what do skinks eat

Skinks are mostly insect-eaters, but many species are omnivores that also eat fruits, vegetables, and occasionally small animals like pinkie mice or other lizards. Pet skinks are often fed a mix of live insects, greens, vegetables, fruits, and sometimes high‑quality canned dog food or commercial skink diets.

Wild skinks: main diet

Wild skinks are opportunistic feeders that eat whatever small prey or plant matter is easy to catch or find.

• Core foods: crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, moths, spiders, caterpillars, roaches, and other insects.
• Other animal prey: earthworms, slugs, snails, millipedes, small lizards, and very small mammals like mice if they can catch them.

• Plant matter: soft fruits (berries, mango, figs, papaya), tender leaves, flowers, and weeds like dandelion.

Pet skinks: common foods

Captive skinks (especially blue‑tongued skinks) do best on a varied omnivorous diet.

• Protein sources: crickets, roaches, mealworms, superworms, hornworms, pinkie mice (occasional), cooked lean meats, some high‑quality canned dog food.

• Vegetables/greens: dandelion greens, mustard/turnip greens, kale in moderation, squash, carrots, peas, green beans, other chopped mixed veg.

• Fruits (as treats): berries, mango, cantaloupe, banana, blueberries and similar sugary fruits in small amounts.

• Extras some keepers use: commercial skink diets, grub‑based gels, and occasional boiled egg as a rich treat.

Simple feeding guidelines

A practical way to think about “what do skinks eat” is as a balance of animal protein and plant matter, depending on species and age.

• Many blue‑tongued skinks: roughly 50–60% animal protein, 30–40% vegetables/greens, 10% or less fruit by volume for adults.

• Younger, growing skinks: higher proportion of insects and other protein, with greens still offered at most meals.

• Always avoid wild-caught bugs from sprayed yards, and skip toxic foods (onion, avocado, chocolate, processed salty foods).

Tiny FAQ: “what do skinks eat” at a glance

• Everyday staples: varied insects plus chopped leafy greens and vegetables.

• Safe treats: small portions of fruit, boiled egg, or fattier worms like hornworms and superworms.

• Rare/occasional: pinkie mice or other vertebrate prey, mainly for larger omnivorous skink species.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.