Hi guys,

I got myself 2 skinks that I saw in petshop.. they were not cared for at all, no baskin light or uv.

I cant find much about them.. the caresheep is very helpful but may I ask few more questiona please...

They are 1 and 1 and half, male and female... how many locusts or crix should they eat per a time. can meal worms be used as staple food?

Do they always stay hidden under the soil as I hardly see them out?

Can I put live plant in the viv with them,, if yes which one is gd (grass/savana)??

any info would be great please.. i want them to have better care than wat the petshop provided them.

many thanks

Hi there and welcome! I see the care sheet link is not working rich? so I will have a bash at the little I know. Well first off very cool skinks... i have never kept them or know anybody that has but I know a bit on their natural history.

They are not grassland or savanna species, they come from the thick rain forests in central Africa. Found in altitudes from sea level up to 2000m. They are very secretive and some specimens were found to be active at night! Very strange for a skink species. they like moist areas and spend a lot of their time under debris on the forest floor. They live in burrows they dig for themselves or under logs etc. they are egg laying and purely insectivores.

As with most herps a varied diet is better. Meals worms have a lot of chitin in their exoskeletons which is not a good thing. If you would like the meals worms to form the largest part of their diet try use freshly molted individuals. Supplemented crickets would be a better base diet or even silkworms!

Any other questions ask away! or even better maybe someone here has kept them... they are not available for the pet trade in my country yet...they are very nice skinks and wish I could work with them. Good luck!

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Don't be jealous the voices only speak to me...

www.herprecon.org

ahh the mastermind that is Rich fixed the care sheet...go check it out!
Fire Skink Caresheet (Riopa fernandi) - Reptile Information - Caresheets Database

__________________
Don't be jealous the voices only speak to me...

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I just fixed the link Dev, thanks.

As stated, a varied diet is always best. The amount they eat will be based of the individual.

Them hiding is normal.

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thanks alot guys..

u been awsome help

no worries...post some pics of them!

__________________
Don't be jealous the voices only speak to me...

www.herprecon.org

even though I PMed you the links, i think they should be posted as well

Plant information web sites:
Cornell University Poisonous Plants Home Page
Edible Plants List
Plants Suitable for Herp Habitats
Safe Plants

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.