Venomous or Poisonous? The Truth About Skinks

Tame Australian Blue Tongue Skink (Photo by fieldofvision on Adobe Stock)

If you’ve ever considered adding skinks to your animal family, you might have come across sites that caution against keeping these reptiles as pets, pointing to their potentially lethal bite. Yet, skinks are sold at every pet store in the country and seem to be a really popular pet, especially with little kids. So, I began to wonder, is it really true? Are skinks actually that venomous? I figured it would be an easy question to answer with a little bit of research, although I was unprepared for the amount of unsubstantiated “skink toxicity facts” I had to wade through to get at the truth.

So, bottom line, are skinks venomous or poisonous? The simple truth is that skinks are not toxic to humans, cats, or dogs, and they are perfectly safe to handle. However, if your other animal companions somehow manage to eat your skink, they might end up with some serious health issues.

What Is a Skink?

The first thing I wanted to get clear when I started my research was what exactly a skink is. A skink is essentially a small lizard from the family Scincidae, which encompasses over a thousand different species of skinks from all over the world. While there is some variation in size, most skinks, especially the species that are commonly sold in pet stores, tend to be smaller, typically between 8 and 12 inches long.

Skinks generally have short, stubby arms and legs, a long tail, and prefer to spend their time burrowed in the sand or under a pile of leaves. Some of the more popular varieties of skinks sold at pet stores include

• Blue-tailed skink, (also called a five-lined skink because of the stripes that run along its body)

• Blue tongue skink

• Snake-eyed skink

• Emerald tree skink

• Red-eyed crocodile skink

• Fire skink

• Great Desert skink

• Sand skink

Why Do People Think Skinks Are Dangerous?

Pacific Blue-Tailed Skink (Photo by dwi on Adobe Stock)

The idea that skinks are dangerous is based on the fact that, in nature, many brightly colored animals are venomous – their bright coloring is meant to serve as a warning signal to would-be predators. While this is true for many reptilian species, it is not remotely true when it comes to skinks. Unfortunately, the rumors persist, and many websites promote the myth that skinks are dangerously venomous. Take, for example, the docile and diminutive five-lined skink, which for decades has been subject to false accusations of virulent toxicity solely due to its vibrantly colored blue tail.

In fact, the common consensus among vets and biologists is that skinks are absolutely not venomous, nor are they poisonous if ingested. Most skinks do not even have blue tails, and like the vast majority of lizard species, the tail simply acts as a decoy to predators. When a skink is grabbed by the tail, it detaches easily from the rest of the body, and the skink escapes, eventually growing a new tail.

Are Skinks Poisonous to Cats?

So now that I know it’s perfectly safe to keep a pet skink, my next question is about my other animals. My cats are born hunters, and a skink would be tempting prey. I looked into it, and the short answer is that skinks are not inherently poisonous to cats if ingested. But they can get pretty sick from eating one.

If your cat manages to catch and eat your pet skink, it might show the following symptoms:

• Nausea and vomiting – a nauseated cat will often salivate and lick its lips continuously

• Depressed appetite

• Bloated stomach

• Diarrhea with mucus present in the stool

• High fever

• Lower energy levels and increased lethargy

• General discomfort, which might be indicated by persistent vocalization

If left untreated, your cat might also show signs of further disease progression, which could be indicators of systemic organ failure. These include

• Significant weight loss over a relatively short period of time

• Inability to stand up unaided, even to eat or use the litter box

• Impaired liver function leading to jaundice, indicated by a yellow tint in the eyes

If your cat shows any of these signs and your skink is nowhere to be found, it’s a fair bet they’ve eaten your skink and are suffering from the effects of liver fluke contamination. Liver flukes are a type of intestinal parasite that skinks can pick up from eating creatures like land snails.

Some skinks also carry the Salmonella bacteria which can cause illness in cats as well. The common symptoms of Salmonella poisoning in cats include many of the same symptoms seen with liver fluke infestation, including vomiting and diarrhea. If you suspect your cat has become ill after eating a skink, you should get them to your vet immediately.

Are Skinks Poisonous to Dogs?

Orange and blue skink (Pixabay)

In general, skinks are not poisonous to dogs and, unfortunate as it might be for the lizard, eating a small skink shouldn’t do your dog any real or lasting harm. Unlike cats, dogs cannot get sick from the liver flukes that some skinks carry. However, they can get sick from Salmonella poisoning if your skink is carrying the Salmonella bacteria.

A dog that has developed Salmonella poisoning from eating a skink will show symptoms of gastric distress, including

• Soft, runny stools or diarrhea

• Bloody stools

• Vomiting and nausea

• Loss of appetite

• High fever

• Lethargy and a depressed mood

If you suspect your dog has Salmonella poisoning, it’s important to get them treated right away, as Salmonella poisoning can lead to pronounced weight loss and, in extreme cases, death.

What Is the Best Type of Skink to Get?

As I was researching skinks, I realized that there is a great deal of variety among skink lizards. So how do you decide which is the best option for your family? The bottom line is that all skinks are pretty easy to care for as long as you provide them with an appropriate habitat and clean food and water. The difference between various skink species lies mainly in their appearance and, to some degree, their diet.

Below is a table that lists some of the more popular skink species and their various dietary habits.

