Schneider’s Skink Care Sheet

• Schneider’s skinks can live 15 years or more with proper care. 
• These lizards regularly shed skin, usually in patches rather than a single complete piece. 
• They don’t like being held too much, but will tolerate minor handling. 

• Schneider’s skinks are active lizards who need plenty of space to roam and exercise. 
• These skinks have short legs and long bodies with strong limbs.  
• Skinks can break off their tails as a defense mechanism against predators. 

Get your Scheider’s skink an enclosure that’s at least 30 gallons. If you’re keeping more than one skink in the same habitat, ​​​​size up accordingly (20+ gallons per additional skink). Whenever possible, get the largest enclosure you can. 

Make sure the habitat has a screened lid so your reptile gets enough ventilation without being able to escape.  

Line the bottom of the tank with 1 to 2 inches of loose substrate so your skink can dig and burrow.  

Avoid gravel, wood chips, or walnut shells, as they may be ingested and cause gastrointestinal obstruction. 

Enrich your skink’s habitat with decor and accessories. Place at least two hiding areas inside the tank—one on the warm side and one on the cool side. If you have more than one skink inside the same tank, make sure each one has their own set of hiding areas.  

The hiding area on the warm side should be filled with moistened sphagnum moss or substrate to help during shedding. Your pet should also have a basking branch or rock to climb and bask as needed. 

Your Schneider’s skink needs a food bowl and a shallow water bowl that’s large enough to soak in. Soaking ​​​​helps your lizard shed their skin.  

Add a thermal gradient to the enclosure so your Schneider’s skink can warm up and cool down as needed in the same habitat. Keep the warm end at 95–110 F and the cooler end at 80–85 F. Don’t let the tank’s temperature drop below 75 F at night.  

Place two thermometers inside the habitat—one on the cool end and one on the warm end—and check temperatures daily. You can also use a point-and-shoot thermometer. 

Schneider’s skinks need external heat sources to regulate their body temperature. Place a ceramic heat emitter or an incandescent light in the warm area of the tank to provide a ​​​​basking spot for your lizard.  

Don’t use hot rocks, as they can be too hot and could injure your pet. Avoid under-tank heaters as well, since these lizards burrow close to the bottom of their tanks. 

Schneider’s skinks need 10–12 hours of ultraviolet light every day, so add a full-spectrum UV light to their enclosure. Replace bulbs every six months or so, as their potency wanes. 

​​​​​These lizards need low humidity, so keep the humidity at 40–60%. Monitor with a humidity gauge.  

Spot-clean the habitat daily by removing any soiled material and discarded food. Wash water and food bowls daily. 

Thoroughly clean and disinfect your skink’s tank weekly. Move your pet to another secure enclosure. Then throw out the old substrate and remove decor and accessories for cleaning. Scrub the tank, decor, and accessories with a reptile habitat cleaner or 3% bleach solution. Leave the solution on the tank for 10 minutes to make sure it is properly disinfected.  

Rinse the enclosure with water until no residual solution odor remains. Allow the habitat to completely dry before putting down new substrate and adding the cleaned decor and accessories. 

Feed ​​​​young Schneider’s skinks (1–6 months old) every day. Adults should eat every two to three days. Schneider’s skinks are omnivores and eat various live insects and thawed, previously frozen pinky mice.  

You can also give your lizard small amounts of ​​fruits and vegetables, like leafy greens, carrots, and berries.  

Schneider’s skinks need a multivitamin and two different calcium supplements: one with vitamin D and one without. Alternate the calcium supplements for each feeding and give the multivitamin once a week. 

These lizards can be shy and don’t like being held too much, but they may learn to tolerate occasional handling. Make sure to wash your hands before and after handling your Schneider’s skink, as all reptiles are potential carriers of infectious bacteria. 

Take your Schneider’s skink to a vet once a year for an annual checkup. You may need to take your pet at other times if you’re concerned about their health.  

Your reptile should have clear, bright eyes, with an alert personality and a good appetite. If you notice swollen, sunken eyes, stuck shed, or lethargy, there might be a medical issue with your skink.  

Call your vet if you notice a decrease in appetite, refusal of food, lumps, bumps, swellings, or failure to burrow. These might be signs of a larger issue. 

• Appropriately sized habitat 
• Substrate and sphagnum moss 
• Food and water dishes 
• Hideaway places and plants 
• Climbing decor 
• Heat lights and fixtures 
• UVB lighting 
• Multivitamin supplement 
• Calcium supplements (with and without vitamin D) 
• Cricket keeper, food, and quencher 
• Live insects 
• Heater, thermostat, and thermometers 
• Humidity gauge 

Are Schneider’s skinks good pets? 

Skinks are great pets, but they are ​​​​better suited for experienced lizard keepers. They have more specialized requirements that the average beginner may not be able to understand or provide. 

How big a tank does a Schneider’s skink need? 

One adult Schneider’s skink needs at least a 30-gallon tank. If you plan to keep more than one skink in the same tank, size up accordingly. 

Can Schneider’s skinks live together? 

Yes, Schneider’s skinks can live together (make sure to get skinks of the same sex if you don’t want them to breed). They are social lizards and can be in the same habitat if it’s large enough. 

Do Schneider’s skinks like to be handled? 

Schneider’s skinks don’t like too much handling but can learn to tolerate occasional holding. 

How long do Schneider’s skinks live? 

With proper care, Schneider’s skinks can live 15 years or more. 

How big do Schneider’s skinks get? 

The average adult size for a Schneider’s skink is​​ 10–18 inches.