# Cunninghams skinks



## morgs202 (Apr 13, 2007)

Just wondering if anyone else here keeps or has kept cunninghams skinks?


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## MrBredli (Apr 13, 2007)

I have.


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## morgs202 (Apr 13, 2007)

cool. just curious, as I have one and have found him to be great (if a little odd at times). Most people seem to dissapprove, but I have him with a beardie. They've been living together for 4 years now and are always basking together and seem to be quite happy.


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## wichita (Apr 13, 2007)

morgs202 said:


> cool. just curious, as I have one and have found him to be great (if a little odd at times). Most people seem to dissapprove, but I have him with a beardie. They've been living together for 4 years now and are always basking together and seem to be quite happy.


Why do people disapprove, if you don't mind me asking?


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## kingdan (Apr 13, 2007)

I Keep Mine With All My Large Lizards And They Never Fight At All. They Are Great To Watch When They Hunt And Forage


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## JasonL (Apr 13, 2007)

that's fine, mine live with a Eastern Bluey, a pair of Pink tongues and sometimes the spare male beardie. I have seen the in the wild laying next to a blotched blue tongue.


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## DA_GRIZ (Apr 13, 2007)

i have cunningham skinks but i am swaping one and selling one for anyone interested. i had mine housed with 2 eastern long neck turtles and 2 eastern blueys one of the blueys would cuddle up with the cunningham


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## morgs202 (Apr 13, 2007)

not everyone disapproves, but I have had people trying to tell me that keeping different species together leads to disease, and that they will always fight. Personally I have always maintained that disease is easily avoidable through quarantining new specimens and maintaining good hygeine in established collections. As for the fighting, I find they get along great to the point where the cunninghams can become quite distressed if away from the beardie for too long. Its almost as though the naturally social nature of cunninghams skinks (with other cunninghams) has led him to treat the beardie as his family. As for their hunting and foraging, I find them so funny to watch! Mine charges around the enclosure flat out chasing crickets and when he catches them usually beats them on something before eating them.


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## wichita (Apr 13, 2007)

Thanks morgs202. I've got a small python - it's great because I don't have a lot of time for looking after it - and they don't need a lot of attention. 

Those lizards sound like such characters though. How much more work are lizards than snakes?


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## MrBredli (Apr 13, 2007)

Mine used to live with a Nobbi Lashtail. They got along very well!


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## JasonL (Apr 13, 2007)

Cunninghams will fight amonst themselves but "generally" leave other non egernia sp alone.


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## morgs202 (Apr 13, 2007)

wichita said:


> Thanks morgs202. I've got a small python - it's great because I don't have a lot of time for looking after it - and they don't need a lot of attention.
> 
> Those lizards sound like such characters though. How much more work are lizards than snakes?


 
No probs. I think cunninghams have the best personality of any skink! The main reason I think lizards are more work then snakes is simply because they tend to need daily feeding, and usually, larger enclosures . They are however very rewarding .


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## morgs202 (Apr 13, 2007)

JasonL said:


> Cunninghams will fight amonst themselves but "generally" leave other non egernia sp alone.


every article i've read has indicated cunninghams are very social with other cunninghams. They tend to live in family groups but non related cunninghams will enter into these groups for mating purposes. I've also read that they wont in-breed and have been known to stay with a single mate for 4 years or more. It was all in Nature Austrlia magazine, although I'll have to take a look and find which no. it was.


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## wichita (Apr 13, 2007)

Thanks for the info


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## JasonL (Apr 13, 2007)

morgs202 said:


> every article i've read has indicated cunninghams are very social with other cunninghams. They tend to live in family groups but non related cunninghams will enter into these groups for mating purposes. I've also read that they wont in-breed and have been known to stay with a single mate for 4 years or more. It was all in Nature Austrlia magazine, although I'll have to take a look and find which no. it was.



Yes, I read that too, they live in tight social groups, and most newcomers are not welcome, though as that survey pointed out, they will accept a new male if needed. Colonies of cunninghams can consist of only a few animals to 30 plus lizards, young males are chased off on becoming sexually reproductive. In captivitiy, it is very, very hard to introduce new blood into a extisting colony without the newbie getting torn apart.


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## morgs202 (Apr 13, 2007)

thats the one. I thought you were meaning they just generally hated each other. Incidentally, I bought mine after he had been rejected by another colony. He had lost his tail and had been severly bitten on the back. He is now completely healed, but is a very battle scarred lizard.


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## JasonL (Apr 13, 2007)

In the Snowy Mountains there are massive colonies on almost every granite outcrop (and there is no shortage of them in the mountains) Most of the adult cunninghams have regrown tails from fighting each other, even in a captive colony there is usually a bit of "infighting" to adjust the social structure.


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## morgs202 (Apr 13, 2007)

Thatd be cool to see. So I take it they can handle lower temps?


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## eladidare (Apr 13, 2007)

im looking for a cunninghams skink for my girlfriend. i think it would be the perfect first reptile for her. i can just never seem to find them.


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## DA_GRIZ (Apr 13, 2007)

eladidare said:


> im looking for a cunninghams skink for my girlfriend. i think it would be the perfect first reptile for her. i can just never seem to find them.


 


i am down south but i have one for sale


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## ryanharvey1993 (Apr 16, 2007)

i do


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## richardsc (Apr 19, 2007)

if there not heaps smaller eg juvie cunninghams with adult beardy there fine together,my cunninghams are in an outdoor pic with water dragons,bluies,long necks and beardeds when its warmer,no probs at all
and they r fine for a first pet but if u want to handle them,get a blue tongue as generally cunninghams dont like handling
my 2 cents


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## richardsc (Apr 19, 2007)

first pet part is for elidare re one for first pet for his girl friend
cheers


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## -Peter (Apr 19, 2007)

eladidare said:


> im looking for a cunninghams skink for my girlfriend. i think it would be the perfect first reptile for her. i can just never seem to find them.


I could be interested, whats your girlfriend like, does she come with any financial assets. Ive had my cunninghams for quite a long time so I would want to get a pretty decent swap.


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## richardsc (Apr 24, 2007)

lol peter,she could be more aggressive than the cunninghams


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## richardsc (Apr 25, 2007)

heres a couple of mine


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