The Plan

Consider this my New Year's Resolution for 2011...before we all die horribly in 2012 :P

1) Get settled in Ashland, Oregon, establishing a permanent (for the next two years at least) residence down there where my reptiles are welcome.

2)Have all three of my current herps checked out by veterinary services, complete workup.

3) New cages for all three of them. I now have a sufficiently sized cage for each animal. I have a 30 gallon Vision cage for my Bearded Dragon, a 20 Gallon for the Uromastyx (specifically 20 gallon rather than 20-long, to provide more depth and range of height, more on that later), and a 20-long for my Schneider's Skink.

4) Work on improving the general health and longevity of my main three reptiles BEFORE considering adding new animals from my acquisition list, which will be discussed come my next post.

Back In The Saddle

After a lengthy absence, I have returned. It took over half a year after the death of my savannah monitor, Basil (see last post), to regain my confidence. I'm back in Bend for a scant few days to visit my family and friends before heading back to school in January. So let's see, what do I have for updates?

As of May I was working for Pacific Coast Fruit Company in Portland, Oregon, one of the most god-awful, bleak, depressing, and oppressive establishments I've ever come across. No care for their employees at all. Anywho, I worked there for the last 6 or 7 months, and got fired last Monday for a reason which falls into the sketchy, fuzzy grey area between legal and illegal- after having just suffered a rather painful fall at work due to a foot-bath mat slipping out from under my feet, I proceeded to clean myself up and continue work. I apparently (but to no memory of my own, I only have my Boss's word on this since she supposedly saw it through the security camera) forgot to wash two cases of broccoli before pouring them into a bucket for use in our products. My supervisor, a great Cuban guy named Manuelo who I greatly respect and look up to, after checking to see if I was okay and not injured, did the exact same thing. Now, this is where the situation gets dicey. At PCF, most vegetables are required by GMP (don't ask me what that stands for, we've never been told at our GMP training meetings) standards to be soaked in "perasan," a solution made of heavily diluted Peroxyacetic Acid and water. This is a general, consumable-safe cleaning agent that we dip most vegetables in(though a fair few are not dipped ever, such as snow peas, green beans, peppers, etc.). Normally, our cases of Broccoli are supposed to be dumped into a bath of perasan and then dried and emptied into a barrel. Obviously, having just fallen, this slipped my mind. And having been worried about me because I had fallen, it slipped my supervisor's mind as well. So, upon checking her security cameras when the report of my having fallen was filed (no doubt to ensure that I didn't file for worker's comp), my boss noticed our indiscretion. We were immediately suspended for three days, every product that had used broccoli from that day was recalled, costing the company a few thousand dollars, and my boss would use our days suspended to decide whether or not to fire us. Well, long story short, she did.

So yeah, that's the story. Now, free of job, I'm heading back to school at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, to major in Journalism and use the next two years down there to set up shop and take care of my lizards, the right way. All that's beginning as of January 1st, and I will update you all then, with full measurements and updates on my animals.

Life Gets You Down...

This has been a terrible year for me and my pets...I feel really negelctful. First my Iguana and both corn snakes die because they were under the care of my friend in Bend- because I was staying with my family and my mother refuses to allow reptiles in her house. I'm not honestly sure of the cause of death on those, although I'd guess the standard high mortality rate that goes with young reptiles (particularly snakes and farmed iguanas). Furthermore, today my savannah monitor, a recent acquisition, died horribly....busted the lock on her cage to escape. My apartment I'm staying in is on the 15th floor, and all there is for an "outdoors" is my balcony. I leave the door to the balcony cracked open so the cat can reach its litter box out there. So...basically the Sav escaped her cage, got outside (which I didn't think it would do, because it's nearly 30 degrees here at night), and fell off....15 floors to the street below.

I feel terrible, and helpless, and like a bad pet owner....perhaps now isn't the right time to be keeping herps, given where I am in life....

Always Hard to Deal With...

Alas....today my Green Iguana (Iguana Iguana), Rigel, died. As is typical with many mass-imported reptiles, especially iguanas, the stress, parasite load, and poor farm conditions within which the iguanas are initially raised before being shipped to the U.S. takes its toll on their health, and can cause premature death and other issues. Indeed, many young Green Iguanas don't make it past their first year, as is the case with Rigel. Although he seemed perfectly healthy and active when I got him, and I (admittedly) foolishly didn't take him to a vet, his health had been declining for the last two days or so, with rapid weight loss and less-than-healthy colouration, despite having ideal captive conditions for him, and he expired in the night, only to be found still and lifeless within his cage this morning. I will miss him greatly. I'll treat this as a good life-lesson, and in the next few weeks will have a full check-up done on all of my remaining reptiles, and make sure to redouble my efforts in keeping them happy and healthy.

