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Berber Skink
Plestiodon schneideri
A big, glossy, easygoing skink with a speckled orange-and-cream pattern — the underrated calm tank of a lizard that eats from tongs and barely minds being watched.
14–18 in15–20 years
Habitat
Enclosure
40 gal minimum with deep substrate
Temperature
Basking 95–100°F · ambient 75–85°F
Humidity / Water
40–50%
Heating & lighting
Halogen basking 95–100°F plus overhead UVB. Give 4+ inches of loose substrate to dig in — they burrow when they feel like hiding.
Diet
Feed these
- Crickets
- Dubia roaches
- Superworms
- Occasional fruit and vegetables
Never feed
- Wild-caught insects
- Overfeeding (they get chunky fast)
- Dog food
Insects every other day, dusted. Most take food from tongs and learn to come out when the cage opens.
Cohabitation
Can live with
No one — house this species alone.
Never house with
Other berber skinks — males fight Any different species
One male per enclosure — otherwise a calm, tolerant lizard that learns its keeper's routine fast.
