African Five-lined Skink
African Five-lined SkinkAfrican Five-lined SkinkAfrican Five-lined SkinkAfrican Five-lined Skink

African Five-lined Skink

Trachylepis quinquetaeniata

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
50–60% · Likely
overall probability at Samburu National Reserve
40 Verified records at Samburu National Reserve
October Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The African five-lined skink (Trachylepis quinquetaeniata, formerly Mabuya quinquetaeniata), or rainbow mabuya, is a north-central African species of skink lizard. T. margaritifera is another closely related skink species that is also called the "rainbow skink" (although it occurs primarily in Eastern Africa); T. margaritifera, overall, possesses more colourful, "rainbow"-like scales (as opposed to the predominantly blue, black and yellowish five-lined skink, T. quinquetaeniata). Wikipedia →

50–60% of wildlife watchers report a African Five-lined Skink sighting in Samburu National Reserve, based on 40 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Samburu National Reserve

Sudan Mabuya
LC

Sudan Mabuya

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Trachylepis brevicollis

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
30–40
Feb
40–50
Mar
20–30
Apr
40–50
May
50–60
Jun
50–60
Jul
40–50
Aug
60–70
Sep
70–80
Oct
60–70
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
50–60%
2 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
40–50%
3 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
40–50%
4 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
5 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
6 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
7 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a African Five-lined Skink in Samburu National Reserve?

About 51% of wildlife watchers report a African Five-lined Skink sighting in Samburu National Reserve, based on 40 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see African Five-lined Skink in Samburu National Reserve?

October has the highest sighting rate for African Five-lined Skink in Samburu National Reserve in our monthly data.

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