Arid Skink Care Sheet

Arid Skink Species Overview

Skinks are a large family of smooth-bodied, short-legged lizards. This care sheet outlines basic care needs for various arid skink species, including: 

• Peter’s banded skinks 

• Schneider's skinks

Peter’s banded skinks typically reach lengths of 8–10 inches in adulthood, making them smaller than Schneider's skinks. These lizards have white skin on their bellies, short tails, and alternating yellow/orange and black bands over their backs. They may have a large spot of black skin on their heads and lighter black bands on their backs. Peter’s banded skinks enjoy burrowing in substrate. 

Peter’s banded skinks are nocturnal (most active at night), while Schneider’s skinks are diurnal (most active during the day). Most arid skinks will spend a good deal of time hiding or burrowing in their habitat’s substrate.  

Schneider’s skinks have white skin on their bellies with olive-brown skin and orange specks along their backs. These skinks have long bodies, strong limbs, and short snouts. They enjoy climbing on small rocks and basking in the sun.  

Skinks can break off their tails as a defense mechanism to escape and run away from predators. Therefore, they should NEVER be held or restrained by their tails. 

All reptiles are potential carriers of infectious diseases, including Salmonella bacteria, which is zoonotic (transmittable to humans). Pet parents should always wash their hands before and after handling their skink or its habitat’s contents. 

Arid Skink Characteristics 

Difficulty of Care	Intermediate
Average Lifespan	Up to 15+ years, depending on species
Average Adult Size	8–18 inches
Diet	Peter’s banded skink: Insectivorous (insect-eating); Schneider’s skink: Omnivorous
Minimum Habitat Size	Peter’s banded skink: minimum 20-gallon tank for one adult; Schneider’s skink: minimum 30-gallon tank for one adult

Arid Skink Supply Checklist

To keep an arid skink happy and healthy, pet parents should have these basic supplies on hand: 

• Appropriately-sized habitat 

• Substrate 

• Sphagnum moss 

• Food and water dish 

• Mealworm dish (for insect-eating lizards) 

• Hideaway place 

• Climbing décor 

• Plants 

• Heat lights and fixtures 

• UVB lighting 

• Thermostat 

• Multivitamin supplement 

• Calcium supplement, with and without vitamin D 

• Cricket keeper 

• Live insects 

• Cricket food 

• Cricket quencher 

• Thermometers 

• Humidity gauge 

• Plant mister 

Arid Skink Habitat

Choosing the Right Enclosure 

Skinks are fast, active lizards that need plenty of space to roam, exercise, and burrow. A single adult Peter’s banded skink should be housed in a tank that’s at least 20 gallons. Schneider’s skinks are slightly larger, so adults need an enclosure that’s 30 gallons or larger. Since skinks enjoy running more than climbing, the enclosure’s width is more important than its height. All enclosures should have a screened lid to allow for proper ventilation and prevent escape. 

If more than one lizard is housed in the same habitat, the enclosure’s side should be increased accordingly. Always provide the largest habitat possible. 

Recommended Products: 

• Tanks for Peter’s banded skinks (20+ gallons for one adult) 

• REPTI ZOO Double Hinge Door Reptile Glass Terrarium, 24-gal 

• OiiBO Full Glass Front Opening Reptile Tank Terrarium, 24-gal 

• Tanks for Schneider’s skinks (30+ gallons for one adult) 

• REPTI ZOO Tempered Glass Front Opening with Double Hinge Door Terrarium, 32-gal 

• TRIXIE Glass Reptile Terrarium, 34-gal 

• REPTI ZOO Double Hinge Glass Reptile Terrarium, 35-gal 

Setting Up Your Habitat 

Habitat Mates 

Arid skinks are social animals and can be housed together successfully if the habitat is large enough. Lizards should always be introduced to each other slowly, in neutral territory, and under close supervision to ensure they are compatible.  

Opposite-sex skinks should not be kept in the same habitat unless the pet parent is prepared for them to breed. Never mix different species of reptiles in the same habitat. 

Temperature 

Arid skinks need a thermal gradient in their enclosure so they can warm up and cool down as needed. The recommended temperature for the warm end of an arid skink’s habitat is 95–110 F, while the cooler end should be kept at 80 to 85 F. Do not allow tank temperatures to fall below 75 F at night. 

Pet parents must check the temperatures of their skink's habitat daily. Two thermometers should be placed in the enclosure so that both the warmer and cooler zones can be checked at once. A digital point-and-shoot thermometer can also be used to read habitat temperatures.

