BLUE TAILED SKINK
Mabuya quinquetaeniata
Origin: Africa, North-eastern to South-eastern
Family: Scincidae


Imported specimens often arrive from Ghana, Egypt, Togo, and Nigeria.

This medium sized skink can achieve a total length of 25cm. Mabuya species are all roughly the same looking, cylindrical slender bodies are supported by strong sturdy leg, each foot having five toes. The head is pointed, the tail long and tapered with smooth and glossy scales. Overall these are very slick looks, agile looked lizards. The blue-tailed skink is very attractive a base colour of black sets of five golden lateral stripes tapering to a blue tail.

This skink is a opportunist in the wild living in agricultural land, scrub land, and following human activity even into houses, around human occupation it can be very common.

In captivity the blue-tailed skink adapts well, being fairly tolerant with it’s own species, even with other species it can make for a “community” subject. However caution must be taken when mixing males, and its adviser able to only keep one male per enclosure. The cage can be decorated as you like substrate can be beach chip or orchard bark. This species is terrestrial so height is not important, but in captivity climbing branches and plastic plants will be used. Most skinks bask so this must be provided, a background temperature of 75°F with 80-85°F basking would suite this species well, and UV radiation should be provided. Water can be provided in a shallow dish, a light spray once or twice a week would be appreciated. A most aria should be provided at all times to help with shedding skin.

Food can consist of all suitably sized commercially produced live foods, and hedge sweeping, remember to only collect from areas you are sure pesticides have not been used. Overripe bananas & peaches may be taken.

The reproduction of the species in not well documented but it is an egg layer unlike some other Mabuya species.

Overall this skink can make a wonderful addition to a community vivarium bringing colour and movement, although making a good study species, non-essential handling is not recommended, as with other skink species it can drop its tail.

The following species can be cared for and housed in the same fashion:
White lined skink Mabuya vittata 18-25cm Ovoviviparous
African striped skinks Mabuya striata 18-25cm Ovoviviparous
Blue-throat skinks Mabuya species 18-25cm Egg layer