To the readers out there, let this be a lesson to you, never get a Green Iguana as a pet unless you're experienced and fully prepared to care for one in its fullest.

My Current Crop

Hello all, it's been a while since I updated the list of my current reptiles, so I thought I'd take some time to do so.

Lizards- I currently own 5 lizards:

Nuzzle- Schneider's/Berber Skink (Eumeces Schneideri); purchased in February of 2009, approx. 2 years old

Scute- Mali Uromastyx (Uromastyx Maliensis); purchased March 2009, approx. 1 year old

Sola- Bearded Dragon (presumably Pogona Vitticeps); purchased September 2009, born Easter '09, so just under a year old.

Rigel- El Salvador Green Iguana (Iguana Iguana); purchased December 2009, approx. 9 months old.

Basil- Savannah Monitor (Varanus Exanthematicus); adopted March 27, 2010, unknown age, length 2.5 feet approx. Best guess is 1-2 years old.

Snakes- I currently own 2 snakes:

Oro- Corn Snake (Elaphe Guttata); Anerythristic morph, Purchased October 2009, approx. 10 months old

Sylph- Corn Snake (Elaphe Guttata); Snow morph; Purchased February 2010, approx 10 months old

On the Horizon- I plan on acquiring a few more reptiles in the near future, both for breeding purposes and as pets:

American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis); I'm hoping for a hatchling or yearling, which I will name "Sovereign," though I have no intention of breeding it, as they're pretty cheap and easy to find online already. This one's planned for waaaaaay down the road, however, once I've set up shop permanently somewhere and have the space, money, and time necessary to care for it.

Crested Geckos (Rhacodactylus Ciliatus); I'm going to acquire three or four of these cute lil' buggers in order to breed them, so I can begin my breeding business in earnest. Not sure what I'll name my breeders...

New Caledonian Giant Geckos (Rhacodactylus Leachianus); I love leachies, I want to find a good two or three of them at $300 each (the cheapest I've ever seen them) and raise them to adulthood for breeding and profit.

Rubber Boa (Charina Bottae); I really like this particular family of boid snakes, such as the Rosy Boa and Kenyan Sand Boa. Rubber Boas haven't really made it onto the mainstream market or breeding operations yet, so I intend to help begin that trend. I need to acquire a few captive bred ones or catch a few in the wild.

Well, there you have it. My current assortment of animals, as well as a few of my plans for the future. I hope to have my breeding operations underway by the end of the year (hopefully even sooner), and will keep everyone informed and updated as always.

Native Species: Sceloporus Occidentalis- The Western Fence Lizard

Today, March 24, 2010, marks my first wild herp catch of the year. I managed to capture an adult male Sceloporus Occidentalis- Western Fence Lizard. These feisty little guys are all over my hometown of Bend, Oregon, and in the Spring and Summer are found in less populated portions of Central Oregon basking on rocks, scurrying away hurridly when approached.

A member of the spiny lizard genus, Sceloporus, these small reptiles are found throughout much of the Western US, and inhabit desert or arid scrubland ranging from Nevada and Idaho to the West Coast in Oregon, Washington, and California. It is easily confused for other spiny lizards in its range like the Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus Graciosis), but is distinguished by having three specific iridescent blue patches on its underside: two on either side of its underbelly and one on its throat, which the SageBrush Lizard lacks, as well as light orange markings underneath the throat and arms in some specimens.

Western Fence Lizards are apparently fairly frequent breeders, as there are always an abundance of them in my area. Today seems to be the first day they've come out of their winter brumation, as I've been searching the usual areas for them for the last few weeks. They tend to go into brumation (hibernation for reptiles, basically)around late September, and re-emerge once it warms up in late March or early April. I often find hatchlings throughout the summer up to around August, and when kept in captivity before, the adults have attempted to devour hatchlings, suggesting a high reproductive rate to accomodate for cannibalism when times are tough.

