Emoia caeruleocauda (Blue-tailed Skink)

Emoia caeruleocauda (Blue-tailed Skink)

Age: 6-10 years
Origin: Southeast Asia
Length: 10-12 Centimeters
This skink species has, as its name already reveals, a blue tail. Furthermore, it has a black body over which horizontal yellow stripes run.

Care
Experience: Novice lizard keeper
Food: Insectivore
Feed adult: 3 times a week
Feed young: Daily
Water bowl: Yes
Water change: Daily

Power supply
Blue-tailed skinks mainly eat animal food, such as crickets, curly flies and buffalo worms. This diet can possibly be supplemented with mealworms or wax moths. The food should be smaller than the Skink's head. Alternate the food, so the Skink gets all the nutrients it needs.

These animals also need extra calcium and vitamins. You can give this by always dusting the food animals with so-called calcium and vitamin preparations for reptiles. Fresh drinking water should always be available.

Water
Water must always be available, you can offer this in a small water bowl, but change the water daily to prevent bacterial accumulations in the water.

Cleaning
It is important to clean the terrarium properly. Therefore remove uneaten food animals every day and remove faeces before feeding the skink again. Replace the bottom material once a month or a few times a year and then immediately clean the rest of the terrarium (including the interior). If you use cleaning products, it is important to rinse everything well after the time. Always wash your hands thoroughly after coming into contact with the animals or the terrarium, as reptiles can transmit salmonella.

Handling
This species is a small and very fast lizard. They generally do not like to be held, although captive bred individuals can be quite docile and will be less stressed. You can get them used to you through interaction in the terrarium, and as an avid hunter they will eventually trust you enough to potentially take food from your hand.

Housing
Minimum size stay for 1 skink: 45x45x60
Day temperature: 25-30 degrees Celsius
Night temperature: 15-25 degrees Celsius
Hours of light: 12 hours a day
Humidity Level: 60-80%
Soil cover: Cocopeat, non-fertilized garden soil, beech chips

Design
The Blue-tailed Skink likes to climb, so also provide plenty of climbing opportunities in the form of living plants, branches or dry reed forests. Sufficient hiding places are also important. A few stones for climbing and sunbathing are also often appreciated.
The enclosure must offer different temperatures. There should be both warmer and colder areas for the animals to choose from. A UV-b lamp must still be hung. In this way, the animals can build up sufficient calcium in their bodies. Without this relief, they can become very ill. Use light bulbs, low-energy light bulbs or possibly daylight lamps and leave the light on twelve hours a day.

Behaviour
Lifestyle: Day active

Character
The blue-tailed skink is an active lizard that likes to climb and bask in its terrarium. Captive-bred animals are calm, while wild-caught skinks tend to be skittish and aggressive. The lizards prefer not to be handled, so they are best as a watch-only species.
As a diurnal species, this animal is most active during the day and sleeps at night. In the wild, the skink spends most of its time hunting for food and hiding from predators.
These skinks are a social species, so you can house several skinks together. However, males are known to exhibit aggressive behavior towards each other. Avoid fighting and biting by housing one male with three or four females, rather than several males.

Points of attention
Several males together can show aggressive behavior towards each other. So never house several men together.

Cost and Purchase
Legislation:-
One-off costs: This includes the costs for accommodation, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. This can cost a few hundred euros to a few thousand euros in total. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the costs for the feed, which is a few tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs are incurred when your Skink happens to fall ill or your equipment breaks down.