Sandswimmer - Sandswimmer

Captive Husbandry and Breeding of Sand-Swimmers Eremiascincus richardsoni and E. fasciolatus.
Robert Porter.

Captive Maintenance
A pair of lizards can be adequately maintained in an enclosure around 60x30x30cm in size. A glass aquarium is ideal and because these animals cannot climb glass a lid is not necessary unless it is important to keep hungry cats or other animals out. Being crepuscular in their activity, sandswimmers do not have a need for high temperatures for basking. A low wattage desk lamp or under-tank heat pad situated at one end of the enclosure is ideal and a hot spot of around 30C is sufficient. The heat source should be turned off or down at night. The other end of the enclosure should not exceed 28C for long periods although the species is fairly hardy and will withstand temperatures in the low to mid 30’s for short periods of time. No ultraviolet light source is necessary.

Furnishings in the tank can be very simple. It is possible to maintain these lizards with just a 5cm layer of fine sand covering the floor of the enclosure and nothing else. However, it is preferable to provide three or four retreats for each pair to ensure they can avoid each other if necessary. These retreats can be upturned plant pot saucers with an entry notch cut in one side or pieces of bark if a more naturalistic look is preferred. Rocks should be avoided to ensure lizards are not crushed beneath them although it is a good idea to place one flat rock directly above or below the heat source, as this will retain the heat for a period of time after the heat has been turned off and will provide a useful thermoregulation site for the lizards. Place the rock directly on the floor of the enclosure rather than on the sand, as this will restrict lizards trying to burrow beneath it. If a more aesthetically pleasing enclosure is the aim then the addition of arid-type decorations such as dead wood and even succulent plants are possible as these lizards are very low maintenance and are not particularly destructive or disruptive in their normal activity patterns. Ensure that one corner of the enclosure is maintained with permanently moist substrate and ideally this should have a refuge placed over it. This area is critical for healthy skin shedding; otherwise the lizards may retain old skin around the toes that will eventually restrict the circulation to such an extent that digits may actually be lost. Add a small water bowl in one corner and the captive environment is complete.

Diet/Feeding
Food is another aspect of their husbandry that offers no challenge as sandswimmers will tackle almost any insect that is small enough to fit in their fairly substantial mouths. In fact they will tackle items of prey considerably larger than their head size, which may cause problems unless it is a soft-bodied morsel that the skinks can easily tear apart. Commercially available insects such as crickets and cockroaches, wax worms and mealworms are all good food items though the latter should be used sparingly. Dust items with a good quality calcium/multivitamin powder once per week, more frequently for growing juveniles and gravid females. Watch the animals carefully when offering food as they can become so excited that they rapidly vibrate the tips of their tails, an action which a cage mate may mistake for the wriggling of a tasty meal and resulting in the loss of part or all of the tail. Any lost tails will regenerate but not to the same length and colour of the original. Food should be offered twice a week to adults and 3-4 times per week for juveniles during the warmer parts of the year and perhaps once every 10-14 days during cooler periods.

Conclusion
Sandswimmers make an interesting and attractive captive subject and their undemanding requirements make them an ideal subject for someone just beginning in the hobby. They will rapidly settle into their enclosure and soon become accustomed to their keeper learning in very short time to respond to the introduction of food and will quickly gain the confidence to accept food from fingers. Their inquisitive personality will endear both novice and experienced reptile keepers and I am sure many will enjoy these little characters as welcome additions to their collections.