{"product_id":"spiny-tail-water-skink","title":"Spiny Tail Water Skink","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eCommon Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bacon's Spiny Tail Water Skink\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScientific Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eTropidophorus baconi\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSource:\u003c\/strong\u003e WC\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAdult Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e Approximately 15–20cm total length\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e Borneo (Malaysia and Indonesia)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEnclosure:\u003c\/strong\u003e A minimum \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/viperia.co.uk\/products\/60x45x45cm-2ft-pvc-vivarium\" style=\"color:#1a73e8;text-decoration:underline;\"\u003e60×45×45cm Viperia PVC vivarium\u003c\/a\u003e for a single adult; pairs or trios benefit from stepping up to a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/viperia.co.uk\/products\/90x45x45cm-3ft-pvc-vivarium\" style=\"color:#1a73e8;text-decoration:underline;\"\u003e90×45×45cm Viperia PVC vivarium\u003c\/a\u003e. Furnish with a deep moisture-retaining substrate such as a coconut fibre and sphagnum moss mix, multiple secure hides at both the warm and cool ends, flat cork bark pieces for basking and shelter, and a shallow water dish large enough for the animal to partially submerge — these skinks are closely associated with water in the wild and appreciate the option.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeating:\u003c\/strong\u003e Aim for a warm basking spot of around 28–30°C, a cool end ambient of 22–24°C, and allow night-time temperatures to drop naturally to around 20–22°C. A low-wattage basking lamp or ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat is recommended to maintain safe, stable temperatures.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHumidity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Keep ambient humidity high — ideally 75–90% — reflecting the humid tropical forest conditions of their native Borneo. Achieve this by misting the enclosure once or twice daily, using a deep moisture-retaining substrate, and ensuring good (but not excessive) ventilation to prevent stagnant, damp conditions that can encourage bacterial growth.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUVB:\u003c\/strong\u003e A 6% UVB tube run along most of the vivarium's width, positioned so the animal can bask approximately 15–20cm from the lamp. While \u003cem\u003eTropidophorus\u003c\/em\u003e skinks are semi-secretive and spend time in shaded, riparian (streamside) microhabitats, access to moderate UVB supports vitamin D₃ synthesis and long-term bone health — it should not be omitted.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDiet:\u003c\/strong\u003e Primarily insectivorous (insect-eating) in the wild. Offer a varied diet of appropriately sized live invertebrates — crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms, and waxworms as an occasional treat — dusted with a quality calcium and multivitamin supplement. Feed juveniles daily and adults every two to three days. Some individuals may also accept small earthworms, which can be a particularly useful food item given this species' affinity for moist, riparian environments.\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eABOUT THIS SPECIES\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBacon's Spiny Tail Water Skink is a secretive and fascinating semi-aquatic lizard native to the rainforests of Borneo, where it is typically found close to cool, clear streams and rocky, moss-covered banks. Its most striking feature is the row of keeled, spiny scales running along its tail — a distinctive characteristic shared across the \u003cem\u003eTropidophorus\u003c\/em\u003e genus — combined with rich, earthy brown patterning that makes it beautifully cryptic (camouflaged) in its natural habitat. Rarely encountered in the UK hobby, it represents a genuinely unusual and rewarding species for the curious keeper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese skinks suit an intermediate-level keeper who has experience maintaining high-humidity enclosures and is happy to work with a species that is more of a display and observation animal than a hands-on pet. They can be shy and benefit from a well-planted, heavily furnished vivarium where they feel secure enough to go about their natural behaviours — a well set-up enclosure will reward patience with glimpses of a truly captivating little lizard.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viperia UK","offers":[{"title":"Unsexed","offer_id":54783666618705,"sku":"spiny-tail-water-skink - 001","price":79.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1077\/6952\/8657\/files\/Tropidophorus-Baconi_1.jpg?v=1788427881","url":"https:\/\/viperiareptiles.co.uk\/products\/spiny-tail-water-skink","provider":"Viperia Reptiles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}