Recommended Products: 

• ExoTerra LED Reptile Thermometer 

• Zoo Med ReptiTemp Digital Infrared Thermometer 

• Zoo Med Digital Thermometer  

Light & Heat Sources 

Skinks are ectothermic, meaning they rely on external heat sources to regulate their body temperature. Use an incandescent light or ceramic heat emitter to create a basking area in a skink’s habitat. The wattage needed for the heat bulb will vary depending on the room’s temperature, the size of the skink’s enclosure, and the distance of the bulb from the skink. Adjust the wattage of the bulb to maintain the recommended temperature gradient within the tank.

Some bulbs provide not only light, but also heat and ultraviolet (UV) light, so be sure you are able to distinguish between them.

All heat sources should be attached to a thermostat to keep temperatures within a safe and comfortable range. 

Hot rocks should not be used because they can become too warm and cause injury to your skink.

Under-tank heaters are not recommended, as skinks enjoy burying in their substrate and may burn themselves on the heater. If an under-tank heater is used, it must be controlled with a thermostat to keep the habitat’s temperature within a safe range and prevent the skink from getting burned. 

Recommended Products:  

• Light Fixtures & Hoods 

• Zoo Med ReptiSun Reptile Terrarium Hood 

• Zoo Med ReptiSun T5-HO Reptile Terrarium Hood 

• Fluker's Clamp Lamp with Dimmer 

• Heat Support 

• Fluker's Ceramic Reptile Heat Emitter 

• Zilla Ceramic Heat Emitter Reptile Terrarium Heater 

• Fluker's 60W Ceramic Reptile Heat Emitter  

• Thermostats 

• Zoo Med ReptiTemp Digital Reptile Terrarium Thermostat 

• Zilla Digital Terrarium Temperature Controller 

At night, turn off lights in the enclosure, or switch to a nocturnal heat bulb or a ceramic heat emitter that does not produce light. White lights should not be left continuously, as they will disrupt a skink’s natural sleep cycle and negatively affect their overall health.

Recommended Products: 

• Fluker's Night Time Red Reptile Basking Light 

• Zoo Med Nightlight Red Reptile Terrarium Bulb 

UV Light 

Pet parents should shine a full-spectrum UV light on their skink’s habitat for 10–12 hours each day. Lizards need daily exposure to UVB rays so they can produce vitamin D in their skin, which in turn allows them to absorb dietary calcium. Without adequate UVB exposure, arid skinks are at a greater risk of developing a range of life-threatening illnesses, including metabolic bone disease. 

Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on bulb placement relative to the pet.

UV light intensity will decrease over time, and they should be replaced every six months even if the bulb still emits light.

Using light timers is recommended.

Recommended Products: 

• UV Light Emitters 

• Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 T8-HO UVB Fluorescent Reptile Lamp 

• Zilla Desert Series T8 Fluorescent Reptile Terrarium Lamp, 15-watt 

• Timers 

• Zoo Med ReptiCare Terrarium Controller Programmable Power Strip 

Humidity 

Humidity should be maintained at 40–60 percent and monitored with a hygrometer (humidity gauge). When humidity levels fall too low in their habitat, skinks will retain their shed skin and are at a greater risk of respiratory tract infection. To increase humidity, pet parents can mist their skink’s habitat and décor as needed. To decrease humidity, ensure the tank is well-ventilated so that humid air can escape. 

Recommended Products: 

• ExoTerra LED Reptile Hygrometer 

• Fluker's Thermo-Hygrometer, Digital 

• Fluker's Relative Humidity Hygrometer 

Substrate 

The bottom of an arid skink’s habitat should be lined with 1–2 inches of loose substrate so the lizard can dig and burrow. A pelleted, paper-based substrate is recommended because it’s soft and digestible. 

Gravel, wood chips, and walnut shells are not recommended because they are indigestible and can lead to fatal gastrointestinal obstruction if consumed. Reptile carpet should also be avoided since it does not allow skinks to perform their natural behavior of digging and burrowing. 

If the pet parent chooses to use a particulate-matter substrate (such as sand, soil, wood chips, or walnut shells) in their arid skink's enclosure, the reptile should be fed in a separate enclosure without any bedding. Otherwise, they may accidentally consume bedding particles that are indigestible and can cause gastrointestinal obstruction. 

Recommended Products: 

• Zoo Med Reptisand Reptile Terrarium Sand, Desert White  

• Zoo Med Vita-Sand All Natural Vitamin-Fortified Calcium Carbonate Substrate 

• Fresh News Unscented Non-Clumping Paper Cat Litter 

• Okocat Dust-Free Unscented Non-Clumping Paper Pellet Cat Litter 

Décor & Accessories 

Food dishes: Food should be offered in a shallow dish off the floor or in a feeding tank without bedding to lessen the chance of a skink accidentally eating its tank’s substrate. Use worm dishes to keep wiggling live prey in one area. Food and water dishes should be cleaned and disinfected daily. 

