Considering a Fire Skink

[ClydesGirl]

I have kept beardies for 7 years and have had a yellow niger uromastyx for 2 years and now I am thinking about getting a fire skink. One of the things I loved about my uro is that her set up is pretty much identical to my beardies' with just a slightly brighter UVA bulb (for slightly higher temps at the hot end) and a dig box for her to burrow in (she never really burrows, just throws millet around when she's in a mood ).

In my research so far on the fire skinks, it is sounding like viv size and temperature gradient is on par with beardie (slightly cooler). But I've read that I don't need UVB at all if I am dusting food? That doesn't seem right. Should lights be on same timer as I am used to? No fruit or veg at all? And, of course, I will need to use a loose substrate that holds in humidity and keep humidity high for a fire skink.

What else do I need to know about keeping a fire skink? What products do people recommend for substrate? Fake plants? Rocks? Hides? Moss? Hydrometer? Anything else you can think of that is useful?

 

[ClydesGirl]

Well, I have done as much research on my own and I *think* I have a plan and a clear understanding of what my fire skink will need. Getting all the stuff together over the weekend. Here's the list:

• Terrarium - Exo Terra Large (36" x 18" x 18")
• Stand - Purchased a lovely buffet table off of craigslist with a shelf and a drawer.
• UVB - Reptisun 5.0 still haven't figured out exactly which model hood/bulb and how I will get it mounted inside the viv.
• UVA - 75 Watt in a clamp lamp with dimmer
• Substrate - Eco Earth possibly mixed with some Orchid Bark
• Mister - Exo Terra Monsoon Multi (I want to be sure I am misting on a timer, since I am out of the house a lot)
• Thermometer/Hygrometer - Found a good one with humidity measure at the probe instead of at the unit on Amazon. I use an infrared thermometer for the heat in my vivs, but the hygrometer is the important part here.
• Power Strip Timer - Will get another Zilla digital power strip timer or the generic GE version from Home Depot if I can't find the Zilla branded one. Main advantage of the Zilla one is the "night" settings/sockets, but not necessary for my skink since I don't plan on night time light/heat.
• Decor - Resin rocks and hides and probably fake plants for now. Intrigued by the possibility of live plants, but not sure i want to tackle that right away.

For feeders, I am probably going to stick to the things I can feed to my beardie, though the skink might get the treat of a nightcrawler or two whenever we buy them for fishing!

 

[ClydesGirl]

Getting my skink today! Have everything all set up now. Below are some pics. One thing I am particularly proud of is how I was able to mount the UVB inside the Exo Terra terrarium. I had been worried about how to do that. The screen top is actually divided into four sections with two plastic cross-bar supports. I poked 4 small holes in the screen right up against these longer crossbar and ran zip ties through the holes to hold up the fixture. Because I got one of the newer Zoomed low profile T5 fixtures, it was light enough and "shallow" enough to be easily supported by the cross bar. It is very secure. I'll include some close ups of how it looks.

 

[AHBD]

Hi there, I got your p.m. and then searched + found your thread. If I had seen it I would have responded sooner. Anyway, I can't see any of your pics....are they showing up for you ? And here is a link to another thread where I have pics of my set up + am discussing tank specs with another fireskink owner.

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=224689#p1746504

 

[ClydesGirl]

Hmm. yes, the photos work for me, but I think it may be because they are on my Google account. I have removed them and replaced them with a link to my public photo album:

https://goo.gl/photos/upsVsGY3QJSH51m66

 

[AHBD]

Looks great ! I see him/her sneaking around there.

 

[ClydesGirl]

Looks great ! I see him/her sneaking around there.

I figured out how to upload photos to this site and include them in my posts, so here is a close-up I got to take when one of my little guys/girls came out for a bit yesterday to poop and eat.

I had been worried because we got them on Sunday, one of them had been out a bit Sunday evening, and then we didn't see either of them again until yesterday evening. Had left worms out in a bowl all day yesterday with no sign of them, then my SO looked in there around 6:00 pm and asked me if I had taken the worms out. I said, nope and then he said, "oh, we have skinkage!". The skink had also left us a little present in the form of some poop. I put more worms in the bowl before we left for the evening and when we came back they were almost all gone. Not sure if the same one ate them or if the other skink emerged and re-hid, but neither skink was visible when we got home.

 

[AHBD]

Hopefully you have a male + female. They will mate when they're old enough, so check for eggs when they reach adult size. I hatched 7 babies when I had my first pair about 22 years ago, the babies are magnificently colored [ bright blue tails ] and as cute as it gets.

These are very hardy lizards and not picky eaters, aside from hiding a lot they are fun to own.

 

[ClydesGirl]

One of the skinks was out again yesterday evening and I got more pics. I tried to memorize the color pattern on its neck so I can tell whether or not I am seeing the same one next time. Still haven't seen both at once since we got them last Sunday, so I don't know if we are seeing the same one each time or have seen both of them at different times. Now that I have close-up pics and I have memorized some of the scale pattern, I am hoping to see the other one and confirm they are both okay.

 

[AHBD]

I'm sure the other one is fine, they just like to stay hidden a lot. It can be frustrating at times to not see them for a while but they do like to be underneath the substrate.

 

[ClydesGirl]

I just worry the other one is not getting any food. We have been feeding mealworms and crickets. The few times I have caught either of them in the act of eating, it has been the same one. So I am not sure if the other one is getting enough food. I fear that I may be overfeeding the one in hopes of getting any food to the other.

 

[AHBD]

I'm sure they're both eating....they LOVE to eat. Is there any way that you could set up a spycam for a few days to see all activity ?

 

[ClydesGirl]

I saw the other skink over the weekend! Didn't get a pic of it, but it was definitely the other one, because the scale pattern on the side of its head was different. I was so excited!

I think I've decided to name the one we see often "Fred". So I saw Fred again for a bit yesterday. I got an IP camera set up inside the viv now. Mounted it to the top next to the UVB and it has pan-tilt-zoom so I can move it around. So far I have only managed to watch worms on it. I named it "SkinkCam" on my network, but I think I might rename it "WormCam" at this point! :lol:

 

[AHBD]

Lol, I can just see you watching for the ever elusive fireskink in it's natural habitat [ your living room ] Just watching.....waiting for a glimpse.....

 

[ClydesGirl]

A couple of very exciting things happened yesterday afternoon. First off, my SkinkCam finally caught a glimpse of an elusive skink! Second of all, right after that (though not caught on camera) BOTH of the skinks were active at the same time. The one I caught on camera ended up under the moss at the far end of the viv. I could see her (she's the one not named "Fred" that I am thinking of naming "Milly") moving around under the moss and soil, thrashing around a hornworm she snagged. Meanwhile, Fred came out and was hanging around next to the rock that can be seen at the lower edge of the frame in these pics. Evidence that they do both still exist.

The elusive Milly emerging to snack on a hornworm: