Smith's Skink: No measured body size data available to draw at scale.
- · Grid units represent actual meters (m); human and animals are drawn to the exact same scale with original silhouette aspect ratios preserved.
- · When a size range is recorded (e.g. 1–1.6m), the lower bound is used for scale comparison.
- · Human silhouette: PhyloPic — NASA · Public Domain Mark 1.0
Smith's Skink
Plestiodon coreensis (Smith's Skink · Smith's Skink)
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Unlike the skinks encountered in South Korean forests (Tsushima Smooth Skink and Huanren Ground Skink), this species is known only from North Korea, so there is almost no chance to see it in person.
- 💡 An announcement by the National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR) in month 2 of 2026 stated that there are about 30 reptile species on the Korean Peninsula and introduced this species as one of the peninsula's endemic species.
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
Smith's Skink is an endemic lizard living only on the Korean Peninsula, known solely from northwestern North Korea.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
It is a lizard in the genus Plestiodon of the family Scincidae. Reliable recent sources describing its body size and appearance have not been found.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
It was newly described by Doi and Kamita in 1937, with type specimens obtained from Sanpodo near Yongampo and Sindo. Almost no information is available on its ecology.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
In month 2 of 2026, the National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR) listed this species alongside two Ussuri Mamushi groups as reptiles endemic to the Korean Peninsula, stating that it is reported to live only in North Korea. It is also listed in the National List of Species of Korea.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List DD (2021) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/104765549/104765627
- • IUCN Red List category DD — latest assessment at iucnredlist.org
- • catalogueoflife.org — 6VQDV
- • iucnredlist.org — 104765627
- • 국가생물종목록(국립생물자원관) ktsn 120000059467 — https://species.nibr.go.kr/home/mainHome.do?cont_link=009&subMenu=009002&contCd=009002&ktsn=120000059467
- • wikidata.org — Q5127173
- • reptile-database.reptarium.cz — species
- • nibr.go.kr — 67105bbsDetail.do
- • species.nibr.go.kr — general-search
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — David Orr · CC0 1.0 (Congeneric silhouette — Plestiodon fasciatus)
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.