How to Care for a Blue-Tailed Skink

Blue-tailed skinks are small reptiles native to several South Pacific islands. Growing to about 4 inches in total length, they are characterized by their striped bodies and their bright blue tails. When threatened, the blue-tailed skink can detach its tail and use it as a distraction to escape from predators. Blue-tailed skinks can be kept successfully as pets, as long as the owner understands how to care for them. Blue-tailed skinks can live eight years or more in captivity.

Things You'll Need

  • 10-gallon aquarium
  • Small pebbles
  • Potting soil
  • Water bowl
  • Heating pad
  • Rocks
  • UV light
  • Live crickets
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Instructions

    • 1

      Line the 10-gallon tank with a layer of small pebbles. Cover the pebbles with a layer of potting soil. Skinks like to burrow in the soil when they are inactive.

    • 2

      Provide a water bowl for the skink. The bowl should be large enough for the skink to soak in, and the the water should be kept fresh and free from debris. The skink may take some time to learn to use the bowl. Mist the lizard every two days until you observe it drinking from the bowl.

    • 3

      Establish a hot side of the tank by placing the heating pad under the pebbles on one side of the tank. Place a pile of rocks on the hot side of the tank for the skink to bask on. Shine the UV light onto the basking rocks. The temperature on the hot side of the tank should be approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with the basking area as hot as 110 degrees.

    • 4

      Feed the skink live insects, such as crickets. The skink should be fed every two days or sooner if they appear to be searching for food.