Skink - Lizard Care

Blue tongued Skink

Tiliqua Sp (nigrolutea, mustifaciata, occipitalis, scincoides, gigas, gerrandii, intermedia)

• RATING: intermediate
• FOOD: Vegetables, fruit, mealworms, pinkies, crickets
• WATER: shallow dish of fresh water
• DAY TEMP: 75- 85 F (23.8 - 29.4 c) with basking spot of 92 F (33.3 c)
• NIGHT TEMP: 70 - 75 F (21 - 23.8 C)
• LIGHTING: Incandescent basking lights, UVB fluorescent lights
• SUBSTRATE: pine or aspen shavings, cypress mulch
• NOTES: 40 to 55 gal tank, needs a hide box, terrestrial

Great Plains Skink Eumeces obsoletus

• RATING: intermediate
• FOOD: crickets, mealworms, waxworms, small anthropods...
• WATER: shallow dish, change daily
• DAY TEMP: basking 90 to 95 F ( 32.2 - 35 C) , ambient 86 F (30 C)
• NIGHT TEMP: 60 F (15.5 C)
• LIGHTING: basking lights, UVB fluorescent lighting
• SUBSTRATE: 2-3 " deep, 50/50 mix of sand and cypress mulch, mist X 1/day
• NOTES: Up to 14 ", 20- 30 gallon terrarium, burrows, needs shelter, flat rocks for basking

Scheneiders Skink Eumeces scheneideri

• RATING: Intermediate
• FOOD: anthropods, mealworms, crickets, pinky mice
• WATER: small bowl of water
• DAY TEMP: 75- 85 (23.8 - 29.4 C) Basking 95 F (35 c)
• NIGHT TEMP: 60 to 70 F (15.5 - 21 c)
• LIGHTING: incandescent, UVB fluorescent
• SUBSTRATE: playground sand with orchid bark
• NOTES: terrestrial, needs shelter and hiding places

About these mini care sheets

      The following mini care sheets are meant to provide only basic care information. In order to provide the most accurate and up to date data I searched for and cross referenced information about the following herps on the internet, through herp magazines, and through specific herp care books. If you come across information that is inaccurate or out of date please write to me with the correct information.

      I do not personally keep skinks. I receive many letters asking me for advice or to help identify the particular skink that they have found. To tell you the truth- I probably wont be that much help other than with basic, general care guidelines, most of which can be found on this page. :) If you need help identifying a skink or another lizard- either take it in to a reptile store where the staff may be helpful, call your local herpetological society, or look through a book that contains many pictures of different reptiles and amphibians and see if you can identify it in the book. :)

      You might also think about joining one of the many reptile or amphibian related mailing lists that are on the net, where you can ask questions about your reptile or amphibian and learn more about it. To see if there is a mailing list for the reptile or amphibian that you want to know more about please go to my mailing list page and check out all the herp lists!

      You might also want to visit my Reptile and Amphibian Care Sheets page to see if I have listed any links to specific reptile or amphibian sites that you might be interested in visiting.

      In addition to providing the basics of care as listed below, any new animal in your collection should be kept in a seperate enclosure (quarantined) for one to six months and monitored for illness, mites or ticks, internal parasites, and treated accordingly during this period.

      Please take your new herps to a qualified reptile vet for a check-up when you purchase them - or, at the very least have a fresh stool sample tested for parasites in the first week or two of having your new pet. If you don't know of a reptile vet in your area you can visit Melissa Kaplan's Herp Societies/Vets Page: http://www.anapsid.org/vets/index.html for American and international vet listings, or you can visit my Canadian reptile vet page: http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/canrepvt.htm for Canadian Reptile vet listings.

Lizard Books

Blue-Tongued Skinks by Jerry G. Walls

Eat This Bug : A Guide to Invertebrate Live Foods for Reptiles and Amphibians by Lynn Davis

     This book is a guide for owners of reptiles and amphibians who feed insects and other live foods to their pets. Advice is offered for selecting , ordering and raising your own supply of live invertebrate foods. More than a dozen species of live foods are discussed. The book includes instructions on keeping cultures of insects, and recipes & diets for insects.

