Sandfish Skink — care sheet

Intermediate. Hardy and small, but the needs are specific and a little unusual: a deep bed of clean sand to "swim" in, a genuinely hot basking surface, and a bone-dry cool end. That combination — plus the fact they hide underground most of the day — is why we call them intermediate rather than beginner. Get the desert setup right and they're low-drama.

Insectivore. Staples: crickets, dubia/discoid/red-runner roaches, black soldier fly larvae, small locusts, mealworms, small superworms, darkling beetles. Occasional treats: small hornworms, silkworms, waxworms, butterworms. Keep prey no wider than the skink's head; offer what it eats in ~5 minutes.

Minimum 30 x 12 x 12 in (75 x 30 x 30 cm) — a 20-gallon "long" — for one adult. Better: 36 x 18 x 18 in (90 x 45 x 45 cm / ~40 gallon). Floor space and sand depth matter far more than height. Add at least ~1 sq ft (10 gal) per extra skink if grouping.

Basking surface 130–140°F (54–60°C). Yes, that's hot — it's a surface temp on the sand under the lamp, not air temp. Use an overhead halogen flood on a thermostat/dimmer and confirm with an infrared temp gun.

Cool end 80–90°F (26–32°C). The whole enclosure should offer a real gradient so the skink can dive down and cool off — the sand a couple inches below the surface runs noticeably cooler than the basking spot.

Night drop to about 70–80°F (21–26°C). Turn heat and UVB off at night; a normal cool room usually handles this with no extra night heat.

Yes — they're diurnal desert lizards and benefit from UVB. Ferguson Zone 1: aim for a UV Index of about 1.0–2.0 at the basking surface, leaning to the higher end. A T5 HO tube such as Arcadia Forest 6% or Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 at ~14–20 in, or an Arcadia ShadeDweller 7% at ~8–12 in, works well. Replace UVB bulbs every 12 months. Photoperiod ~12 hours/day (some keepers cycle ~13h summer / ~11h winter).

Low — desert dry, generally under ~50% ambient. Don't spray the whole tank. Instead keep a small shallow water bowl and dampen a lower pocket of sand (e.g. via a buried tube) so the skink can find moisture underground if it wants it.

Deep, clean, fine desert sand — this is the whole point of the species. At least 4–6 in (10–15 cm) so they can burrow and "swim"; deeper is better. Use washed play sand or a low-dust reptile sand (Jurassic Sands, Zoo Med ReptiSand, Exo Terra Desert Sand). Avoid calcium/vitamin "sands," sandblasting sand (free silica), and anything that isn't sand — carpet, coco fiber, and aspen all defeat the purpose.

Lightly dust feeders with a plain calcium powder at nearly every feeding (skip on naturally calcium-rich prey like hornworms/isopods). Add a reptile multivitamin occasionally — err toward too little rather than too much. Extra vitamin D3 usually isn't needed if UVB is correct; a low-D3 calcium is a safe way to top up.

About 6–8 in (15–20 cm) total length, including the short tail. A palm-sized lizard.

Roughly 6–10 years with good care; up to about 10 years is realistic.

See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: Not eating for an extended stretch, or visible weight loss / a thinning tail base — see an exotics vet.; Won't burrow, sits listless on the surface, or is repeatedly exposed and not thermoregulating — a red flag for illness or a setup problem.; Swollen or rubbery jaw, tremors, or trouble moving the limbs — possible metabolic bone disease; get UVB/calcium checked and see a vet.; Retained shed (especially around toes or the tail tip) that could constrict circulation.; Runny or bubbly nose, open-mouth breathing, or wheezing — possible respiratory infection, often from too much damp; see a vet.; Any deep wound or persistent swelling from a cage-mate fight — separate the animals and have injuries assessed..