# Fire Skink (*Mochlus fernandi*) Fire Skinks are beautiful lizards with bright orange and black stripes! They love to hide in the leaves and rocks. - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Tropical forests - **Also known as:** African Fire Skink, Lepidothyris fernandi, Red Skink ![Fire Skink](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425774/objects/5686.jpg) ## Appearance The Fire Skink has a dazzling display of color with a bright red or orange head and flanks, contrasting sharply with a black mid-body stripe. Its back is a glossy, iridescent brown, and a distinct white line runs along its side, making it highly conspicuous. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Squamata - **Order:** Lacertilia - **Family:** Scincidae - **Genus:** Mochlus ## Interesting facts - Despite their flashy colors, they can be surprisingly hard to spot in their leafy forest homes. - Fire Skinks often live under logs or rocks, hiding from predators and hunting for food! - Their shiny scales help them slide easily through tight spaces like tunnels in the dirt. - When threatened, Fire Skinks might puff up their bodies to look bigger and scarier! ## Special abilities - **Quick Tail Escape:** Fire Skink can drop its tail if grabbed, distracting predators while it flees to safety and later regrows a new one. - **Burrowing Power:** Fire Skink has smooth, glossy scales that help it burrow swiftly through leaf litter and loose soil to hide or hunt. - **Regenerative Body Part:** Fire Skink can regrow a lost tail, allowing it to recover from encounters with predators without permanent harm. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 30-38 cm - **Weight:** 0.1-0.25 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-15 years - **Speed:** 8 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 5-9 - **Incubation:** 40-60 days ## Diet & Feeding These colorful skinks are hunters, mostly munching on tasty insects and other small critters found on the forest floor. - **Primary Foods:** Crickets, Grasshoppers, Earthworms, Slugs, Spiders, Small Snails - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Black-necked Spitting Cobra (*Naja nigricollis*) — A predator of skinks in their African habitat. - **Hunts:** [Field Cricket](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-cricket) (*Gryllus campestris*) — A common insect prey for the Fire Skink. - **Hunts:** Common Earthworm (*Lumbricus terrestris*) — Often dug up and consumed by the skink. - **Eaten by:** Brown Snake Eagle (*Circaetus cinereus*) — This bird of prey hunts reptiles, including skinks. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Rainforest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rainforest): This habitat trait refers to species found in tropical rainforests, characterized by high annual rainfall, high biodiversity, and dense tree cover. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles) - [Reptiles & Amphibians](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles-and-amphibians) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Look but don’t touch. Keep a safe distance and wash hands after exploring. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Fire Skink? Compare toes, scales, head shape, crests and tail proportions. Many lizards can drop and regrow their tails, so a short tail isn't always a species trait. Lizard Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Fire Skink? 30-38 cm ### How much does Fire Skink weigh? 0.1-0.25 kg ### How long does Fire Skink live? 10-15 years ### How fast can Fire Skink move? 8 km/h ### What does Fire Skink eat? These colorful skinks are hunters, mostly munching on tasty insects and other small critters found on the forest floor. ### Where is Fire Skink usually found? Tropical forests ### How does Fire Skink hunt? Foraging ## More Reptiles - [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*) - [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) - [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) - [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*) --- Source: [Fire Skink: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fire-skink)