WELCOME TO THE BTS WORLD!
(Beginner lizard)
On this page, we will go over the care of your BTS! I have owned reptiles since I was six years old and have had a deep fascination with skinks. I have had years of researching, reptile-common-sense, and experience to debunk the false care info and put together a care sheet to meet your reptiles’ needs and enrich their lives.
What to consider before purchasing a new buddy:
Enclosure:
Highly terrestrial, so they need more walk space than climb space. 40gal is fine for a baby, but the best next step is getting a 6ftx2ftx2ft once they are a year old. Add a lot of decors because it will be a massive upgrade, but it will be okay.
Substrate(Flooring):
Fir Bark or Cypress kept dry!! Aspen is fine, too, but if it gets wet, it will mold!
Decor:
Have a large water bowl that they can walk in and not tip over on the cold side (reduces bacteria), and you can put a hide on the hot and cold side. Refrain from cardboard. It molds super fast!
Cohabbing isn’t a good idea.
Locality SpecificHumidity & Temps:
(Halmahera:90-100% drop humidity 2 hours a day 68-70° Humidity)
(Indonesian 60-70% Humidity and can drop to 50% a couple of hours at night) (Australian can do anything under 60% but keep it up around 40% at least)
You can pour water into the substrate but ensure it doesn’t have standing water on the floor.
75-80° Cool side 95-110° Hot side Always have a heating pad or basking light on a thermostat.
Handling:
Relatively tame and easy to tame down if any issues just by handling.
Feeding:
They are omnivores and primarily eat berries in the wild. Though you shouldn’t ever feed a baby any of the fruit! As juveniles-Adults, you can feed them blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Feed them minimally pears, bananas, apples, and melons for variety. STAY AWAY from citrus! Also, add to the plate butternut squash, acorn squash, summer squash, spaghetti squash, and hubbard squash. Mulberry leaf, green beans, and prickly pear are also great veggies. OCCASIONALLY broccoli, Brussel sprouts, bell pepper, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, parsnips, sweet potato, spring greens, pumpkin, and turnip. Cut all food up very small to help the skink eat everything. MUST AVOID
avocado, onion, eggplant, rhubarb, buttercups, potatoes, and tulips. Most of their protein must come from insects!
Vitamins:
You can give their food a light dusting of calcium every 3-4 days. If you don’t use a UVB bulb, you must provide them with Vitamin D every 3-4 days. Once a week, a light dusting if you do use UVB.
Cleaning:
Please clean your skinks’ poops & pees once you see them; they can get sick if you don’t! Every six months, deep clean & replace the substrate.