Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,

Just brought home "Flame" a young adult Fire Skink and have been searching the net for some care sheets. Not much available for Fire Skinks in particular! I have only found a few sites and they all seem to have the same cookie-cutter care sheet. Kind of blah. Nothing I wouldn't have already known, having owned other lizards. Anyone on this board have a Fire? Know any good sites with detailed info on housing, feeding, breeding, etc?

THANKS!

No, but shouldnt these questions have come before you bought the skink?

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1.1.1 Blue tongue skinks- Sausage the IJ, Don the Indo, and Spunky Sabastian the Tanimbar
1.0.1 Green Tree Python- Floyd and Verdi
0.1 Western Hognose- Piggy
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher snake- Toro
0.0.1 Ornate Uro- Spike
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortoise- Tank
0.1 Albino Leo Gecko- Sasha

Wow, haven't posted here in quite a while-- a few years ago when I bought my uromastyx lizards. It used to be a friendly board! What I asked was for "DETAILED" info on Fire Skinks. I have the basics in place. I am far from ignorant on the care of lizards. Thanks for your admonishment. If anyone has some actual advice on sites for this particular breed, I would greatly appreciate it!

Best,
Trin

Oh, calm down. It was simply a question and I'm lookin out for the good of the animals. You don't have to be so sensitive!

I doubt that you'll find detailed care because they are not a common lizard but heres a simple caresheet I found: http://users.eastlink.ca/~nshs/care_fskink.htm

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1.0 Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink (Don)
0.1 Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink (Sausage Girl)
0.0.1 Tanimbar Island Blue Tongue Skink ( Spunky Sebastian)
1.0.1 Green Tree Pythons ( Male=Floyd, Baby= Verdi)
0.1 Western Hognose (Piggy)
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortiose(Tank)
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher snake ( Toro)
0.1 Albino Leo gecko (Sasha)
1.1 African Greys (Timmy and sis)
1.0 White bellied Caique (Diego)
0.1 Goffin's Cockatoo ( Sydney)
3.1 Ferrets (Chase, Angel, Max, and King)
1.0 Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (Moose)

n/p
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Edward
Carpe diem

...
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1.0 Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink (Don)
0.1 Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink (Sausage Girl)
0.0.1 Tanimbar Island Blue Tongue Skink ( Spunky Sebastian)
1.0.1 Green Tree Pythons ( Male=Floyd, Baby= Verdi)
0.1 Western Hognose (Piggy)
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortiose(Tank)
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher snake ( Toro)
0.1 Albino Leo gecko (Sasha)
1.1 African Greys (Timmy and sis)
1.0 White bellied Caique (Diego)
0.1 Goffin's Cockatoo ( Sydney)
3.1 Ferrets (Chase, Angel, Max, and King)
1.0 Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (Moose)

Finally someone else with a fire skink. I have an unsexed pair that i got about 6 months ago. I have mine in a 20 gallon long aquarium with forest bark for substrate and sphagnum moss mixed in over top of it. These guys are really secretive and need at least 2 inches of substrate to bury in, as well as hiding places like half logs and caves. also mine seem to like the water so i would have a water dish big enough for them to fit in, and soak. The easiest thing for these guys as far as heat is a combination hood with three outlets for light bulbs and a fluorescent as well. That keeps mine at 90 on the hot side and about 80 on the cool side. humidity at about 60-70%. The thing that i like about these skink is that when are are big enough you can convert them to pinkies and only have to feed them 2 times a week at most. I am goin to try and breed them this year and see if they are male and female. I know that they aren't 2 males or else they would fight and they never do, so there is hope. well hopefully this is helpful for you. they are great little lizards.

You may want to reconsider the "pinkie conversion" for your skinks. While they will accept them, it doesn't provide a very balanced diet for a primarily insectivorous animal and will ultimately lead to serious health issues.

My breeding pair receive a small amount of low fat dog food once a month, if that. Their normal diet consists strictly of insects and larvae with emphasis on calcium supplementation.

Also, as there hasn't been any documentation of UVB being a critical necessity to these fossorial skinks, I only use a standard incandescent basking light. Under these conditions, my female has produced a clutch of eggs every 2 months for almost two years with 100% fertility and hatch rates. She also hasn't shown any signs of illness or defficiency under these conditions.

Just a different perspective,

E
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That's it, screw you guys!
I'm goin' home

-Eric Cartman

Thanks so much for the data. I did find a few great sites about fire skinks. Our new friend is doing really well. She's quite friendly compared to what I've been reading about the breed. She has lots of hides and plenty of substrate to tunnel into but loves to come out, bask, scamper around and seems to actually ENJOY being handled!

I am new to these boards but funny you say that. My fire skink(dont know if male/female) is out a lot. It hides ofcourse but overall out so much.
I got it as small baby even than it was out all the time after first two weeks or so. After reading the posts on this board I guess they do hide way more than I suspected. My other skinks Ocellated-ground skinks were born to hide .
Malays

From what i have read Fire Skinks are very docile, and farely active. most other skinks would rather hide. All diurnal lizards need UV light.

Thank you very much.
Malays