Instructions
Purchase a 20 gallon aquarium for one young skink. Adult skinks require an aquarium that holds about 55 to 75 gallons. Provide an additional square foot or more for each additional skink. The more room they have, the better multiple skinks will get along.
Cover the bottom of the aquarium with a few inches of sand; skinks enjoy digging. Place flat rocks, low branches, and bark on the bottom of the aquarium for skinks to climb under and over. Place a square of wet moss in one area of the aquarium to provide humidity.
Place a heating pad beneath the bottom of the tank to keep the temperature inside the tank at about 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Set up a full spectrum UVB light above the cage and leave it on for 12 hours during the day; turn it off for a 12 hour night cycle. During the day, provide a rock or basking area for the skinks to lay on and enjoy the additional heat the light creates.
Feed pet skinks a diet of about 30 percent meat and 70 percent vegetation. Collard greens are a good source of vitamins as is fresh fruit. Diced chicken, beef and pork are acceptable meats to feed skinks. Adults are fed every other day.
Provide fresh water in a large bowl with low sides; skinks will drink from this bowl as well as bathe in it. Replace the water frequently to keep it clean.
Purchase your pet skinks once you have accumulated your supplies. Buy your skink from a reputable breeder and ask about its health and family history. Do not adopt wild skinks or skinks bred from wild skinks as they are less domesticated.
How to Care for Skinks & Lizards
Lizards are reptiles, animals which are cold blooded; reptiles require a warm climate to survive as their blood is not naturally warm like mammals'. Lizards are also covered in scales, as all reptiles are. Many species of lizards live throughout the world, including geckos, bearded lizards, and skinks. Skinks are lizards with blunt, triangular shaped heads; they have long bodies and short legs, making them slower than other lizards. Skinks are sometimes kept as pets by humans that enjoy lizards and reptiles.