Rainbow Skink

Afrikaans name: Reenboog Gladde Akkedis

Rainbow Skink

Photo © Steven Herbert

Trachylepis margaritifer

The Rainbow Skink is also sometimes called the Rainbow Rock Skink.

Males have a reddish tail and pale blue spots on their bodies. Females are more striped and have an electric blue tail.

Interestingly the body of males is slightly smaller, but they have longer tails with the result being that they are similar in total length. They are around 20 cm in total length.

They are found around rocks in savanna and bushveld. Their distribution extends from KwaZulu-Natal to southern Malawi but there are also populations found in Kenya and Tanzania.

The Rainbow Skink feeds on ants, termites and other insects.

Photo © Steven Herbert

References and further reading

The Reptiles of the Kruger National Park - Author: U. de V. Pienaar, WD Haacke and NHG Jacobsen - Published: 1983 - Page: 66

Illustrated Guide to the Game Parks and Nature Reserves of SA - 2nd edn - Author: Readers Digest - Published: 1991 - Page: 407

Reptiles of Southern Africa - Author: Rod Patterson and Anothony Bannister - Published: 1987 - Page: 50

A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa - Author: Graham Alexander and Johan Marais - Published: 2007 - Page: 253

Bill Branchs Field Guide to the Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa - Author: Bill Branch - Published: 1988 - Page: 130

The Reptile Database

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