# Riopa (mochlus) fernandi



## Damiano (Sep 24, 2005)

Hi all!
Have you ever breed a Riopa fernandi? I have the possibility of buy one couple of it...but I have doubts about its breeding 
can you help me?
thank a lot!
bye

ps: the actual name is Riopa fernandi or Mochlus fernandi?

Damiano


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## Wade (Sep 24, 2005)

Damiano said:
			
		

> Hi all!
> Have you ever breed a Riopa fernandi? I have the possibility of buy one couple of it...but I have doubts about its breeding
> can you help me?
> thank a lot!
> ...


If it's the African lizard popularly known as the "fire skink", Riopa is the genus I've always heard attached to it, but this could be out of date.

A friend of mine breeds these, in fact, he can't stop them from breeding! He has adults up in pairs in a cage (usually a 20 long aquarium) with several inches of slightly moist potting soil (he uses the sandy potting soil made for succlents), includes lots of hinding places on the surface, and has live plants growing in the substrate. There is also a basking light and a UV light. They feed mainly on insects and worms, but may take the occasional sweet fruit. The females will bury eggs in the substrate. When my friend finds them, he  incubates them in a reptile egg icubator, but if he doesn't find them they often hatch anyway, and he finds the hatchlings running around in the tank. 

As you know doubt know, they're beautiful lizards. The hatchlings are even more striking, with a checkerboard-like pattern of red and blue and black. My friend gave me a couple of juviniles once, and I kept them for a few years, and ended up giving them to a science teacher who was lookinng for some animals for his classroom. Mine turned out to both be females, so I never bred them myself. 

They like a somewhat moist substrate. Adults can tolerate dry cages with water bowls for awhile, but I doubt they're happy that way. Hatchlings are VERY sesitive to desiccation and will die if not kept on the damp side, at least IME. They are also very shy, at least the adults I had were. I occasionally spotted them basking, but as soon as they saw me enter the room they dove into the soil. They seem to spend a lot of time burried, but that might be just when I'm around! Live, low-growing plants (like pothos) that provide ground cover seems to help encourage them to spend more time on the surface. They do not seem to like open areas!

Wade


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## Damiano (Sep 25, 2005)

Thank you... in a few time I'll post a photo 
thanks!


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## Damiano (Sep 29, 2005)

it's arrived at home!!


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## Wade (Sep 29, 2005)

Very nice! Looks calmer than the ones I had, mine would take off at outrageous speeds whenever they got the chance.

Wade


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## Malkavian (Sep 29, 2005)

that's far and away the tamest skink of any kind I've ever seen!  Gorgeous pattern too.


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## Damiano (Oct 1, 2005)

Thank you 
In effect they're very quick but when I bring them, they became dociles straight away...
I've a question 
Must they be breed with soil or I could breed them with newspapers like substrate?
Thanks a lot  :worship:


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## Wade (Oct 1, 2005)

Well, maybe, but this is a burrowing species and I'm not sure how happy they will be in a dry cage with nespaper as a substrate. You could offer them a nest box with soil and they might use it to lay eggs, but chances are they'd move into the nest box and not come out unless they have to!

My friend who breeds them does so in cages with slightly moist soil and lots of live plants in there. I don't think they like to be out in the open, and I'd be afraid that a spartan rat snake-type cage would be stressful for them. IME, suface cover (like plants) makes a big difference if you want to see them out and about.

Wade


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## Damiano (Oct 1, 2005)

ok, thanks a lot!!


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## Damiano (Dec 16, 2005)

hi

new pic


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## Hedorah99 (Dec 16, 2005)

Nice lizard Damiano. You have a very cool and diverse collection. And judging from that first photo we have the same taste in brands of pasta. lol. Later, keep sending the cool pictures.


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## GootySapphire (Dec 16, 2005)

No offense at all, but why did you buy a swift? They are boring I.M.O.


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## Wade (Dec 16, 2005)

GootySapphire said:
			
		

> No offense at all, but why did you buy a swift? They are boring I.M.O.


If you think that's a swift, then you clearly don't have the experience to make such a judgement ;P 

Wade


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## jonnysebachi (Dec 17, 2005)

ditto Wade


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## GootySapphire (Dec 17, 2005)

Wade said:
			
		

> If you think that's a swift, then you clearly don't have the experience to make such a judgement ;P
> 
> Wade


Oh snap, I typed swift....skink is what I meant. I apologize. Mixed the two s words up. I knew it was one or the other. I dont like either one, just personal preferance, I said no offense to him.


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## GootySapphire (Dec 17, 2005)

jonnysebachi said:
			
		

> ditto Wade



Like totaaaaallly, ditto girlfriend!!!!


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## fluffy (Dec 17, 2005)

thats a nice skink you got there 
id like a few in future but can be a bit hard to find CB fires in the UK
Lee


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