Carnivorous as many desert reptiles are, the Western Fence Lizard is no exception, readily devouring most spiders, beetles, crickets, and other insects that it encounters within its range. It shares its home range with a few other reptiles, including the aforementioned Sagebrush Lizard and the Western Skink (Eumeces Skiltonianus), and is frequent prey for various birds, Western Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Oreganus), and Coyotes.

On average, one will find Sceloporus Occidentalis basking on rocks in the morning, sunning itself alongside usually one other Western Fence Lizard, possibly a mate. They make their homes within piles of rocks, empty rodent burrows, and other such crevices, and will always retreat to these hiding spots when approached or threatened. If trying to catch a specimen, they will flee to another rock once their chosen spot is lifted or moved aside, and will even try to hide near your shoes or up your pant-leg if you're not careful (one amusing instance last year had one crawling up my pant-leg, I had to undo my pants, reach my hand down it and grab the little bugger while he was confused). When grabbed, Western Fence Lizards will squirm, oftentimes dropping their tail in a process called autotomy (the tail heals over very quickly and then grows back in a very short time, it doesn't hurt the lizard). In self defense, they will bite readily, latching on hard and hissing angrily. Many times I have noticed that, once picked up, this is their first response, and thus have made it a goal to thrust in to grab them immediately, knowing that the "slow and steady," cautious approach to capturing a specimen will usually result in the same thing. If you're planning on keeping one or several of these fascinating and active little reptiles in captivity, a simple care sheet is provided below, and a much more detailed one will be provided in the future.

Genus: Sceloporus

Species: Occidentalis

Common name: Western Fence Lizard

Adult Size: 4-6 Inches

Climate: Desert/Arid Scrubland

Temperature Range: 65 degrees F to 95 degrees F, 100-105 degrees F basking spot

Humidity: 20%-40% on average, keep it fairly low-humidity, provide a water dish for drinking and a little sphagnum moss in a hiding cave.

Lighting: This species needs a full heat/UVB setup, provide 10-12 hours of light and heat per day, maintaining a standard day/night cycle.

Cage Size: 10 Gallon tank for between 1 and 3 individuals, a 20 gallon-long will hold a breeding group of 1 male and 5 females or so adequetly. Males will fight for dominance and can easily injure one another, so don't house them together. Make sure, if catching lizards where there are several varieties, to ascertain the specific species you have caught. Sceloporus Occidentalis and Sceloporus Graciosis can be quite vicious and territorial towards eachother.

Feeding: smaller (2-3 week old) crickets are best, sprinkled with calcium D3 supplement and gut-loaded. Feed a single adult specimen of S. Occidentalis 5-10 crickets every 2-3 days.

Handling: these are flighty, defensively-aggressive lizards, they will hiss, drop their tails, or bite when picked up, and will often take every opportunity to jump from the handler's hands when startled. Hold them over the tank, consider wearing handling gloves if you don't like being bitten, and spend some time holding them every day to get them acclimated to it.

Summary: Best observed rather than held when in captivity, but quite common and easy to find in the wild, Sceloporus Occidentalis, the Western Fence Lizard, is a small, quick, and very interesting species to behold. They are enjoyable animals to watch, as they are often very active, and can make a very nice addition to any herpetoculturist's collection or field-herping outing.

*image found on google image search, I have no claim on this image and am not to be given credit for it under any circumstances.

A Note On References

Although I am a dedicated keeper and researcher of reptiles, I have no specific degree or fancy doctorate as of yet, so I'm hardly to be considered a legitimate source for study and information. This is just to let everyone reading my blog (if anyone does, in fact, read it) so they don't mistake my provided information for plagiarized info or some such. This is basically just a courtesy, everything in my blog here is based on my personal observations or relatively commonly known knowledge (scientific names, place of origin, etc.) so I cannot be accused of plagiarizing information such as the scientific name of Uromastyx Maliensis or the native habitat of the schneider's skink.

That said, I hope you all understand my safeguarding by writing this post, just so nobody's confused.

Cheers, SWN "Lucidum"

Care Sheet: Uromastyx Maliensis- the Mali Uromastyx

This be the second care sheet in my blog, this time for the Mali Uromastyx, a hardy and simple reptile that is a member of the Uromastyx family- also known as Mastigures or Spiny-Tailed Agamids. These desert-dwelling lizards are found throughout Africa's northern desert regions, and in captivity are long-lived and very interesting.

