One of my favorite animals to keep and study are skinks. They are so cute, as well as very interesting. Their speed and climbing abilities make them extremely hard to catch, and their overall brown coloration make them great at camouflaging. All these things make skinks special, and a challenge to catch and study. But with practice, I've learned to catch many skinks over the years, and I hope I can help you catch some too.
Identification:
There are many species of skinks in the United States. These include the Common Five-Lined Skink, the Great Plains Skink, the Little Brown Skink (pictured above,) the Coal Skink, and the Mole Skink. In my backyard, there are Common Five-Lined Skinks, and Little Brown Skinks.
Five-Lined Skinks are the most common. They are medium to large in size, and have long, slim bodies and tails. The females and juveniles (young or baby,) skinks are yellow with five black stripes from their heads to their tails. The adult males are a dull brown or chocolate with with 2-5 black stripes. Young skinks have blue tails, giving them the common name of 'blue-tail skink'.
Little brown skinks are extremely tiny. The adults can reach a max of only five inches long including the tail. They are sandy colored or dull brown with two black stripes on their sides. They are extremely fast and secretive, making them hard to find. Newborn Little brown Skinks are small enough to sit on your thumb!
Finding and Catching:
Depending on how common skinks are in your yard, they may be easy to find, or difficult to find. You may simply see them sitting on a rock or log in the sun, or you may have to dig through the leaf litter to find one. In general, skinks like to hide, so turn over rocks, logs, boards, flower pots, bricks, and anything else laying on the ground. Be prepared to grab as soon as you flip over something, when uncovered, skinks tend to dart away before you can even catch a glimpse of them! It helps to have a jar or net to trap the skink with when you turn something over. Skinks also love to sun-bathe, so look in leaf or rock piles on sunny days. Skinks seem to be most active in the early afternoon, so before or after lunch is a good time to go skinks hunting.
If you watch them enough, you might get to know individual skinks, their habits, and where they hang out. This is useful in catching them, as you can predict when and where they are most active. I've learned that if you see a skink dart into a hole, crack, or cave of some sort, you can place a live-mouse trap near the entrance. Make sure the trap is not meant to kill; you don't want a dead skink.
Try leaving strong-smelling food inside the trap to attract them, (cheese, meat, and bananas have all worked for me.)
If you ever have a chance to grab a skink, be warned! There are two important things you must know before you try this...
1: Never grab a skink by the tail. Skinks have an amazing ability to shed their tails. This means that if you grab the tail, it will probably pop off the skink. The skink is not hurt, and will grow it's tail back, but obviously this is not an effective way to catch a skink!
2: Skinks will bite you. It doesn't hurt, and rarely breaks the skin, but just know ahead of time so you are prepared.
If you locate a skink, you will need patience to catch it. They have good eyesight, and are sensitive to movement; so never just reach out and try to grab it. Instead, move extremely slowly, and try to get within a few feet of it. Carefully inch your hand, a net, or a container closer to the skink. Keep your hand behind it, so it's harder for it to see you. If you move too fast, the skink will dart away. If it's windy outside, it may help to very slowly sway your hand, (or whatever you're using to catch the skink,) as if it's blowing in the wind.
If using a net, try to get it above the skink, and quickly slam it down on top of it. Make sure the edges of the net are pressed close to the ground so the skink can't crawl under them and escape. Also, be careful not to pin the tail to the ground; this may make it fall off. Once caught, slip another net or a piece of cardboard under the net and lift the skink into a cage.
If using a jar, catch the skink as you would with a net. Take extra caution not to pin the tail or head to the ground.
If using your hand, move it slowly till it's directly behind the skink, and quickly grab the skink by the middle. Be prepared; the skink will immediately respond by twisting and squirming, as well as biting. If you can, use your free hand to gently pinch the skink's mouth shut so it can't bite. Quickly put the skink in a cage before it wiggles out of your hand.
Even after all your efforts, most skinks will get away when you try to catch them, (trust me, I know.) But don't give up; skinks are very hard to catch. It takes skill, as well as luck, to get one.
Housing:
Skinks need a medium amount of space in a cage. Glass terrariums (reptile cages) or old fish tanks are the best. Line the bottom of the cage with either moss, pine needles, or dirt. If you use moss or dirt, also line the cage with dead leaves because skinks like to burrow in vegetation.
Set up the cage with lots of rocks, logs, plants, and branches. Make sure the skink has at least two good places to hide when he wants. Add a shallow water dish, and keep it filled with fresh, clean water.
Skinks are very shy, and will spend lots of time hiding. This is normal, and don't ever try to uncover your skink; this will make him stressed. It helps to cover the cage with a towel or blanket for part of the day to give your skink some privacy, and make him feel secure.
Once a day, place your skinks cage in the sunshine to give him some warmth. Make sure though, that he still has shade in his cage, and never leave the cage in the sun for more than an hour or two. If it's a very hot day, don't leave your skink in the sun very long at all; he could die of overheating.
Feeding:
Skinks tend to have a hard time eating in captivity. They usually won't eat if they're stressed, so the best way to get your skink to eat is to enrich his habitat, and not to bother him. Give him lots of hiding places, and thick cover.
In the wild, skinks eat insects, snails, and slugs. Their favorite foods are grubs, caterpillars, worms, beetles, and slugs. In captivity, you can try feeding them any small insects you can find. Make sure not to give them bees, wasps, or poisonous spiders and ants.
Some skinks will eat cat or dog food. If it's dry food, soak it in water to soften it first. Skinks have also been known to like bananas, grapes, cheese, meat, fish, and vegetables.
If your skink won't eat, (they often won't eat in captivity,) then it's probably best to release it. If not, it could die, or suffer from stress and starvation.
Studying:
Skinks are very fascinating. Each skink has a unique personality, and are interesting to watch and study. Try making a journal of your skink's behavior. It may include what your skink did, what it ate, it's favorite places to hide, and it's habits. Make sure to include the time and date.
Releasing:
Skinks usually can't live in captivity for more than a few months. They tend to get stressed and unhappy outside of their natural habitat, and may refuse to eat in a cage. This will cause them to starve, and probably die after several months. This doesn't mean you can't enjoy them in captivity for awhile; just make sure to release them eventually.
If cared for well, skinks make amazing, fun, and fascinating pets. I've had many skinks, and loved each one. Next time you see a skink, take a closer look, and enjoy discovering something new about one of God's amazing little creatures!
