How to Care for a Skink

Skinks usually reach an adult length of 8 to 12 inches with male lizards being larger than females. They come in many varieties with different colors and sizes. While all skinks are terrestrial and inhabit forest floors, they adapt well to cage life if properly cared for.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Enclosure
• Screen lid for enclosure
• Substrate
• Heat lamp
• Heat mat
• Full spectrum lighting
• Lighting timer

1. Provide an appropriately sized enclosure for the number of skinks you wish to purchase. You can house one male along with three females in a 20-gallon aquarium. You should also purchase a locking screen top lid for the aquarium to prevent escapes.
2. Spread a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch, bark or soil in the bottom of your skinks cage to help maintain humidity.
3. Heat your skinks enclosure to 95 degrees Fahrenheit on one area of the cage, and then maintain 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the rest of the enclosure. You can do this using heat lamps and heat mats.
4. Light the cage with full spectrum lighting for 14 to 16 hours a day. The other 8 or 10 hours the light should be turned off to simulate night.
5. Feed your skink three or four times a week. They can eat a variety of things including feeder crickets, pinkie mice, lean meat or snails.
6. Use a water dish that will allow your lizard to submerge its entire body and is not easily overturned. It must always be kept full with fresh and clean de-chlorinated water.
7. Create a hiding area for your skinks using an imitation rock or small hollow logs. Place a few branches and rocks in the enclosure for climbing.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to dust whatever you feed your skinks with a reptile vitamin and mineral supplement to better maintain their health.
• Use a night spectrum bulb to light the cage for nighttime viewing of your skinks.
• Be sure to wash your hands before and after handling your skink to help prevent the spread of disease.