Recommended Products: 

• Exo Terra Cricket Feeder 

• Stroodies Leopard Skinks Calcium Dish 

• Exo Terra Mealworm Feeding Dish  

Hiding area: Provide your arid skink with two hiding areas placed on either side of the enclosure (one on the warm side, one on the cool side). In addition to offering privacy and security, hideouts allow skinks to have a space away from their enclosure’s direct basking area.  

If more than one arid skink is housed in the same enclosure, make sure each lizard has its own dedicated hiding spots. 

Hideouts should not be placed directly in line with a heat source. 

Pet parents should monitor their skinks to ensure that they are getting enough UV light balanced with the ability to hide.

Recommended Products: 

• Exo Terra Reptile Cave, Large 

• Zoo Med Natural Cork Round Habitat Decor, Medium 

• Zilla Reptile Basking Platform Ramp  

Climbing branches and basking rocks: A flat basking rock or sturdy branch will allow your skink to climb and bask as needed. 

Basking branches must be large and sturdy enough to support the skink’s body. Otherwise, the branch could topple over and potentially cause injury. 

Recommended Products: 

• Zilla Reptile Basking Platform Ramp, Large 

• Exo Terra Forest Branch, Large  

Arid Skink Cleaning & Maintenance

Spot-clean your skink's habitat daily, removing any soiled material and discarded food. Water and food bowls should be washed daily. 

An arid skink’s habitat must also be disinfected and cleaned thoroughly at least once a week (or more often if more than one skink lives in the same habitat). Remember to wash your hands before and after handling your skink or its habitat’s contents. 

Recommended Products: 

• Absolutely Clean Reptile Cage Cleaner 

• Zilla Reptile Terrarium Cleaner 

To clean a skink’s habitat, take these steps: 

1. Move the skink to a secure environment. Remove any old substrate, décor, and accessories from the habitat. 

2. Scrub the empty tank and any furnishings with a reptile habitat cleaner or 3% bleach solution. The bleach solution should stay on the habitat for at least 10 minutes to ensure that the surfaces are properly disinfected. If using a commercial habitat cleaner, follow the manufacturer's instructions. 

3. Rinse the habitat and accessories thoroughly with water, making sure to remove any trace amounts or residual smells left by the cleaning agent or bleach solution.  

4. Allow the habitat and its contents to dry completely before placing new substrate and clean accessories into the habitat. 

5. Return the skink to the clean habitat. 

Arid Skink Diet & Nutrition

Young arid skinks should be fed daily, while adults can be fed every two to three days. An arid skink’s ideal diet will vary depending on species: 

As insectivores, Peter’s banded skinks primarily feed on live insects. Pet parents should offer their Peter’s banded skink: 

A variety of gut-loaded (recently fed) insects, including:

• Crickets

• Roaches

• Small mealworms

• Calci-worms

• Waxworms

Recommended Products: 

• Symton Waxworms Reptile Food 

• Exotic Nutrition Live Mealworms 

• Ovipost Banded Adult Live Feed Crickets Reptile Food 

Small amounts of fruits and vegetables, including various leafy greens, peas, squash, carrots, and berries. 

As omnivores, Schneider’s skinks should be offered a diet of live insects and frozen/thawed pinkie mice. They also eat small amounts of leafy greens and fruit. 

Frozen food must be thawed before being offered.  

Recommended Products:  

• MiceDirect Frozen Feeders Snake Food, Mice, Small Pinkies 

• MiceDirect Frozen Feeders Snake Food, Mice, Large Fuzzies 

• MiceDirect Frozen Feeders Snake Food, Mice, Large Adults 

All pet skinks need three vitamin supplements in their diet:

• A calcium supplement with vitamin D

• A calcium supplement without vitamin D

• A multivitamin powder designed for reptiles

Administer vitamin supplements by lightly dusting insects with each powder before feeding the bugs to skinks. 

Alternate between the two types of calcium supplements between feedings. If a calcium supplement with vitamin D was used for their last feeding session, then a calcium supplement without vitamin D should be used next.

A multivitamin powder should be used once or twice a week. 

To dust insects quickly and efficiently, place insects in a bag or disposable plastic container along with a powdered supplement. Then, shake the bag lightly until the insects are coated evenly in powder. 

Recommended Products: 

• Calcium Supplements with Vitamin D 

• Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 Reptile Supplement 

• Rep-Cal Calcium with Vitamin D3 Ultrafine Powder Reptile Supplement 

• Calcium Supplements without Vitamin D 

• Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3 Reptile Supplement 

• Pisces USA Calcium Without D3 Reptile Supplement 

• Reptile Multivitamins 

• Rep-Cal Herptivite with Beta Carotene Multivitamin Reptile Supplement 

• Zoo Med Reptivite with D3 Reptile Vitamin         

Other Feeding Guidelines & Tips 

When feeding insects, only offer gut-loaded (recently fed) insects no bigger than the space between the lizard’s eyes. Never offer more insects at one time than your lizard can eat within a few minutes. Overfeeding leads to obesity, and uneaten insects can chew and damage lizards’ skin. 

