Fire skinks ( Mochlus fernandi ), also known as Riopa fernandi, are medium-sized, ground-dwelling lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Native to the tropical forests of central and western Africa, these diurnal insectivores have become increasingly popular as pets due to their striking coloration, manageable size, and relatively easy care requirements.
Fire Skink Overview
Fire skinks are easily recognizable by their glossy, iridescent bronze backs, red and black stripes along their sides, and white and black pinstripes on their stomachs. They possess smooth bodies and short, powerful limbs that allow them to move easily through leaf litter, bark, and dirt. Typically, fire skinks grow to a little over 12 inches in length, with the majority of that being their tail.
In captivity, fire skinks are thought to live between 15 and 20 years. Captive-bred fire skinks are known to make more active and personable pets than their wild-caught counterparts.
Housing
As a ground-dwelling species, fire skinks need an enclosure that is large enough to give them adequate opportunity to explore, hunt, and generally exercise natural behaviors. Considering that a fire skink can grow up to 15 inches long, the minimum recommended enclosure size for housing a single fire skink is 36″L x 18″W x 18″H, otherwise known as a "40 gallon breeder tank" in the hobby. Larger is strongly recommended. Fire skinks are solitary animals, so they’re perfectly happy living alone.
Because they like to burrow, the cage should have at least 4 inches of substrate that will hold a good amount of humidity (the substrate should feel moist to the touch but crumble if you try to make a ball out of it with your hands), but the deeper the better. It’s important that the substrate remain moist in order to facilitate proper shedding and to avoid respiratory issues.
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The enclosure should also be furnished with an abundance of hides in the form of flat pieces of bark, live/fake plants, stones, and/or leaf litter.
Temperature and Lighting
Fire skinks are diurnal, which means that they are primarily active during the day. They have been noted to be particularly active in the morning and late afternoon. To help regulate their day/night cycle, a fire skink’s lights should be left on for 12 hours/day.
Fire skinks are not known to require UV light to metabolize calcium, but most animals benefit from it, so it is worth considering. If you choose not to provide UV for your skink, then it would be wise to provide them with a calcium supplement that includes D3.
Technically fire skinks can survive without UVB lighting as long as they get plenty of supplemented vitamin D3. However, you are still going to get the best results from using UVB lighting rather than relying on supplements.
As a rough estimate, to provide appropriate UVB to a fire skink in an 18” tall enclosure, you will need:
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- 22″ T5 HO Zoo Med Reptisun 5.0 OR Arcadia Forest 6% UVB bulb
- 24″ VE T5 HO Fixture OR Arcadia ProT5 Kit
If the bulb is mounted over mesh, the basking surface should be placed so the bulb is 8-10″ above the skink’s back when basking. The bulb itself should be roughly 1/2 of the enclosure’s length, no more than 2/3. UVB bulbs must be replaced every 12 months in order to remain effective.
Because fire skinks are diurnal, they are likely to benefit from additional illumination in their enclosure beyond just a heat lamp and a UVB lamp - these are quite dim compared to sunlight! Providing extra light can offer benefits such as increased activity, better appetite, and better hormonal (i.e., long-term) health.
In the wild, fire skinks generally warm up by basking in the sun. In captivity, sunlight can be replicated with a white heat lamp.
- Basking temperature: 92-96°F (33-35.5°C)
- Cool zone temperature: 75-85°F (24-29°C)
- Nighttime temperature: 70-75°F (21-24°C)
You will need one or two ~50w halogen heat bulbs for basking, such as the Arcadia Halogen Heat Lamp or the Zoo Med Repti Tuff Halogen bulb in a dimmable dome lamp such as the Fluker’s 5.5″ Dimmable Clamp Lamp.
To track enclosure temperatures, use two digital probe thermometers, with one probe on the basking surface and the other probe on the cool end.
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Humidity
Fire skinks should have average humidity levels between 60-70%. Ambient humidity should be tracked via digital probe hygrometer with the probe placed in the middle of the setup.
To raise the humidity in your enclosure, you can use a pressure sprayer like the Exo Terra Mister to mist the habitat every evening and morning, as well as possibly in the middle of the day. Alternatively, you can install a Mistking automatic misting system. The enclosure should be well ventilated enough to dry out a bit between mistings.
It’s good practice to use a reptile humidifier/fogger at night to help maintain high nightly humidity levels (if you need the help). Make sure to use reverse-osmosis or distilled water, and thoroughly clean out and sanitize the humidifier with veterinary-grade disinfectant like Rescue or F10SC weekly to prevent illness.
Substrate
Substrate is an important part of a fire skink terrarium because this species likes to burrow and hang out in their tunnels. A good substrate also helps maintain optimal humidity levels and creates a natural humid hide. It’s best to use a moisture-retentive substrate that is similar to tropical soil. Here are some reliable options:
- DIY mix: 40% organic topsoil, 40% coconut fiber, 20% fine sand
- Zoo Med Reptisoil
- Zoo Med Eco Earth
- Exo Terra Plantation Soil
You will need 4-6″ of substrate for your skink to dig around in. Feces and urates should be removed daily, and contaminated substrate should be scooped out and replaced. Substrate should be completely replaced every 3-4 months.
Decorations
Decorations play a vital role in your skink’s enclosure as environmental enrichment. Enrichment items encourage exercise, stimulate your pet’s natural instincts, and help promote overall wellbeing, so don’t be afraid to go a little crazy! At bare minimum, you will need at least two hides/”caves” for the skink to use.
Fire Skink Diet: What to Feed Your Skink
Fire Skinks are obligate insectivores, meaning that their diet consists solely of insects. In the wild, fire skinks are omnivorous, meaning they will eat both plant and animal matter.
Juvenile fire skinks should be fed daily to every other day, while full-grown adults should be fed 2x/week. Offer as many insects as the lizard is capable of eating in a 5-minute period, with each feeder being no larger than the animal’s head.
The key to providing a healthy, balanced diet for your pet is variety. Provide as varied of a diet as you possibly can, and you will be rewarded with a healthier pet that always looks forward to mealtime.
Recommended Insects
Any of the insect feeders at the store will be readily taken. To keep your skink happy and healthy, offer it a variety of insect feeders, such as:
- Crickets
- Isopods
- Dubia roaches
- Discoid roaches
- Mealworms and beetles
- Superworms and beetles
- Earthworms
- Hornworms
- Silkworms
Treat options include pinky mice, quail eggs, and berries. However, these should be fed sparingly, if at all.
Supplementation
Feeder insects need to be “dusted” with a light coating of calcium powder before every feeding to balance their calcium-phosphorus ratio, and adding a multivitamin to the routine helps prevent deficiencies from developing.
There are many options, but Repashy CalciumPlus is a solid all-in-one supplement for getting started. For best results, use as directed by the label. We recommend Repashy Calcium Plus LoD, lightly dusted on all of your skink’s feeder insects and organ or muscle meats.
Water
Always keep a small bowl of clean water available for your skink. Fire skinks are generally more of a look-but-don’t-touch display animal rather than a pet that you can handle regularly.
Handling
African Fire skinks can become very accustomed to regular human interaction and can even be hand fed. Many can be handled for short periods of time, but are often fast moving and are a flightier species. Care should therefore be taken to not accidentally drop these animals when handling them. Do not grab your skink by its tail.
If you want to interact with your pet fire skink, one of the best methods is to offer food or treats via soft-tipped feeding tongs.