Feeding Insect Eating Lizards by Zoffer, David Zoffer

      The proper feeding of lizards is important to their survival in captivity. Diet is one aspect of lizard keeping that many new lizard owners know little about, and their pets suffer as a result. This book provides lizard owners with plenty of information on the diets of insecting-eating lizards, including the right feeding techniques for making sure that their pets get the right nutrients.

The Guide to Plants for the Reptile Terrarium by Jerry G. Walls, Maleta M. Walls

     If you are thinking of adding plants to your reptile or amphibians terrarium this book might be of interest to you!

Terrarium and Cage Construction and Care by Richard D. Bartlett, Patricia Bartlett, Fredric L. Frye

     Reptile and amphibian owners add a new dimension to their hobby when they design and build terraria that simulate the natural habitats of their companion animals. This book gives directions for a variety of terrarium options. You can build enclosures in spare rooms, glass tanks, greenhouses, outdoor pools, or virtually any other available space. With this book's help, you can also transform your terrarium into a scaled-down replica of desert, rain forest, semiaquatic, or woodland environment.

The Terrarium: With Full-Color Photographs (Complete Pet Owner's Manual) by Harald Jes, Johann Brandstetter

     Here are detailed instructions for constructing both indoor and outdoor terrariums in different sizes to fit different needs. Books in the Complete Pet Owner's Manuals series present basic information for new or soon-to-be owners. Advice and instruction covers feeding, housing, health care, training, grooming, and much more. Texts emphasize pet care basics and are easy for all readers to understand. All books in this series are filled with high quality full-color photos and instructive line drawings.

Reptile & Amphibian Parasites by Eric M. Rundquist

     Loaded with good information and practical, sensible, easy-to-apply advice. Great for beginners, but even the pros can learn a lot from them.

Understanding Reptile Parasites : A Basic Manual for Herpetoculturists & Veterinarians by Roger Klingenberg

     An important manual for the reptile breeder. This manual takes the reptile owner beyond the simple task of care into the subject of why to prevent and how to treat parasites in our reptiles. The manual explains in simple terms the complexities of reptile parasites. It goes into the how-to of fecal floats, parasite identification and treatments. It takes the mystery out of the vet's back room. One of the shortest yet most useful chapters is "Hygiene and the Herpetoculturist". An important read for all reptile keepers and breeders.

Lizard Care from A to Z by Richard D. Bartlett, Patricia P. Bartlett (Contributor)

      Which lizard might be right for you? Find out with this overview by the Bartletts, two of herpetology's most respected figures. This is a great book for beginner-intermediate lizard keepers; illustrations and diagrams on how to actually set up the terrarium for the lizards.

Loco for Lizards by Jim Cherry, James Cherry

      This is a real find. Even if they have zero interest in reptiles, anyone who has curiousity and a sense of humor would enjoy this little book. The writing style is a combination of Dennis Miller's sarcasm, Bill Nye the Science Guy's mix of facts and fun, Monty Python's surrealism, and a pinch of David Sedaris's self-deprecation. A great airplane or lazy day read. Makes a great stocking stuffer gift for the readers on my list. Most amazing is this book's artful blend of solid information, interestingly presented and wacky fun. Great colorful graphics, too, including paintings by Hieronymous Bosch, Ed Mell, Maynard Dixon and others. Godzilla makes a couple appearances, as well.

Lizard Social Behavior by Stanley F. Fox

     This is an original, substantial, and long-needed contribution. The introduction places the subject in context and shows how lizards can provide unique information not readily available through study of other organisms. The book is logically organized, beginning with a focus on individual variation, moving to comparisons between populations, and finishing with species comparisons. Readers with a general interest in social behavior will be drawn to peruse other sections where they will find an abundance of additional interesting and informative material.