Sharing Your Home with a Skink: Care Guide for Pet Owners

Skinks are unique lizards found worldwide except in polar or subarctic regions. Unlike many lizards, they have a reduced or sometimes absent neck and smaller limbs, with some species such as the Neoseps having no forelegs and fewer than five toes per foot. Their elongated digits often indicate arboreal habits, while most have a long tail that readily sheds to evade predators, though the regrown tail differs from the original. Sizes vary considerably, from 7.5cm in the smallest species to up to 35cm for larger varieties.

Thinking of Keeping Skinks as Pets?

Skinks, especially blue-tongued and Berber (Schneider) skinks, are excellent pets for both reptile beginners and children due to their docile nature and ease of taming. They enjoy interaction and can be quite playful companions. Blue-tongued skinks, in particular, require spacious housing — a 50-gallon tank is recommended to accommodate their size and activity level. Offering an additional roaming enclosure or supervised time outside the tank replicates their natural wide-ranging behaviour and promotes better health and contentment in captivity.

The tank substrate should be dust-free, such as pine shavings or mulch, with a humidity retreat provided by damp moss or a moist towel to assist during shedding. Enclosure furnishings like branches and logs at various heights encourage climbing and exploration. A secure lid is essential to prevent escape, given their agility.

Temperature regulation is crucial: provide a heat source with a designated basking area and a UV lamp to support metabolism and prevent common reptile ailments. Monitor the temperature gradients to allow your skink to thermoregulate effectively.

Feeding Your Skink

Blue-tongued skinks are omnivores requiring a balanced diet with approximately 60% plant matter and 40% animal protein. Suitable vegetables include squash, parsnip, beans, and leafy greens, while carrots and sweetcorn should be avoided due to sugar content. Brassicas like cauliflower and broccoli can adversely affect thyroid function and should be omitted. Protein sources can comprise low-fat tinned dog food, live insects such as mealworms and crickets, and occasionally small rodents like mice.

Feed your skink three to four times weekly and always provide fresh water daily. Since skinks may soil their water dish, regular cleaning and changing of water prevent bacterial growth and illness. Maintaining a clean enclosure by promptly removing droppings and uneaten food at each feeding time is vital for health.

Health Concerns and Longevity

Skinks are hardy but can live up to 15 years with proper care, so consider this commitment before purchase. Examine any prospective skink carefully for signs of illness, such as mucus discharge, lumps, missing scales, swelling, respiratory distress, limb malformation, lethargy, or loss of appetite. Consulting a reptile-experienced vet promptly if any concerns arise is essential to provide early treatment and prevent suffering.

Creating a Skink-Friendly Home

To ensure your skink’s safety and prevent escape, proof the indoor environment by sealing small gaps with materials like cardboard or foam board secured with duct tape. Protect vulnerable flooring, especially carpets, with foam mats to prevent damage. Supervised free-roaming sessions enrich your skink’s life but must be carefully managed to avoid stress or injury.

If you have an outdoor garden, creating a skink-friendly habitat can encourage natural behaviours and provide additional enrichment. Incorporate water bowls, safe plants, grasses, and shelters such as lizard boxes placed in shaded, leaf-littered areas. This setup supports comfort, security, and natural temperature regulation.

Where to Source Your Skink Responsibly

Wild-caught skinks are still imported in some places but opting for captive-bred skinks is far better for conservation and ensures your new pet is accustomed to captivity. You can find reputable skink breeders and owners through trusted platforms. Before purchase, thoroughly research skink husbandry and consult experienced breeders or reptile vets. This preparation helps ensure you can meet your skink’s specialised diet, enclosure, and care needs.

Caring for a skink involves time, financial investment, and dedication to your pet’s wellbeing, but with the right environment and care, they make fascinating and affectionate companions for many years.