There are many species of skinks that can actually make great pets even for beginners. They are known for being one the best lizards to handle, and easy to tame. In Australia, wild skinks are very common and well known for wandering in people’s backyards giving them the name “garden skinks”.
These reptiles can grow up to 30 inches long and their bodies are very much like a snake “yet” they have short little legs giving them the appearance of part lizard and part snake. But what if you were going to handle one? The first thing you want to know is do skinks have teeth right?
Well, the short answer is Yes skinks do have teeth, They have approximately 40 small teeth that are fused to their jaw-bone, however, because they are very small this makes it hard to see with the naked eye.
Even tho skinks have teeth they don’t tend to chew food, what they’ll do is use their small teeth to tear apart their prey first, and then they will swallow the food whole in small manageable pieces.
Do Baby Skinks Have Teeth?
So as you know lizards reproduce by laying eggs and this is where their young will develop inside the egg until they are ready to hatch. Once they hatch each skink must be completely independent and able to hunt and eat.
Skinks eggs are incubated for at least 35 days before they hatch, however, there are three-toed skink eggs that hatch in as few as five days after being laid.
Once they hatch baby skinks will have teeth that develop more over time as they grow. This is so they can basically hunt and eat their food from the moment they hatch.
However, like adult skinks, because these tiny teeth are so small you won’t be able to see them with the naked eye but because they are small this doesn’t mean weak teeth.
In fact, considering the size of the baby skinks teeth they are very strong.
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Do Skinks Teeth Fall Out?
From the day the skink hatches they will have the same teeth throughout their life. Although they will grow in size their teeth are actually fused to their jaw bone and because of this, they cannot fall out.
“But” with that said, if the skinks were to get into a fight or they try to rip apart food that’s too though then there is that chance their teeth could break off.
However, if you have a pet skink it’s very hard to tell if they’ve lost any teeth. Even if you try looking for the teeth in their aquarium the tooth will be so small you have a hard time finding it.
Reason’s Why The skinks teeth Are Missing
- Fighting other skinks
- Biting Hard Objects
- Health Conditions
If you notice that your pet skink is having a hard time eating food your best option would be to pay a visit to your local vet or lizard shop and they can take a look at your reptile and can advise you further.
Also, you may want to consider feeding your pet skink food that’s much softer and cut into manageable pieces so it’s less chewing for your reptile.
Are Skinks Teeth Sharp?
Although skinks teeth are very small they are still very sharp and can easily slice through smaller prey and if you have a pet skink your probably wondering what if they bite you right?
Well, the good news is skink are very docile, even in the wild, and will rarely bite humans if you were to pick them up. Still, there is that small chance if they are in distress they could bite.
However, because the human skin is quite tough it’s unlikely that they will pierce the skin “but” it may hurt slightly if they would bite the end of your little pinky say.
So their teeth won’t necessarily pierce human skin “but” they will have no problems chewing small insects. As before, the skink has approximately 40 raiser sharp teeth that act like a saw when they chew.
Just remember if you have a pet skink not to feed them food that is too hard because even tho their teeth are very sharp they can still break if the reptile bite down on something that’s too hard for them the chew.
How To Care For Their Teeth?
The best way to care for your pet reptiles teeth is mainly with their food and as mentioned skinks typically lose their teeth by biting down on hard objects.
Although their teeth are strong for eating insects there have been cases where some reptiles will bite down on a tree branch or on the cage itself which can cause their teeth to snap.
Flighting with other skinks is also another common cause of tooth lose.
Using glass aquariums are the best living quarters for your reptile this can help avoid them from biting down on the metal bars that you get in the cage designs.
Making sure your feeding them the correct food is also another way to avoid tooth loss, for example, crickets that are large tend to have a harder shell so this is something you need to keep in mind when feeding them live insects.
By taking these simple measures mentioned above can help avoid your pet skink losing their teeth making them much happier and healthier.
Conclusion
So now you know that a skink does indeed have teeth. But with that said they still make great pets even for beginners and are known for being one the best lizards to handle.
If you are considering getting a pet skink your best option would be to visit your local pet shop and handle one first and see how you get on.
The pet shop can also advise you on what is the best food to feed the skink especially in their young. Feeding your skink the correct food is very important as they require a balanced diet to still healthy.
If you don’t have any pet shops close by you can purchase food for your reptile online. One shop we highly recommend is chewy.com there you can find all kinds of food to suit your reptile.
