Fire Skink Tank

You may have guessed from the name, but the Fire Skink is known best for its incredibly bold red colouring. Typically found in Western Africa, they love the forestry, wooded and leafy floors. 

Growing in popularity, the fire skink is known for its calmness and idleness – especially when being handled and make a great pet for the novice reptile owner. They are easy to care for and make a great addition to your family.

So, what kind of tank do you need and how can you best care for them?

When considering how to house a Fire Skink, you need to think about how you can most amply replicate their natural habitat. That includes keeping the enclosure at high humidity and temperature with lots of vegetation and food. 

And where to put all this?

The enclosure should either be constructed from glass or acrylic – however, you will need enough room for it to move around. Fire Skinks can naturally feel threatened rather easily, and so we recommend lots of vegetation within the glass or acrylic tank so that your Skink can hide and feel safe. 

With all the room available for your Fire Skink to move around it, it is important to note that 3 different temperature areas will be required around the tank. This includes the hottest part of the enclosure which should be turned up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, a middle-temperature area that should be slightly lower at 84 degrees Fahrenheit and take up the majority of the space, and finally a lower temperature side at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. 

For those with a higher budget, the Exo Terra Glass Terrarium is a great addition that will ensure the space and comfortability of your reptile. 

The glass on this enclosure allows for great humidity retention and allows for UVB and Infrared penetration through the top of the enclosure. 

Best bits:

• Ventilation
• Water-Proof
• Inlets for wires

However, if you’re looking for a more affordable option, consider the Vivexotic Repti-Home Vivarium. 

Best bits:

• Flat Packed
• Easy to assemble
• High quality
• Value for money

Whichever option you go for, whether the ones we’ve recommended or not, ensure that the absolute smallest option you go for is 36x12x12.

Benefits of Glass or Acrylic

Acrylic tends to cost a lot less than glass to heat. Simply, one of the reasons for this is that it weighs much less and can insulate heat much better. Moreover, acrylic tanks are a single piece of material there is less likelihood of leaks or anything escaping through the tiny gaps in welding. However, they are slightly more expensive and that could mean fewer accessories and treats for your pet. 

Glass can be much stronger. As long as you’re not drilling your enclosure, it is less likely to shatter, break or scratch – giving you ease of mind. The only drawback of a glass enclosure is the fact that it looks and feels very boxy. You can’t have curved surfaces like you can with the acrylic enclosure. 

So, the choice is up to you. Both have benefits but also drawbacks. Regardless, you need to keep your budget in mind. Whilst glass may be cheaper upfront, the cost of heating may be more than that of acrylic. Yet, both are just as good as each other. 

If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about African Fire Skink Enclosure