Genus: Uromastyx

Species: Maliensis

Subspecies: None Recognized

Range: Mali, North Western Africa

Maximum Size: 11-16 inches, males are larger. My personal specimen, "Scute," is around 10 inches and just over a year old.

Life Span: Records of wild specimens indicate a life span of over 60 years

Behaviour: An avid burrower and daytime basker, the Mali Uromastyx can be shy and timid at first, oftentimes hiding for hours on end, and returning to its hiding spot when approached. They may flail their spiked, armour-plated tail in defense if picked up (especially wild-caught specimens), and tend to sleep in a defensible position, with their tail facing the entrance of a cave or rock burrow. The animal tends to tame down considerably in captivity, tolerating handling and frequent interaction remarkably well. Though considered "burrowers," they can more accurately be described as "hermits." They don't dig, except to excavate the sand substrate inside their chosen hiding space. They seem to adopt that hiding space (in my own experience, a ceramic hiding cave from my local pet store) as a sort of permanent home, spending much time hiding or sleeping there. One important note is that these lizards do not, I repeat do not like water. Many reptile owners like to give their lizard a "bath" or let them soak for a little bit, but Uromastyx, at least Maliensis, are phobic of water and will do almost anything to climb out of their bath. One rumour circulating also states that, if left to soak, their bodies swell up like a balloon. Though I can provide no solid evidence of this, this dry-loving animal does indeed hate water, and gets most of its moisture from the green vegetables and plants it eats. Interestingly as well, though not aggressive by nature, Uromastyx may be quite territorial, especially around smaller lizards that encroach upon it's chosen home-space in a tank. Keep this in mind as the reptile's spike-laden tail is a potent weapon.

Husbandry: A desert-dwelling and dry-loving reptile, Uromastyx Maliensis is a hermit among the lizard masses. They prefer to keep to themselves and hide out of sight. If kept communally, these lizards can be aggressive towards others of their kind- particularly males kept with other males. A local reptile shop in Bend, Oregon that I know has several Uromastyx Maliensis males kept together with multiple hide boxes in a 20-long tank, and one of them is missing a large portion of his tail, presumably due to fighting. Though these small-ish lizards don't take up much room, rarely moving about and spending much of their time hiding, they do appreciate a large enough set up to allow for roaming. A hide box of some sort is an absolutely essential element of a healthy set up, as is several inches of smooth sand (see my article about schneider's skinks, as the requirements are similiar). The Uromastyx may come up out of its hide box from time to time to explore and bask, but will often retreat into its burrow when approached, at least until it gets used to your presence. Frequent handling and calm interaction with your Uro will result in a tamer animal, and they will get used to your presence much quicker if you do so.

Diet: A consumate herbivour, the Mali Uromastyx readily eats most greens and vegetables. Younger specimens however are much more omnivorous, excitedly pouncing upon crickets, mealworms, roaches, and, in one extreme instance that I myself witnessed, several other lizards. Spring mix, collard, and mustard greens are all good choices, as are vegetables like carrots, and birdseed. I would not recommend feeding spinach to your animal, as it binds calcium, and never, ever feed your Uromastyx "iceberg" lettuce. This is for two reasons: 1) Iceberg lettuce is almost entirely water, having no nutritional value. And 2), a certain chemical in Iceberg lettuce is addictive to reptiles, and in time they will only eat Iceberg lettuce, getting no nutrients from it and eventually starving themselves to death. I personally use spring mix, fed every two or three days and dusted with D3 calcium powder once weekly. This is a good source of nutrients that my "Scute" readily accepts. I occassionally supplement this diet with roaches, meal worms, or crickets, all appropriately "gut loaded" and dusted in calcium. This varied diet keeps my Uro healthy and active.

Note- earlier I mentioned an incident with other lizards. Well, I had wild-caught a fair amount of Western Fence Lizards (Sceleporus Occidentalis) in my home town of Bend, Oregon over the summer. I had them in their own cage, but put them in the Uro's tank to clean theirs. Knowing that Uromastyx are primarily herbivores, I didn't expect anything to happen. However, I was wrong. The Uromastyx lunged at two of the fence lizards, biting their heads with its powerful, beak-like jaws, and crushing their skulls before devouring them. I had never seen this behaviour before, and couldn't find any source online referencing instances like this. That said, i'd recommend keeping your Maliensis away from smaller reptiles.

