Five-lined skink (Eumeces fasciatus) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 12
Technical Summary: Great Lakes/St. Lawrence population
Eumeces fasciatus – Great Lakes/St. Lawrence population
Five-lined skink – Scinque pentaligne
Range of Occurrence in Canada:
south central Ontario
Extent and Area Information
Extent of occurrence (EO) (km²)
29,842 km²
Specify trend in EO
Stable or slight decline
Are there extreme fluctuations in EO?
No
Area of occupancy (AO) (km²)
484 km²
Specify trend in AO
Stable or slight decline
Are there extreme fluctuations in AO?
No
Number of known or inferred current locations
84
Specify trend in #
Slight decline
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of locations?
No
Specify trend in area, extent or quality of habitat
Some decline
Population Information
Generation time (average age of parents in the population)
2 years
Number of mature individuals
22,300 (based on estimates of N e )
Total population trend:
Stable or slight decline
% decline over the last/next 10 years or 3 generations.
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of mature individuals?
Unknown
Is the total population severely fragmented?
No
Specify trend in number of populations
Stable or slight decline
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of populations?
No
List populations with number of mature individuals in each:
see Tables 1 and 5
Threats (actual or imminent threats to populations or habitats)
- habitat alteration and loss
- microhabitat alteration and destruction
- illegal collecting
- road mortality
- incresing fragmentation
Rescue Effect (immigration from an outside source)
Status of outside population(s)?
USA: Secure. Variable among U.S. jurisdictions but less secure among northern jurisdictions.
Is immigration known or possible?
Not possible from USA (unlikely to occur beyond 3 km)
Would immigrants be adapted to survive in Canada?
Unknown
Is there sufficient habitat for immigrants in Canada?
Unknown
Is rescue from outside populations likely?
Unlikely
Quantitative Analysis
N/A
Current Status
COSEWIC: Special Concern (1998); Great Lakes/St. Lawrence population: Special Concern (2002)
Status and Reasons for Designation
Status: Special Concern
Alpha-numeric code: None
Reason for Designation: The species is the only lizard in Eastern Canada. This small and secretive species is known from about 84 local populations, but has a small geographic distribution. Threats to the skink include loss and degradation of habitat, alteration of microhabitat, illegal collection, increased depredation by cats and dogs and increased mortality on roads. Increasing development in the species’ range will make populations more isolated and more susceptible to stochastic events on small sites.
Applicability of Criteria
- Criterion A: (Declining Total Population): No data on decline.
- Criterion B: (Small Distribution, and Decline or Fluctuation): No clear evidence of decline.
- Criterion C: (Small Total Population Size and Decline): Total population is greater than 10,000.
- Criterion D: (Very Small Population or Restricted Distribution): Not applicable.
- Criterion E: (Quantitative Analysis): Not applicable.
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