Ocellated Skink Health Guide

Are you worried that you might have a sick ocellated skink? Do you want to learn about the potential diseases and conditions that may affect your pet? Welcome to ReptiFiles’ general guide for all things pertaining to ocellated skink health.

Signs of a healthy ocellated skink:

• Clear eyes
• Robust, rounded body
• Straight spine and limbs
• Smooth, shiny scales
• Firm, dark poo with a small white urate
• Eats regularly
• Breaths with mouth closed
• Moves freely and easily
• Overall active, alert, and curious
• Resists when held

Signs of a sick ocellated skink:

• Sunken, flat body
• Visible spine
• Rough, dull scales
• Consistently runny feces
• Discolored urate
• Breathes with mouth open
• Lethargic
• Unresponsive or slow to respond
• Uninterested in food

How to monitor your ocellated skink’s health:

In the wild, a sick or weakened reptile is a target for predators, so they have become experts at pretending to be well. They do the same thing as pets. This means that you need be extra diligent in order to notice changes in your skink that may indicate illness.

Because ocellated skinks are so small, the best way to monitor your pet’s health is simply by keeping a record. This can be a notebook, app, or spreadsheet. The important thing is to make observations and take notes. Note your skink’s body condition, feeding habits, defecation, behavior, etc.

It’s best practice to schedule annual wellness check with an experienced reptile veterinarian. Accustoming your skink to moving to a separate container for transportation (as set forth on the Handling page) helps make this regular trip less stressful. ReptiFiles recommends using a small Kritter Keeper or vented plastic box with the sides blacked out for transportation.

Prevention is the best way to combat health problems. Most health issues in reptiles can be traced to something off about their husbandry, so make sure to follow the parameters set forth in this guide.

Disclaimer: I am not a reptile veterinarian nor a reptile health expert. This guide to ocellated skink diseases and general health topics is to be used as a set of guidelines, not professional medical advice. If you have an emergency, call your vet ASAP.