Berber Skink Care Sheet

Scientific Name: Eumeces schneideri

Description

The Berber Skink is also know as Schneiders Skink and Dotted Skink. This skink has a long body, and short legs. Their colouration is normally tan or sand, with lighter undersides.

Statistics

Distribution Map

Food & Water

The Berber Skink is an omnivore. They need a balanced diet of meat protein and vegetables. Insects should be their main meat source. Offer them crickets, mealworms, butterworms, silkworms, and earthworms. Pinky mice can be offered once in a while as well. As for the vegetables, feed them a mixture of sweet potatoe, carrots, beans, and softened or mashed fruits. Keep a water dish in the enclosure at all times. Make sure to clean the water daily. You can place small fish in the water diah as well, which may be eaten by some Berber Skinks.

Lighting, Temperature & Humidity

The main light source needs to be full-spectrum UVB lighting. Keep the lights on a 12 hour cycle. Temperatures during the day need to be around 87 degrees F, while night time temperatures should be lowered to 65 degrees F. During the daytime, a basking spot for you Berber Skink should be available that reaches 100 degrees F. The heat can be achieved by using incandescent bulbs, a ceramic heat emitter, or a heatpad for the underside of the enclosure, or a combination. Keep the humidity levels fairly low, around 20%.

Housing

A 20 gallon glass aquarium is a good starting point for a Berber Skink. A larger enclosure is always better. Provide hiding places and a few branches for climbing and basking. Berber Skinks are borrowers, so the substrate needs to be deep. A minimum of 3 inches is normally sufficient. Use peat moss, sphagnum moss, or similar mulch type substrate. Play sand can also be used if kept slightly dampened.