Reptile & Amphibian Forums

anakin my schnieder skink has not been eating on his own a few months now. i have to force feed him which is exhausting for both him and me. he is now showing signs of exhaustion and weaknes and has no energy and isn't active at all. any information on what to do to get him to start eating on his own again will be greatly appreciated!

As it is coming up to winter time, Schneider Skinks eat considerably less than usual. In the wild, there is a small amount of food available in the coming months. It's nothing to worry about, unless your Schneider starts to show signs of weightloss around the tail base and the back legs. As you well know, Schneiders aren't terribly active lizards, and with the cooler climate, they move even less. Offer food once a week. What are you feeding him on at the moment?

i feed him meal worms and keep his temperature high because i live in canada and it's cold here. he isnt' losing weight but he just seems weak to me. he used to be really active and now he's not. that is what worries me. i feed him about every other day but he won't eat on his own

That may be the problem. Mealworms are a good diet, used with other variety. Try feeding your Schneider on large crickets or locusts if you are able to get hold of them (i'm not sure of their availablity in Canada, but here in the Uk they are frequent) You'll notice a lot more activity when the Schneider has something to hunt, rather than eating mealworms from a bowl. I give mine mealworms and waxworms occasionally, but not too often.
Also, seasonal changes can affect the animal no matter what temperature it is kept at. The outside temperature of the viv will decrease significantly over the next few months, so these seasonal changes will affect him, especially if he is wild caught.

Hope this helps

thanx. he does hunt meal worm i don't put them in a bowl. i've tried crickets but all they do is stress him out and he won't eat them at all. we don't get locusts here in this part of canada as far as i know. any other suggestions for food replacement? my brother suggested silk worms but i heard they are addicting.

If he really seems weak, and you're concerned, a trip to the vet might be in order.

-Z