Kenyan Zebra Skinks, known for their striking appearance and relatively easy care, are a popular choice for reptile enthusiasts. This comprehensive guide provides detailed information on how to properly care for these fascinating creatures, covering everything from enclosure setup to breeding and health considerations.
Enclosure Setup
Setting up the right enclosure is crucial for the health and well-being of your Kenyan Zebra Skink. Here's how we set up our Zebra skinks:
* Enclosure Size: While specific dimensions aren't mentioned, ensure the enclosure provides adequate space for the skinks to move around and establish territories.* Bioactive Substrate: I like to keep my enclosures bioactive. Just about any tropical to semi arid substrate will do fine. This can be as complex or simple as you like.* Plants: I like to place a large plant here. Pothos, philodendron, and dracaena are my top choices.* Hides: UVB gradient is provided by shade and multiple hide locations. I provide lots of clutter for the babies to hide in and have their own space.* Temperature Gradient: The side opposite the basking will be the cooler/wet side. Basking should be accomplished by placing a dome fixture on the side of the enclosure designated to be the warm/dry side.Lighting and Heating
Proper lighting and heating are essential for maintaining the health of Kenyan Zebra Skinks.
* UVB Lighting: T5HO 5.0 or 6% UVB across the top. It is preferred to have 3/4 or more of the width of the top spanned with a UVB bulb and fixture. Proper UVB and diet is a must.* Basking Spot: I often use multiple 20w halogen pucks in a cluster or a BR30 65w incandescent FLOOD bulbs for basking to achieve a 100-120F basking spot.* Photoperiod: Lights can be on a 12hr photo period or set to a circadian rhythm. This can be done with several of the wifi timers now on the market.How to Setup a Bioactive Enclosure (Two Ways!)
Feeding
Feeding Zebra skinks is a non complicated affair as they will generally take anything offered.
* Diet: 1/4” crickets that have been gut loaded and vitamin/pollen dusted are often taken within a day or two of hatching.* Supplementation: Gut-loaded and vitamin/pollen-dusted insects are essential for providing the necessary nutrients, especially for young skinks.Breeding
Breeding Kenyan Zebra Skinks can be a rewarding experience. Here's what you need to know:
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* Communal Housing: Ive heard many times that Kenyan Zebra Skinks are communal.* Breeding Season: My pairs are kept together year round and they seem to stop producing for a few months in cold season.* Gestation: Gestation is believed to be just less than three months.* Clutch Size: Starting in April, up to three clutches of 6-11 babies are born per year but more often two clutches.* Post-Hatchling Care: Once out, they are ready to take on the world. Babies are removed from the adults enclosure within a couple days and housed together as a clutch and setup identically to the parents. Babies are separated by size into additional enclosures after about a month to keep aggression at a minimum.* Growth Rate: Baby skinks grow incredibly fast.Sexing
Sexing Zebra skinks at a young age is extremely difficult as there is no discernible dimorphism until they are close to maturity.
- Adult Male: They develop black faces, and orange/reddish flanks. The once dark horizontal banding turns to a burnt orange color.
- Adult Female: They keep their juvenile banding.
Health Considerations
Maintaining a clean and healthy environment is crucial for preventing health issues in Kenyan Zebra Skinks. As allergy sufferers we saw an improvement in our own quality of life when we started using air purifiers in our home.
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