Type of Skink	Description	Habitat	Preferred Diet	Notes
Blue-tailed skink (Five-lined skink)	Very small, between five and eight inches long. Distinctive long blue tail.	Prefers a sandy environment with a lot of room to hide and a light, porous substrate material they can burrow into. Minimum tank size should be 10 gallons.	This type of skink is mainly an insectivore and prefers small cockroaches, crickets, spiders, mealworms and wax worms. Requires a twice-weekly calcium and mineral supplement	The blue-tailed skink is beautiful and distinctive, but it does not like to be handled very much and prefers to spend its time hiding and burrowing, so it might not make a great pet.
Blue tongue skink	One of the largest of the skink species, with beige or tan skin and a blue tongue. Adults can grow up to 24 inches.	Needs a large tank, at least 20 gallons, that is a minimum of 4 feet long and 2 feet high, with a porous substrate like wood shavings or newspaper, and den-like areas where it can hide. Each male skink needs its own tank, as they can be aggressively territorial.	The blue tongue skink is an omnivore and needs a diet comprised primarily of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, leafy greens, and flowers. They also need meat in smaller amounts, like crickets, mealworms, rodents, and cooked or raw meat.	Blue tongue skinks generally acclimate well to humans and make great companions, especially if they are raised from hatchlings. They are easy to handle, and they enjoy the company of their human owners outside their tanks.
Fire Skink	Bright orange in color with black peripheral markings and a long tail. Grows to be about 15 inches long.	Needs at least a 20-gallon tank with a relatively thick layer of porous substrate, including a top layer of leaf litter that it can burrow into. Ornamental tree branches and dens are also recommended. Requires a moist, humid environment to thrive.	The fire skink is omnivorous and requires a steady diet of insects like crickets, worms, snails, and locusts. They will accept fruit and vegetables, but their preferred diet is insects, so they need to be fed a calcium and mineral supplement regularly.	Fire skinks are burrowers and prefer to spend their time hiding. However, if they are raised from hatchlings, they can become accustomed to human company and take well to being handled. Mating pairs will require a larger tank.
Emerald tree skink	A beautiful bright green tree skink with a long tail, smooth scales and a pale green underbelly. Adults grow to be about 2 feet long.	Unlike most other skinks, the emerald skink is a tree climber. It needs a large terrarium habitat with live plants and vegetation it can climb such as orchids, ferns, and grapevine. You can also put in ornamental trees with bare branches. Needs to live in a high-humidity environment.	Emerald tree skinks are primarily insectivores and require a diet made up mainly of spiders, crickets, land snails, small frogs, and mealworms. You can provide them with some fresh fruit and calcium-heavy greens like kale, but they will need calcium and mineral supplements.	Emerald tree skinks are a relative newcomer to the world of pet skinks and are considered an exotic pet, so the price for one of these skinks can be pretty steep. They are also quite social compared to other skink species and do better in captivity when they live in pairs.
Snake-eyed skink	Snake-eyed skinks are generally bronze or brown in color and have very small legs, so they look and move more like a small snake. There are about 10 known subspecies of this skink.	Adults grow to be about 6 inches long, so a 10-gallon tank will do at a minimum. Snake-eyed skinks tend to live in hilly areas so the best habitat for them will include a thick layer of leaf litter, rocks and ornamental dens to hide in.	Like most skinks, the snake-eyed skink is an opportunistic insectivore and requires a diet of spiders, crickets, land snails, and mollusks as well as a mineral supplement. You can also provide your snake-eyed skink with small quantities of fresh plant matter, although their diet is primarily insect-based.	Snake-eyed skinks are very active at night, but spend their days out on rocks taking in the sun. You should provide your snake-eyed skink with a warming lamp, either in their tank or very close to it. Snake-eyed skinks only live about 3 or 4 years and do well in pairs.
Red-eyed crocodile skink	This dark reddish-brown skink has an almost dragon-like appearance, with tough, spiny scales running down the length of its body, and red rings around its eyes.	Red-eyed crocodile skinks grow to be about 10 inches long, so a 10-gallon tank will suffice, but a 20-gallon tank would be better. These skinks actually enjoy being around water, so you will need to provide them with shallow bathing ponds as well as a thick substrate of leaf litter, den areas, and climbing branches.	Red-eyed crocodile skinks are primarily insectivores, so you should feed them a mixed diet of crickets, beetles, mealworms, spiders, and even earthworms. Mineral and calcium supplements are a must for these skinks. You can also feed them a multivitamin supplement once or twice a week.	Red-eyed crocodile skinks prefer a moist, humid environment, so you should set up a misting system with a warming lamp in their habitat. These skinks are very territorial and aggressive, so they do better in individual habitats, but they do acclimate well to human contact if raised from hatchlings.

The Great Desert Skink and the Sand Skink also appear frequently on lists of the most popular pet skinks to own, and some pet shops do sell them. However, it is important to note that both these skinks are on the endangered and protected species lists, so it’s probably best to leave the ownership and care of these skink species to conservation specialists.

Debunking the Toxic Skink Myth

Despite the myths, skinks are neither poisonous nor venomous and pose no threat to humans, cats, or dogs through casual contact. While pets may become ill if they eat a skink due to parasites or bacteria, the lizards themselves are not toxic. With proper care, the right habitat, and a balanced diet, skinks can make unique, low-maintenance, and rewarding pets. Understanding the truth behind the rumors not only helps protect these reptiles but also allows pet owners to make informed, responsible choices when adding one of these fascinating creatures to their family.