Uneaten fruits and vegetables should be discarded after 10 hours. 

Meals should be offered in a dish, instead of being placed directly on the floor of the enclosure. Otherwise, the skink may eat some of its substrate accidentally, which can lead to fatal gastrointestinal obstruction. 

Live rodents should not be fed. While still alive, rodents can become aggressive and leave severe wounds that lead to life-threatening infections. 

How to Gut-load Insects 

Gut-loading diets are fortified with vitamins and minerals to help provide optimal nutrition to the reptiles that feed on them. To gut-load prey, pet parents need to place insects in a container with a gut-loading diet that the bugs can gorge on. Insects should be gut-loaded for at least 24–72 hours before being dusted with a vitamin supplement and fed to a skink. 

Recommended Products: 

• Gut-loading Supplements 

• FLUKER'S Cricket Quencher Original Reptile Supplement 

• Zilla Gut Load Cricket Drink Supplement 

• Mazuri Better Bug Gut Loading Feeder Insect Supplement 

• Insect Housing 

• Exo Terra Cricket Pen with Dispensing Tubes, Small 

• Insect Diets 

• Fluker's Orange Cube Complete Cricket Diet Reptile Supplement 

• Fluker's Hi Calcium Mealworm Diet Reptile Food 

How to Thaw Frozen Prey 

To thaw frozen prey: 

1. Remove the needed number of food items from the bag. 

2. Put the frozen food in a sealed plastic bag and place it in a thawing container filled with cold water. The thawing container should only be used for thawing your reptile’s frozen meals. 

3. Keep the food in the water until it thaws. Discard the cold water. 

4. Refill the thawing container with warm water. 

5. Place the thawed prey, still in the sealed plastic bag, in the warm water. Allow it to soak for 10-15 minutes before discarding the water. 

6. Just before feeding, run nearly hot water over the thawed food to warm it above room temperature. 

7. Remove the thawed food from the container and plastic bag.  

8. Using feeding tongs, offer the food to the pet right away. 

Never use a microwave to thaw or warm frozen rodents, and never offer food that's still frozen to a pet. Frozen food that is not consumed should never be re-frozen for future use, as this encourages bacteria to form in the food.  

Avoid preparing frozen rodents in the same area that you use to prepare food. If this is unavoidable, be sure to disinfect the area thoroughly after use. 

Arid Skink Grooming & Care

Shedding: Healthy arid skinks will shed their skin regularly. It’s important to keep their habitats’ humidity levels between 10–35 percent to encourage healthy shed cycles. 

To aid in shedding, skinks should have access to a humid hide filled with moistened sphagnum moss or substrate. 

Unlike snakes, lizards shed their skin in patches rather than a single, complete piece. 

Soak your skink in a large, shallow container of warm water once a week (or more often if the pet is having trouble shedding) to help the lizard shed its skin more easily. The water container should be wide enough to allow the lizard to submerge its entire body while keeping its head above water. 

Arid Skink Veterinary Care

Annual Care

Arid skinks should be seen by a veterinarian once annually. They can be transported using a travel carrier. Carriers can be made with tupperware containers that will need traction on the bottom and plenty of ventilation from the tops and sides. It is recommended to take pictures of your skink’s enclosure, diet, heaters, lights, etc. so your veterinarian can assess their care at home as part of the exam.

Signs of a Healthy Arid Skink

• Clean, clear, bright eyes

• Intact skin

• Even muscling throughout, including into the tail

• Good appetite

• Alert personality

• No lumps, bumps, or swellings

• Easy movement and posturing

• Appropriate basking behavior

• Clean vent

When to Call a Vet

• Eyes are swollen, sunken, stuck shut, dull, or have discharge

• Pink ulcerations of the skin or mouth

• Decreased appetite or refusing food (unless seasonally appropriate)

• Failing to bask

• Failing to burrow or climb when applicable

• Lethargy

• Discharge, swelling, or protrusions from vent

• Lumps, bumps, or swellings

• Cannot ambulate or posture appropriately

• Muscle atrophy

• Stuck shed, especially around the toes, extra especially if any are swollen

Common Illnesses in Arid Skinks

• Metabolic bone disease

• Adenovirus

• Nidovirus

• Skin infections

• GI infections

• Internal or external parasites

• Eye infections

• Respiratory infections

• Trauma