Skink Help (first lizard)

[RatDrall]

I got my daughter a Schnieders Skink at a local reptile show. I own a number of tarantulas, but no reptiles.

The guy I bought it from told me to feed it three times a day and that I didn't need a heat lamp, only some heat tape on the tank. He told me to use either cypress mulch or sand (I have it on mulch now). There is a half log hide buried in mulch over a heat pad. I have a water dish in there now as well. The lizard is 8" long and is in a 10 gallon tank.

The lizard shed his skin the first day we had him and has been buried in mulch under the hide for the last two days. I threw a few crickets in, and there's a couple less, so I know he's eaten. Is this normal behavior for a skink after being introduced into a new home, or should I be concnerned?

 

[kupo969]

Sounds fine to me. As for substrate, you can use sand but there's always a risk on impaction. That is the only lizard I kept on sand and it was fine. They LOVE to burrow. The hot side of the tank should be about 100F for basking.

Also, these guys are impossible to breed in captivity. All of the schneider skinks you see (yours too) are WC. If he told you they were CB then he is shooting poo out of his mouth. Feeding, I'd say every 2-3 days. Don't forget to dust their food.

 

[RatDrall]

Sounds fine to me. As for substrate, you can use sand but there's always a risk on impaction. That is the only lizard I kept on sand and it was fine. They LOVE to burrow. The hot side of the tank should be about 100F for basking.

Also, these guys are impossible to breed in captivity. All of the schneider skinks you see (yours too) are WC. If he told you they were CB then he is shooting poo out of his mouth. Feeding, I'd say every 2-3 days. Don't forget to dust their food.

Thanks!

So it is normal for them to disappear for a few days?

 

[kupo969]

Yep, they love to burrow. Also, I had mine in a 20gal long tank and it was just right. I'd think a 10gal would be very small.

 

[RatDrall]

Yep, they love to burrow. Also, I had mine in a 20gal long tank and it was just right. I'd think a 10gal would be very small.

Thanks for that advice!

It's a youngster now, I'll be getting it a new cage as soon as it grows a bit...

 

[Shrike]

The guy I bought it from told me to feed it three times a day and that I didn't need a heat lamp, only some heat tape on the tank.

I don't have a great deal of experience with lizards, but I would do a bit more research in regard to the lamp requirement. I was curious and googled "Schneider's Skink." The care sheets that came up both said that a lamp was necessary to provide a UV light source. Without the UV light source the skinks can apparently develop vitamin D deficiency. I don't know if these care sheets were credible. We all know how accurate T care sheets are...

I just thought I'd throw that out there. Better safe than sorry.

 

[kupo969]

I don't have a great deal of experience with lizards, but I would do a bit more research in regard to the lamp requirement. I was curious and googled "Schneider's Skink." The care sheets that came up both said that a lamp was necessary to provide a UV light source. Without the UV light source the skinks can apparently develop vitamin D deficiency. I don't know if these care sheets were credible. We all know how accurate T care sheets are...

I just thought I'd throw that out there. Better safe than sorry.

I did my research when I got mine, it's really an on-going debate whether or not UV lighting has any effect on these lizards. Personally, I didn't have any problem without it.