# Small skinks to keep in a captive colony?



## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

The impending move of my blueys nt an outdoor pit has me contemplating what to do with my six foot tank and I'd love som ideas or even pics if anyone has any of small critters who will live happily ia colony type arrangement.they don't have to be stunning, I have a lot of interest in lovely little things like garden skinks,etc. I'd like to landscape the whole tank and include a small waterfall and pond. Does anyone know if common garden skinks are readily available in the hobby and how I would go about finding them? 


I'd prefer something relatively cheap, I spend so much on feeding my critters already tha it's hard to justify big purchases to my long suffering other half. . :lol:


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## jinjajoe (Nov 7, 2011)

Hosmers ?? Tree or Cunninghams ?? all cheap with bags of character & all will display the wild characteristics you are seeking in the large 6 footer you describe......


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## ianinoz (Nov 7, 2011)

Why not a bunch of garden skinks ? Those little guys live in colonies and from what I've heard they even have communal nurseries where all the females deposit their eggs.

They'd be great fun to have and watch and being small, would be cheap to feed.


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## GeckoRider (Nov 7, 2011)

I can move into the 6 footer if you like? .. i would say Cunningham's.. Not as big as bluetongues and they act more wild


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## HonestPirate (Nov 7, 2011)

Good call Joe; man Ive been quietly admiring Cunninghams at our local pet emporium lately; tonnes of character !!!


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## -Peter (Nov 7, 2011)

Someone expresses interest in the smaller varieties of skink and they get toldto size up. We need more people to get into the little guys, so start being positive. There are a few people around, you might give Danny Brown an email. Ive kept various common species in the past and they are a lot of fun. Some of the species lay communally, theres lots of interaction at different times of the year. You just need appropriate sized food when the young arrive.


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

Actually honest pirate I'd love a little colony of Garden skinks, I'm just not sure hw to get a hold of them egally, I'd rather not risk the wrath of decc if they ever decide to pay me a visit


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## Specks (Nov 7, 2011)

from what i know i thought the werent on the reptile keepers list


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## HonestPirate (Nov 7, 2011)

-Peter said:


> We need more people to get into the little guys..... so start being positive.



Ok, well they POSITIVELY exist up here in PLAGUE proportions. Really ? GARDEN skinks 


Dan may have kept those commons; but I guarantee they wouldn't be his first recommendation !!!!


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

Didn't check that, would certainly stuff that plan! 

Can anyone who knows their species well have a look and le me know which species off the NSW list might suit? I used to ave a cunninghams but I want something smaller than that.

I rescued on this morning where the neighbors concreter inadvertently broomed him off the path, just put my hand down and he hopped straight on and then sat on my hand and chilled for a minute before I walked over o the garden and put my hand down for him to hop off. The are interesting little critters and many have more personality than my blue tongues.

A lot of you give him hell but I do understand why Ian likes his skinks o much, they are real little characters.


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

As such Ian's contribution of 'why not kee garden skinks' was perfectly valid, a whole bunch of posts from people who insist on bombarding every post with giggling school girlish gibes at Ian isn't helpful.

I like common garden skinks, as I pointed out in fact in my very fist post, if I wanted something like a cunninghams I would have asked about larger skinks but I didn't I asked about very small species. You'll notice that Ian didn't suggest EWS because unlike many others in this thread he realized I was requesting info on what I could keep that was smaller.

Thanks Ian for your contribution, if anyone else would be able to make some small species suggestions I would greatly appreciate it


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## GeckPhotographer (Nov 7, 2011)

I'd love to keep a whole bunch of little skinks too, if I could find them. I would suggest one that is a round, not that common in the trade is Morethis boulengeri, great little skinks with tons of character.


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## Mister_Snakes (Nov 7, 2011)

When I was young I kept Weasel Skinks in a large aquarium. They were great fun to watch, I used to pick these little white worms from rotting timber out the back of my house and they loved them.

Not condoning taking animals from the wild, I was very young and not sure there were actually any wildlife licenses back. But I can see the fun in keeping some of the little skinks.


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## GeckPhotographer (Nov 7, 2011)

All the skinks on a NSW class one. 

