Plestiodon japonicus

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Plestiodon japonicus is a lizard that lives in Japan. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. The species was first described in 1864 by German naturalist Wilhelm Peters as a variety of Eumeces japonicus and was moved to the genus Plestiodon in 2008.

The lizard grows to about 15–24 cm in total length (snout to vent 6–9.6 cm). Juveniles have shiny blue tails, a black body, and five golden stripes. Adults are brown. Females keep the stripes, but males may lose them; during mating season, males have red on their heads. Mating happens from April to May, and females lay 6–15 eggs and stay to care for them until they hatch. Plestiodon japonicus has the widest distribution of any skink in Japan, living in Western Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and nearby islands. A similar species is Plestiodon latiscutatus on the Izu Peninsula and the Izu Islands.