Care Sheet: Eumeces Schneideri- The Schneider's Skink

So here we go, the first care sheet in this blog. It is a prestigious day indeed, for this care sheet article details the care and husbandry of the Schneider Skink (Eumeces Schneideri) or Berber Skink (though this moniker only applies to a specific sub-species). This mid-sized, hardy reptile of the skink family is an active and interesting addition to any herp enthusiast's collection, although they do require a relatively large cage.

Genus: Eumeces

Species: Schneideri

Subspecies: Algeriensis (Berber Skink), Princeps, and Zarudnyi

Range: Middle East and Northern Africa- ranging from Egypt and Libia to Turkey, Lebanon, Iran and Saudi Arabia and Western Asia Minor.

Maximum Size: Sources report the species size at 14-16 inches, although my personal specimen, "Nuzzle" is approaching 20 inches in length.

Life Span: Approx. 20 years in captivity

Behaviour: An avid digger, oftentimes this reptile is difficult to observe in the wild or captivity, as it burrows through loose soil, oftentimes sleeping or spending large quantities of the day hidden from sight. In the mornings or at feeding time, it will emerge from the sand to bask or look around. They are also intelligent for reptiles, prone to escaping their enclosures if given the chance, and quite happy to explore new areas in and out of their cages. If your skink manages to escape, it is likely to climb up book shelves or take shelter beneath furniture. When I first obtained my Schneider's Skink from a local pet store in Ashland, Oregon, she was a bit nippy, though the biting and mouth-gaping threats ceased after only a few days.

Husbandry: Schneider's Skinks are semi-communal, enjoying interaction and companionship with others of either the same species or different lizards. They require a rather large environment to be housed properly, and their cage size should be increased appropriately to house multiple specimens. As with many reptile species, males should not be kept with other males, as territorial fights for dominance can happen between them. Housing one male with between one and three females can be perfect, and is ideal for a breeding arrangement. An appropriate tank for a communal setup should contain enough hide boxes and basking sites for all lizards. Although parasite contamination can be a problem in wild-caught animals, it is much rarer in captive bred specimens. Still, a 30 day isolation and quarantine period should be maintained whenever you wish to introduce a new animal to an already-established colony of reptiles (even if you only have one skink and intend to add a second). Despite this concern, I maintain a three-lizard setup with a single Schneider's Skink, a Mali Uromastyx (Uromastux Maliensis; which has somewhat similiar requirements and is found in the same geographic range), and a Bearded Dragon (Pogona Vitticeps). Though this is only a temporary housing setup and I intend to get them each individual enclosures once I have the funds and space, all three reptiles cohabitate very well, and no fights or stress seems to occur with them. All three readily eat crickets or mealworms, and the skink refuses to touch the greens fed to the Dragon and Uro, so the arrangement works out very well.

Diet: Many care sheets online state that these lizards are omnivorous, eating meat products as well as a small amount of vegetable matter. However, in my experience, these observations may have been from seeing a skink accidentally consume plant material while actually trying to catch a prey animal or insect. My skink has never voluntarily eaten any plant matter, always preferring the meat even when it was mixed in with small amounts of lettuce like some care sheet have instructed. As a whole, Schneider's skinks appear to be insectivorous and carnivorous entirely. They readily eat crickets and mealworms, although they appear to be somewhat slower than other insectivorous lizards, not catching fast-hopping crickets or roaches as easily. They do enjoy live prey, a variety of insects as mentioned above; as well as the occassional pinky mouse. Pinky mice should only make for an occassional treat however, as they are very high in fat and too many can lead to obesity and lethargy. Eumeces Schneideri will also accept dog food, sprinkled with D3 Calcium powder (as should be your insects on a weekly basis). If you choose to feed your skink dog food, make sure it is of a high quality and low fat content, as this can lead to the same problems as pinky mice. If you wish to feed your skink this kind of diet, and it refuses to eat it, try microwaving the dog food for about 20 seconds, just enough to make it hot, more like living prey to the skink and more odorous for them to pick up the scent. A varied diet is an important thing with most reptiles, and it seems the same is true for Schneider's Skinks. Try multiple food types in order to get a well-rounded meal for these animals, and feed them approximately every other day.

Caging: A minimum setup for a juvenile or adult Schneider's Skink should be a 20-gallon long, although they really do enjoy a much larger setup. They are a desert species, loving loose soil and sand through which they burrow. They are rarely seen basking, but they will use an appropriate basking area which should be provided. Interestingly, of the reptiles I have observed in captivity, the Schneider's Skink is one of the few that willingly and naturally will drink standing water, so a water dish really benefits the animal. Provide a Eumeces Schneideri with 3-5 inches of loose, sandy soil or smooth-grain sand (not the sharp, pointy silica sand). A hide box can be a simple as a stacked "cave" of slate rocks or perhaps a generic hiding cave-style box found at your local pet store. An odd assortment of clean branches or rocks for the animal to climb on are also greatly appreciated, as once a skink gets over its usual "hide in the sand all day" shyness, you may observe it eagerly exploring its enclosure. The cage I use for my skink uses a 4 inch layer of ground walnut-shell sand which is fully digestable and safe for animals should they accidentally consume some. There is a fake rock-outcropping cave that she occassionally seeks refuge in, and a large water dish from which to drink. There is also a large, flat rock beneath a basking light, which the skink uses to bask, oftentimes ontop of the other two lizards. A feeding dish is usually needed for reptiles as well, but I keep this out of the cage until feeding time, which acclimates the animals so that they learn where they need to go for food. The setup works rather well. Schneider's Skinks need temperature gradients just like most lizards do. On average the tank should be around 80 degrees (F) on the cool side, and around 85-90 degrees (F) on the hot side, with a basking spot of 95-100 degrees (F). At night, temperatures can drop to 70 degrees (F) or so. Keep your reptile on a 12 hours heat/light- 12 hours dark/night cycle during spring and summer, with about 10 hours light, 14 hours dark cycle in the fall and winter time. Light and heat are essential to any reptile's well-being, as they require the appropriate temperatures to keep a proper metabolic rate for digesting food and maintaining daily activities; as well as Ultraviolet B light in order to process calcium (the D3 calcium dusting on their food is meant to supplement, not replace, this natural UVB requirement).

Maintanence: Keep this animal well supplied with food and water, and it should prove to be a hardy and trouble-free species. Keep cage tops secured and latched, as Eumeces Schneideri is prone to escape attempts and can be quite fast and elusive should it get out. Spot clean the cage daily, and every 2-3 months the sand should be entirely changed out to keep it fresh.

Conclusion: A unique and beautifully patterned species that is fairly uncommon in the pet trade thus far, Schneider's Skinks can make an interesting addition to any herpetoculturist's collection. Once tamed down suitably, they can be quite calm and easy to handle, oftentimes clinging to their owners or sitting on their shoulder placidly. Luckily for anyone willing to provide the space and care necessary to house such an animal, they can be very affordable when found in pet stores, usually around $19.99 for a single specimen.

Well, there you have it, a semi-full profile for Eumeces Schneideri, the Schneider's Skink. I hope you've enjoyed this and found it useful, and I look forward to adding and updating this care sheet, and creating many more like it in the future.