Hi Diego,

The last article we saw on these small wonders was "Reptiles" magazine - issue 12/02.

There, it was stated that they are ovoviviparous, but it is not unusual to find several egg shells in the deep sand of the tank - along with the offspring.

In case of egg laying, I would think that they would lay them in in the sand while they were buried (as if they were in the wild). Since they live in one of the hottest and driest areas on Earth, the sand is quite warm, but deep down it is never as hot as on the surface. Some say if you dig down 12" it will only be 78F.

If you are keeping their tank basking temps around 100F during the day and the ambient temp around 75-80F at night, with the deepest layer of sand being moist for their water needs - I would would think the female will find the right spot to put her eggs - or give birth.

The only thing is - I would place the female in her own tank until after the babies appear. If you are housing several skinks - it might happen that the Scincus scincus will kill offspring from others.

We raise the smaller ocellated skinks and that has proved to be a danger. We remove the gravid females until after birthing - then keep the babies separate from the adults.

If you DO find eggs (and remove them), I would think temps of 80F to 84F would be appropriate (similiar to other egg layers in hot areas).

Good luck with your adventure!!
~Morgana

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