These lizards like to dig tunnels and move around in their cage. The ambient temperature within the tank should be between 84 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. i attempt to handle him every few days but he gets really worked up and i can see his little heart beating so fast and i dont want to stress him out. The main factors that can impact their size are care, genetics, and the manner in which they were bred. Black specks and white stripes can be found intermingled with the fiery, red scales. However, they can become relatively tame if they’re handled regularly in captivity. The species of lizard mainly found in the different regions of Africa. The bite from the skinks is not a big issue. If they feel threatened, they do have a strong bite, so while it is ok for children to handle them, they should always be supervised. The females creatures can stay together in one cage while males are territorial and fight among themselves if kept together. We suggest using a combination of clean soil, cypress mulch and sphagnum moss. Many people have thought that these guys were "poisonous" but they aren't. Family Scincidae. Caring for one is fairly straightforward, but…, African Fat-Tailed Gecko 101: Care, Setup, Lifespan…, Egg-Eating Snake 101: The Complete Care Guide, Yellow-Footed Tortoise Care: The Ultimate Guide, Long-Tailed Lizard Care: Habitat, Diet, Lifespan & More, Peach Throat Monitor 101: The Complete Care Guide, Suriname Red Tail Boa 101: Everything You Need To Know. This color change is usually due to mood or environment, and is typically nothing to worry about. Diet and fluids. Fire skinks don’t love to be handled, but you can get them used to it. If you have a big enough enclosure, you will be able to house a male and several females together. Horizontal space is more important than vertical; however, fire skinks will climb and are actually quite good at it. Their mellow temperament and gorgeous coloring makes them a popular choice for reptile enthusiasts. Scroll this page down to get more details about this. This will help to ensure that the temperature inside the enclosure is always within acceptable limits. Bearded Dragons can reach 20 in, while some Chameleons and Blue Tongued Skinks can reach up to 24 in. Whenever the African fire skink feels threatened and scared them will bite. They are active burrowers and will spend a fair bit of time staying hidden under an appropriate substrate. A good habitat setup, nutritious diet, and careful handling go a long way. Most captive born and properly socialised fire skinks can get along fine with their carers and are actually known to be quite curious and friendly. Tegus, Monitors and Iguanas can get a lot larger than 30 inches. They prefer high levels of humidity around 70-80%. LIFESPAN : 15 to 20 years is average for fire skinks. 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