Trachylepis margaritifera, the rainbow skink, is a species of Afro-Malagasy mabuya or skink in the subfamily Lygosominae.
Taxonomy: Mabuya quinquetaeniata margaritifera, formerly a subspecies of Trachylepis quinquetaeniata (the five-lined mabuya, also known as the rainbow skink), was elevated to full species in 1998 (as Trachylepis margaritifera).
Trachylepis margaritifera is a medium-sized lizard reaching a length of about 20 cm. The coloration of this species is quite variable, depending on the gender and the age. The scales are glossy, with metallic reflections. The basic colour is usually olive-brown or dark brown, sometimes with pearly whitish spots and with three light yellow-orange longitudinal stripes running from the head to the electric blue tail. These stripes may fade and become indistinct in the adults.
The head shows a pointed snout and clearly visible ears holes. Just behind the ear opening, there are some black spots. Legs are dark brown, short and strong, with relatively long toes. The flanks are mainly yellowish and the underside of the body is whitish.
Distribution: It is found in southern Africa, from KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa to southern Malawi; isolated populations occur in central to southeastern Tanzania and southern Kenya. It is found in rocky and mountainous regions of these countries.
Source: Wikipedia, article Trachylepis margaritifera.
Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Accessed on 17/07/2026.