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Plestiodon gilberti

(Van Denburgh, 1896)

Gilbert's Skink

G5Secure Found in 38 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106029
Element CodeARACH01060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyScincidae
GenusPlestiodon
Synonyms
Eumeces gilbertiVan Denburgh, 1896Plestiodon "gilberti"(Van Denburgh, 1896)
Other Common Names
Gilbert's skink (EN)
Concept Reference
Nicholson, K. E. (ed.). 2025. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Ninth Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 87 pp. Online database available at: https://cnah.org/SSARnames.aspx
Taxonomic Comments
Nicholson (2025) recognize three subspecies corresponding to the three lineages inferred by Richmond and Reeder (2002): P. g. gilberti (Sierran Skink), P. g. rubricaudatus (Western Red-tailed Skink), and an unnamed P. g. ssp. (Inyo Skink). See discussion in Nicholson (2025).

Formerly in the genus Eumeces. Smith (2005) and Brandley et al. (2005) formally proposed that all North American species (north of Mexico) be placed in the genus Plestiodon. In a phylogenetic analysis of Eumeces based on morphology, Griffith et al. (2000) proposed splitting Eumeces into multiple genera, based on the apparent paraphyly of Eumeces.
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-08-26
Change Date1996-10-28
Edition Date2005-08-26
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Future taxonomic revisions will require a reassessment of the conservation status of this and related species.
Range Extent Comments
The geographic range excompasses the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges from central California to northern Baja California (Pacific coast to Sierra San Pedro Martir; Grismer 2002); isolated populations exist in southeastern California, southern Nevada, and west-central Arizona (Stebbins 2003). Elevational range extends from near sea level to about 2,220 meters (7,300 feet) (Stebbins 2003).
Occurrences Comments
Thie lizard is represented by a large number of occurrences or subpopulations. Jones (1985) mapped more than 150 collection sites throughout the range.
Threat Impact Comments
In some areas, declines likely have occurred as a result of habitat destruction associated with residential and commercial development. However, the species remains fairly common in many areas.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

The species occurs in a wide variety of habitats: grassland, salt flats, high desert, open chaparral, pinon-juniper woodland, and open pine forest, often in rocky areas in the vicinity of intermittent or permanent streams and springs (Stebbins 2003); it extends into desert areas along riparian corridors (Grismer 2002, Stebbins 2003).

Reproduction

Lays a clutch of 3-9 eggs during the summer.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousPlaya/salt flat
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNRYes
ArizonaS3Yes
NevadaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial development——High (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areas——High (continuing)
1.2 - Commercial & industrial areas——High (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture——High (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber crops——High (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (38)
Arizona (2)
AreaForestAcres
Blind Indian CreekPrescott National Forest26,847
Sheridan MountainPrescott National Forest37,600
California (31)
AreaForestAcres
AgnewSequoia National Forest9,561
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
Black CanyonInyo National Forest32,421
Black Mtn.Sequoia National Forest15,102
Cactus Springs BSan Bernardino National Forest3,106
CalienteCleveland National Forest5,953
Circle MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,375
Crystal CreekSan Bernardino National Forest6,783
Devil GulchSierra National Forest30,490
Dinkey LakesSierra National Forest34,171
Ferguson RidgeSierra National Forest6,104
Greenhorn CreekSequoia National Forest28,226
Jennie LakeSequoia National Forest2,388
Kings RiverSierra National Forest52,999
Lpoor CanyonLos Padres National Forest13,762
Machesna MountainLos Padres National Forest12,271
Mill CreekSequoia National Forest27,643
Mill PeakSan Bernardino National Forest7,884
MosesSequoia National Forest22,077
North MountainStanislaus National Forest7,856
Oat Mtn.Sequoia National Forest12,223
Pine CreekCleveland National Forest503
RinconSequoia National Forest54,610
San JoaquinSierra National Forest22,474
ShuteyeSierra National Forest7,313
Soldier CanyonInyo National Forest40,589
Stanley MountainLos Padres National Forest14,674
Sycamore SpringsSierra National Forest10,015
WaterhouseStanislaus National Forest4,394
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
Nevada (5)
AreaForestAcres
Angel Peak NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest12,577
Angel Peak SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest6,540
Charleston - Macks CynHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest11,378
Lovell Summit SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,455
PotosiHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,145
References (19)
  1. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  2. Brandley, M. C., A. Schmitz, and T. W. Reeder. 2005. Partitioned Bayesian analyses, partition choice, and the phylogenetic relationships of scincid lizards. Systematic Biology 54:373-390.
  3. Brandley, M. C., H. Ota, T. Hikida, A.Nieto, M. De Oca, M. Feria-Ortiz, X. Guo, and Y. Wang. 2012. The phylogenetic systematics of blue-tailed skinks (<i>Plestiodon</i>) and the family Scincidae. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 165(1):163-189.
  4. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  5. Collins, J. T. 1991. Viewpoint: a new taxonomic arrangement for some North American amphibians and reptiles. SSAR Herpetol. Review 22:42-43.
  6. Collins, J. T., and T. W. Taggart. 2009. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians, turtles, reptiles, and crocodilians. Sixth edition. The Center for North American Herpetology, Lawrance, Kansas. iv + 44 pp.
  7. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
  8. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
  9. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  10. Griffith, H., A. Ngo, and R. W. Murphy. 2000. A cladistic evaluation of the cosmopolitan genus <i>Eumeces</i> Wiegmann (Reptilia, Squamata, Scincidae). Russian Journal of Herpetology 7(1):1-16.
  11. Jones, K.B. 1985. <i>Eumeces gilberti</i>. Cat. Am. Amph. Rep. 372.1-372.3.
  12. Nicholson, K. E. (ed.). 2025. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Ninth Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 87 pp. Online database available at: https://cnah.org/SSARnames.aspx
  13. Richmond, J. Q., and E. L. Jockusch. 2007. Body size evolution simultaneously creates and collapses species boundaries in a clade of scincid lizards. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 274:1701-1708.
  14. Richmond, J. Q., and T. W. Reeder. 2002. Evidence for parallel ecological speciation in scincid lizards of the <i>Eumeces skiltonianus</i> species group (Squamata: Scincidae). Evolution 56:1498-1513.
  15. Richmond, J. Q., E. L. Jockusch, and A. M. Latimer. 2011. Mechanical reproductive isolation facilitates parallel speciation in western North American scincid lizards. American Naturalist 178:320-332.
  16. Smith, H. M. 2005. <i>Plestiodon</i>: a replacement name for most members of the genus <i>Eumeces</i> in North America. Journal of Kansas Herpetology 14:15-16.
  17. Stebbins, R. C. 1954a. Amphibians and reptiles of western North America. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.
  18. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  19. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.