# Help Needed : Common Backyark Skinks in Melbourne



## PatMac (Mar 8, 2010)

Just a note, I am only planning on keeping the skink in the tank for up to about 3 days.

Hello everyone.

Before I start, I really know very little about reptile keeping at all, so bear with me.

Every now and then, the family dog brings in a tiny little lizard, what I have always assumed are skinks. They are probably about 5cm long from the head to the tip of the tail.

They're unharmed when he brings them to me, and he usually just drops them on the floor as a present. I put them back in the garden out of his reach, but they always die in the next few days.

I'm interested to know whether I could keep the poor little lizards in my son's terrarium for a few days, to give them time to recuperate, and then I'd release them again.

The tank is about a foot wide and half as deep, standard fish tank size I suppose. There are ferns inside, and it's kept in a warm room, but not in direct sunlight. Would it be possible to keep a lizard comfortably in there for a few days, and what would I feed it?

If anyone could give me some general pointers, I'd be very appreciative.


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## bluey66 (Mar 8, 2010)

No you must release them back where they were found in your backyard, its illegal to take in any reptile without a permit, so please do the right thing and release it straight away, for the garden skinks health and wellbeing.
lf the Department of Sustainability finds out your looking after wild lizards found in your backyard, you may cop a on the spot fine or warning notice from a DSE wildlife officer.


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## PatMac (Mar 8, 2010)

But it's just going to die if I don't protect it for a few days..


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## blackcrystal22 (Mar 8, 2010)

I don't understand why it would die.. ?

Also, how do you know the skink is dead after releasing it into your garden? Didn't it run away?

It's not a good idea to take in any wild reptiles in general, they have diseases that you can transfer to your animals and it's just best to put them back outside and leave them be.


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## naledge (Mar 8, 2010)

Thousands of kids take garden skinks, just like they take tadpoles. I don't think you'd get a fine or anything.

You seem to care for animals, maybe you should look into becoming a wildlife carer.


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## PatMac (Mar 8, 2010)

I'm not entirely sure why they die either, but whenever the dog brings them in, they always try to walk away slowly, but I don't want them loose in the house because my young daughter is scared of them. So I put them outside on the verandah, and they walk off. Then, invariably in the next few days I'll find it dead on the verandah or on the small area of concrete we have in the backyard.


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## naledge (Mar 8, 2010)

PatMac said:


> I'm not entirely sure why they die either, but whenever the dog brings them in, they always try to walk away slowly, but I don't want them loose in the house because my young daughter is scared of them. So I put them outside on the verandah, and they walk off. Then, invariably in the next few days I'll find it dead on the verandah or on the small area of concrete we have in the backyard.



I don't think you looking after them will save them tbh.

The damage is already done by your dog. Being in a tank would just stress them out further.

If you want to help them, find a way to keep your dog away from them.

And then maybe you should get a license and buy a lizard, they're wonderful creatures to keep.


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## PatMac (Mar 8, 2010)

I suppose it wouldn't help them, it's only because when I pick them up to take them outside, they don't seem to have any external damage at all, since the dog doesn't bite them hard enough to hurt them.


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## PatMac (Mar 8, 2010)

And just adding to that, short of stopping the dog from being in the back yard there isn't much I can do, since there are so many of the little things running around out there.


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## Kitah (Mar 8, 2010)

Even if the dog doesn't bite them in a way to cause puncture wounds, the chances are that during the catching and playing process the internal organs of the skinks is severely damaged- its really not that hard to cause terminal damage on such fragile little skinks. So, either way the skinks are likely to die... Shock would also play a part in this I would imagine. 

Its nice to see that someone actually cares enough to ask, though, so thanks for trying to help the lil guys


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## naledge (Mar 8, 2010)

PatMac said:


> I suppose it wouldn't help them, it's only because when I pick them up to take them outside, they don't seem to have any external damage at all, since the dog doesn't bite them hard enough to hurt them.



They could be dying from the shock, or internal trauma. They're very fragile.



PatMac said:


> And just adding to that, short of stopping the dog from being in the back yard there isn't much I can do, since there are so many of the little things running around out there.



You mentioned a cement area in your backyard, would it be hard to fence that area off and keep your dog in there. So he/she's separate from the grass and bushy areas where the skinks would be?