Acritoscincus platynota Red-Throated Cool-Skink 2464 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink
Anomalopus brevicollis Short-Necked Worm-Skink 2039 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Anomalopus verreauxii Three-Clawed Worm-Skink 2295 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink Painted Ground-Dragon 2199 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Dragon 
Ctenotus regius Pale-Rumped Ctenotus 2374 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Ctenotus robustus Robust Ctenotus 2375 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Ctenotus taeniolatus Copper-Tailed Ctenotus 2386 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Cyclodomorphus casuarinae She-Oak Slender Bluetongue 2574 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Cyclodomorphus gerrardii Pink-Tongued Skink 2575 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Cyclodomorphus michaeli Mainland She-oak Skink 2866 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink
Egernia cunninghami Cunningham's Spiny-Tailed Skink 2408 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Egernia frerei Major Skink 2411 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Egernia hosmeri Hosmer's Spiny-Tailed Skink 2412 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Egernia inornata Unadorned Desert-Skink 2413 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Egernia kingii King's Skink 2414 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Egernia major Land Mullet 2417 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Egernia modesta Eastern Ranges Rock-Skink 2419 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Egernia saxatilis Black Crevice-Skink 2425 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Egernia stokesii Gidgee Spiny-Tailed Skink 2427 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Egernia striolata Tree-Crevice Skink 2429 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Egernia whitii White's Rock-Skink 2430 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink
Eremiascincus fasciolatus Narrow-Banded Sand-Swimmer 2437 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink
Eremiascincus richardsonii Broad-Banded Sand-Swimmer 2438 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Eulamprus quoyii Eastern Water-Skink 2557 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Eulamprus tenuis Bar-Sided Forest-Skink 2559 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink
Lampropholis delicata Dark-Flecked Garden Sunskink 2450 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Lampropholis guichenoti Pale-Flecked Garden Sunskink 2451 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Lerista bougainvillii South-Eastern Slider 2475 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 SkinkMorethia boulengeri South-Eastern Morethia Skink 2526 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink
Tiliqua nigrolutea Blotched Bluetongue 2578 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Tiliqua rugosa Shingleback Lizard 2583 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Tiliqua scincoides Common Bluetongue 2580 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Tiliqua scincoides x Tiliqua nigrolutea Eastern / Blotched Bluetongue Hybrid T168 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink


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## MathewB (Nov 7, 2011)

Eastern Water Skinks if your putting in a water fall.


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

Thanks GP but short of googling every single one I don't really have enough skink knowledge to know which would suit my purposes, I probably don't want to go any larger than about 3-4 inches maximum(smaller is fine though) and I want something that would live happily in a colony of 5 to 10 individuals in a well furnished six foot tank.

Thanks mathew but they are probably just a bit big for what I'm wanting this time around.


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## GeckPhotographer (Nov 7, 2011)

Ok my recommendations pending you can find some. 

Acritoscincus platynota Red-Throated Cool-Skink 2464 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink
Ctenotus taeniolatus Copper-Tailed Ctenotus 2386 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Eulamprus tenuis Bar-Sided Forest-Skink 2559 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink
Morethia boulengeri (was menat to be on original list looks like copy paste failed._
Lampropholis delicata Dark-Flecked Garden Sunskink 2450 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink 
Lampropholis guichenoti Pale-Flecked Garden Sunskink 2451 R1,R2,R3,R4,R5 Skink


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

Thanks heaps, I'll do some googling on those species and start hunting once my blueys are moved out and the tank can be refitted


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## GeckPhotographer (Nov 7, 2011)

By the way the latter three I know are okay in small colonies, the former three I'm not sure. I think the Ctenotus and Eulamprus should be ok with plenty of hides, the Eulamprus really like climbing and pieces of wood with cracks. The Acritoscincus may be more solitary. Generally the bigger skinks do better with colonies than smaller. Let me know if you find any of these guys I'd be interested in keeping some too. Best of luck.


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

Thanks for your help GP,I'll PM you if I have any luck, seems like an easier way to have an intelligent conversation.


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## killimike (Nov 7, 2011)

You see most of the skinks listed by GP on RDU from time to time. Except for delicata and guichenoti, of course


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## Mister_Snakes (Nov 7, 2011)

White's skinks seem to pop up often enough, they are a very cool little skink in a colony.


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

Thanks I'll look into those too


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## r3ptilian (Nov 7, 2011)

I'd go for a colony of Desert Skinks (Egernia Inornarta), They are full of character and you can throw live crickets into their enclosure and watch them fly from the burrows and take the crix. They are an often overlooked little skink that can bring hours of enjoyment. Good to see someone taking interest in the smaller herps for a change.


