About Plestiodon callicephalus (Bocourt, 1879)
Plestiodon callicephalus, commonly called the mountain skink, is a medium-sized skink species. It reaches a maximum snout-to-vent length of around 7.5 cm (3.0 in). Its body ranges in color from olive to brown, with black stripes running along its sides. The head has a distinctive, roughly Y-shaped light line marking; this feature gives the species its scientific name, as callicephalus is Greek for "beautiful head". Like many other species in the Plestiodon genus, juvenile mountain skinks have a bright blue tail. Unlike most other species in this genus, adult mountain skinks keep this blue tail color, though the color fades slightly as they age. The mountain skink's geographic range extends from southeastern Arizona and extreme southwestern New Mexico in the United States, south to Nayarit and Jalisco in Mexico. In the United States, this species has a very localized distribution. In New Mexico, mountain skinks only occur in the southern Peloncillo Mountains of Hidalgo County, and are only known from Geronimo Trail and Guadalupe Canyon, where they are uncommon within their limited habitat. In Arizona, this species occurs in Coronado National Forest. Mountain skinks can be found in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from sea level up to nearly 2,000 m (about 6,560 ft). They prefer areas with abundant, well-rotted leaf litter, which provides cover and suitable places to lay eggs.