Caging: Though they don't take up much room on the whole, a 20-long tank is recommended for your Mastigure. They will spend much time curled up hiding, but when out of their cave, they will actively explore and forage for food. A water dish can be provided, but is not really necessary as the animal gets all the moisture it needs from its diet. Temperatures are exceptionally high for this species, higher than most reptiles require. A daytime temperature of 90-100 degrees F should be provided, with a basking site of 120 degrees+. This lizard likes it hot! Provide a layer of 4-6 inches of sand (or more, there's a good "burrowing substrate" out there that Uros enjoy), and make sure it's soft-edged and not sharp-edged silicate sand. Always provide a hide box or outcrop for the lizard to hide in/under, and make sure any cage furniture rocks are place in the bottom of the cage before adding substrate. Heavy rocks can shift and crush your lizard! When feeding your lizard, present the food greens or mealworms in a seperate dish, to prevent impaction. This also helps to get the lizard acclimated, to learn where its food comes from, and therefore can learn to interact with its owner better.

Keep to the standard 12 hours light/heat- 12 hours dark/night cycle for this reptile, even in Winter, as it really benefits from extra hours of heat and light. It can tolerate temperatures as low as 70 degrees F at night, though a bit higher would be better. Make sure it gets plenty of UVB and Heat all together, using a powersun bulb (which run roughly $80) can give you an ample heat gradient. Aside from this, it's largely a trouble free and hardy lizard.

Maintanence: A fairly hardy and easy to keep reptile, the Mali Uromastyx can be an interesting and exciting captive to care for. As long as its heat requirements are met, and it is fed regularly, it can live for quite some time with little effort on the part of its owner. Scoop the cage's sand every day or so to spot-clean, making sure to clean up feces and urates. Every 2-3 months, empty the sand, scrub the tank thoroughly with an approved reptile-safe sanitary agent, and then refill with fresh sandy substrate when dry.

Conclusion: Particularly beautifully coloured when full grown, especially in male specimens, Uromastyx Maliensis can be a quizzicle and interesting subject to study and observe in captivity. As long as you can meet its caging and temperature requirements, the animal can be left alone with relatively little risk, as it is hardy and tough, and can manage itself quite well.

Reptile Stores Abroad- House of Reptiles in Tigard Oregon

I just returned from a harrowing 10-minute journey over to Tigard, Oregon (I currently live in Portland), to take stock of House of Reptiles, easily one of the best reptile-centric stores in the area. They have a large assortment of reptiles for sale and on display, many of which were rescues or adoptions, and the selection of specimens available for sale alone rivals all of the pet stores I have been to in Oregon thus far easily.

A selection of monitors, geckos (including the expensive and difficult to acquire Leachies- Rhacodactylus Leachianus- or New Caledonian Giant Geckos), corn snakes, ball pythons, and even caiman lizards are all available at this store, and more beyond. For display only, either due to rescue or otherwise, they have three small American Alligators (in the 3 ft range or so), as well as a full grown Argentine Black and White Tegu and an adult Black Throated Monitor, a massive albino Burmese Python, and a full grown King Cobra! This selection alone rivals even the local Zoo in terms of sheer variety and exotic range.

In addition to these many animals available, the shop breeds some of their own, namely Leachies from what I saw. They also, of course, stock the normal care products, many varieties of glass and mesh cages, turtle tubs (massive, fairly inexpensive open-air enclosures for aquatic turtles or tortoises), and the necessary cage furniture to provide a proper environment for your animals.

The staff seemed more knowledgable on the subject of snakes than any other reptile unfortunately, but what they did know was very helpful, and they certainly know the business well. Pricing for most of the animals is somewhat above the norm, which seems to happen a lot with retail stores. For example, they had a Sumatran Water Monitor for $250, whereas online you can find one for roughly $120 plus shipping (figure about $175 shipped). However, considering that they keep their animals exceptionally healthy and well-cared-for, and considering that I love to support local shops to help keep the businesses afloat, the price seems worth it, especially since you can buy the animals outright, and not have to wait for delivery.

All in all this is easily one of the most impressive reptile shops I've seen thus far, although I've only been to stores in Oregon for the most part. The selection is superb, the employees knowledgable, and the atmosphere is one of care and overall knowledge about the trade and the animals involved. An A+ in my book any time.

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.