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## Rocket (Nov 7, 2011)

If you decide to choose Morethia boulengeri or Morethia obscura, please PM me.


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

Is that because you keep them or because you want to keep them rocket?


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## Rocket (Nov 7, 2011)

snakeynewbie said:


> Is that because you keep them or because you want to keep them rocket?



A local mate of mine, as well as mysef, keep and breed both species and have some available.


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

Thanks, might have to do some investigating as to whether those might suit my wants.

Can you give me a range of price to expect for the smaller species of skinks? Pretty much common knowledge how much a blue tongue or a cunninghams is worth but I reall have no idea what I should be expecting with these sorts of species. Pm me if you prefer

Pity we weren't having this convo a few weeks ago, my husband is in Adelaide all this week :lol:


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## ianinoz (Nov 7, 2011)

snakeynewbie said:


> Thanks GP but short of googling every single one I don't really have enough skink knowledge to know which would suit my purposes, I probably don't want to go any larger than about 3-4 inches maximum(smaller is fine though) and I want something that would live happily in a colony of 5 to 10 individuals in a well furnished six foot tank.
> 
> Thanks mathew but they are probably just a bit big for what I'm wanting this time around.



My observations of my resident gang of wild but friendly EWSs (nearly every day over the last 12 months) is that they are quite territorial.
I visited the shed this avo to give some foodtreats to old girl who lives there and think I now know where the baby EWS has been evicted to by Scrapper , it's in the shed, both a baby (or a very young EWS) and the old girl EWS both came straight out to greet me when I pulled the roller door up and went inside with a tub with some dead and live mealworms in it. The old skink sent the baby skink packing and monopolised me and the worms. I also think she is very heavily pregnant - she's one fat EWS.

I think the mother will tolerate her babies for a while.

I'm not sure how a bunch of mixed sex and mixed age EWS will get on together in a restricted area. There might be a lot of fighting and injuries.

EWS are great lizards though, full of character and really cleavour too and the one's here have become very interactive (with me). 

Maybe someone who has a captive colony of EWS can chime in on their suitability for your enclosure as a colony. 

I also think they like a lot space and plenty of interesting things to investigate.


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## Australis (Nov 7, 2011)

Mister_Snakes said:


> White's skinks seem to pop up often enough, they are a very cool little skink in a colony.



First species that came to mind for me to, very attractive smaller species (not garten skink small but still small).


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## GeckPhotographer (Nov 7, 2011)

I was hoping you would show up Rocket, I made the M.boulengeri suggestion in mind that I knew you had some. I like the Egernia suggestions, personally I think if I were going small skinks I'd go with a Egernia, they are certainly often colony based and have tons of attitude. My reasoning behind not putting them in my few recommended was mostly their size. You wont find many Egernia smaller than an EWS and you had discounted that already. Keeping that in mind I reckon for a 6ft tank the smaller Egernia would probably still do fine in a relatively small colony, especially if height could be utilized as it could for some species. Hope you manage to find a skink you are happy with, certainly good to see someone taking an interest in these reps which are rather undervalued I believe.


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## MathewB (Nov 7, 2011)

I'd keep Cunninghams if you want a communal lizard, but keep us updated


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## -Peter (Nov 7, 2011)

HonestPirate said:


> Ok, well they POSITIVELY exist up here in PLAGUE proportions. Really ? GARDEN skinks ?
> 
> 
> Dan may have kept those commons; but I guarantee they wouldn't be his first recommendation !!!!



Pretty poor arguement on all three counts. Yeah, they're pretty common all over the country, they're native. They aren't common in the hobby on license. Not everyone wants the hero species that you have.


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## jamesjr (Nov 7, 2011)

White's skinks are a great small species of skink to keep.


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## Tassie97 (Nov 7, 2011)

Australis said:


> First species that came to mind for me to, very attractive smaller species (not garten skink small but still small).


SAME i had a pet one awesome she was


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

Both of those look awesome and exactly the look I'm wanting. I'm probably planning a forest style enclosure would one of those species suit do you think?


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## MathewB (Nov 7, 2011)

What's the husbandry with the Whites Skink? They look awesome!


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## Tassie97 (Nov 7, 2011)

only the tassie ones have the stripes lol


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## MathewB (Nov 7, 2011)

I like the ones jamesjr had...no offence


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## Tassie97 (Nov 7, 2011)

oh :/
fine then! lol


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## snakeluvver (Nov 7, 2011)

I think Garden skinks would be fine to keep.
Only problem is, I dont think there are many (if any) people that keep and breed them in captivity.

