rotten log or under debris. They exhibit maternal care, often staying with the eggs for one to two months until they hatch.