Also, don't feel bad about your dog killing them, or them not surviving. They are very fragile, they die a lot, there's no reason the ones at your house have to be any different. But I do find it admirable that you are trying to help.


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## PatMac (Mar 8, 2010)

It would be possible, but it's far too small to keep a dog in while we're all out of the house.

In any case, thankyou for your help.


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## Sdaji (Mar 8, 2010)

Little skinks aren't going to die of shock if they're physically fine. If they are dying it will be from internal injuries. It's quite possible that the ones you are seeing aren't the ones which you previously released. Unfortunately, if they are being injured, putting them into a fish tank for a few days will only make them die more quickly (outside they have their familiar territory, the ability to thermoregulate, and food - the best you could do would be replicate this, and you're not going to give them better conditions in a 30cm enclosure than they have outside), and although you're unlikely to be caught, it is illegal.


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## PatMac (Mar 8, 2010)

Alright. Thankyou everyone for your help, I've been really impressed with everyone on this forum. I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing, I'll have a closer look at the next one that the dog brings in.
And who knows, my son is desperate for a reptile as a pet, so I might be back sooner or later.


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## OReilly (Mar 10, 2010)

No offence meant here but... As some people said, kids finds skinks all over the place and keep em for a week or so and let them free(or at least till there bored). The days when people just helped other creatures without worrying about politics and being too scared to keep it cause it might be illegal would have been good days. 
The guy, is talking about keeping an animal inside their house for a few days to re-cuperate and stop it from dying like the rest lol, it's barely keeping something as a pet 
If some morning talk show found out about someone copping a hefty fine for keeping a 5cm long little garden skink in there house for a few days to help it out, the media would be all over it saying the laws need to change and have about 4 different experts on the show haha


bluey66 said:


> No you must release them back where they were found in your backyard, its illegal to take in any reptile without a permit, so please do the right thing and release it straight away, for the garden skinks health and wellbeing.
> lf the Department of Sustainability finds out your looking after wild lizards found in your backyard, you may cop a on the spot fine or warning notice from a DSE wildlife officer.


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## dtulip10 (Mar 10, 2010)

OReilly said:


> No offence meant here but... As some people said, kids finds skinks all over the place and keep em for a week or so and let them free(or at least till there bored). The days when people just helped other creatures without worrying about politics and being too scared to keep it cause it might be illegal would have been good days.
> The guy, is talking about keeping an animal inside their house for a few days to re-cuperate and stop it from dying like the rest lol, it's barely keeping something as a pet
> If some morning talk show found out about someone copping a hefty fine for keeping a 5cm long little garden skink in there house for a few days to help it out, the media would be all over it saying the laws need to change and have about 4 different experts on the show haha



totaly agree.
if ya want to keep them you'll need to id them. they are probably lamprapholis delicata, but do some research.

cheers Dayle


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## Beardieboy (Mar 10, 2010)

As has been said, it probably wouldn't be much help to the little guys to keep them inside anyway, they are going to recover best (if at all) out in their own environment that they are used to. 

You said you release them onto your verandah and then find them on the verandah or the concrete, have you tried releasing them into garden beds or other natural grounds instead of your human-made ones? They might have more places to hide and recuperate if you put them into the garden. However, the most likely reason as has been said is internal injuries, in which case there is very little you can do anyway, just try your best. 

Cheers mate, and a final word - lizards are great pets, do your research and be prepared for the cost, but get hooked!!


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## OReilly (Mar 11, 2010)

it is possible, that if the dog is finding them in the backyard and you are putting them in the front yard, it is stressing them out and they don't know where they are and they die of shock and the stress of it all.


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## Sdaji (Mar 11, 2010)

OReilly said:


> it is possible, that if the dog is finding them in the backyard and you are putting them in the front yard, it is stressing them out and they don't know where they are and they die of shock and the stress of it all.



Small skinks don't get freaked out easily. When I was little I caught one, it dropped its tail, I put the lizard and tail into a little enclosure and it got used to captivity quickly enough to eat its own tail before it stopped wriggling. You can't stress a skink out by moving it from one place to another, they just aren't that type of animal. When young I remember catching them in the middle of winter, they were too cold to move, I'd bring them inside, and even in the middle of the night if I warmed them up they would immediately feed. They don't suffer from shock or stress simply due to a change of scenery.


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