You could get a bit setup filled with sandswimmers, theyre cool little skinks.


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## Tiliqua (Nov 7, 2011)

I'd strongly recommend Eastern water skinks, as they do well in a 1m/4f colony and will use all of the space provided. Tree skinks would come in at a close second, as they are quite active and will make use of height too. White's can be difficult to source as there aren't many on NSW Licences, though they can be kept off licence in VIC and SA. Hosmers and Gidgees are a little more expensive and bigger in body size, but equally enjoyable to keep in colonies.


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

I come from Vic originally and will be heading there for Xmas so I don't mind arranging a permit and buying down there, well be traveling by car and usually do the trip in a single day so its always bee an easy ride for the various critters we've transported in the past


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## jamesjr (Nov 7, 2011)

MathewB said:


> What's the husbandry with the Whites Skink? They look awesome!



Thanks mate.

I keep mine in a 900mm x 600mm exo terra, basking spot is set at 30-35c on a few pieces of rock, UV fluorescent tube, a few branches and hides and about three times a week they get feed cockroaches or crickets dusted in calcium powder. I also give them chopped vegetable, fruit and a very small amount of dog food or minced meat every 10-14 days or so.

They are a very hardy spices of small skink, another option of a great spices is Tree Skinks, both a joy to keep.

Cheers


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## GeckPhotographer (Nov 7, 2011)

Tassie it is not uncommon for mainland Liopholis whitii to have stripes. I should let you know that since you said Water Skink was too big, White's skinks are much bigger than a water skink, those ones in the first picture look very young an miniscule compared to the hundreds of wild adult individuals I have seen. I'm sure they are cool to keep, but if you don't want water skink size, than a White's skink is even bigger.


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

Thanks, yeah ot really what I want then.

Pity you can't get a permit to take from the wild here, we are in a new housing estate and the number of displaced garden skin,s around here a the moment is quite sad, I'd gladly give them a lovely ome if I could do it legally.


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## Poggle (Nov 7, 2011)

has ne one suggested broad banded sand swimmers


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

Aren't they fairly big though?


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## Poggle (Nov 7, 2011)

approx 11.5cm snout to vent i think ?


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 7, 2011)

That's very much my upper. Limit but not too bad, I'll check them out. Can't imagine they'd be overly suited to a forest type tank though?


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## ryanm (Nov 7, 2011)

snakeynewbie said:


> That's very much my upper. Limit but not too bad, I'll check them out. Can't imagine they'd be overly suited to a forest type tank though?



No they are definitely more a desert style skink, but other than that would be great for what you are looking for. You could fit a nice little colony in a 6 foot tank and they are great to watch.


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## Poggle (Nov 7, 2011)

no they wouldnt but a desert tank wouldnt be hard to renovate  well worth it hehe


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## snakeluvver (Nov 7, 2011)

Poggle said:


> has ne one suggested broad banded sand swimmers


Yes I have.
Theyd be fun to have in a big setup. And theyre not that big, just a bit smaller than water skinks.


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## book (Nov 8, 2011)

Eastern Water Skinks have been mentioned a few times for the pond and water fall set up. I love the river side set up but they are bigger than you are after and I would not call them good colony animals. I believe other people have managed to raise a large group of babies together and most have still been fine together as adults. It was my hope years ago to get three or four into a six foot if they all liked each other. I still only have pairs together and extra males living in their own smaller tanks. Even the females can be extremely vicious to other females. I also had offspring grow up with the parents but when they mature the parents have turned on them.


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## snakeynewbie (Nov 8, 2011)

Yeah i think they would possibly be ok n a large pit as a colony but i suspect a sixfoot would be too close quarters for them really. When i say waterfall i wasmore thinking along the lines of trickling brook, running the water across part of the enclosure to have a shallower angle on the flow of water, i did much the same thing when i was a teenager to create a tank for frogs and it worked really well, would love to do something like that again.


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## book (Nov 8, 2011)

There is a section in the book Keeping & Breeding Australian Lizards about Garden Skinks and John Deutscher's (Sdaji on this site?) experiences with keeping and breeding them for quite a few years. Don't know for sure if I have the right person or if he still keeps them. I think they would be great in the set up you are describing. I have seen other people wanting them in the past on this site but never seen anyone say they had found any.


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