From G. Storm Cunningham
In his article on animals and alcohol, Martin Brookes makes an erroneous
statement concerning the eating habits of my favourite animals, reptiles. He
says: “All amphibians and reptiles are hard-core carnivores” (27 November, p
44).
Two exceptions come to mind immediately: the marine iguanas of the Galapagos,
which only eat seaweed, and prehensile-tailed (Solomon Island) skinks.
I’ve got a colony of Solomon Island skinks in my home that have been breeding
up a storm for about a decade, are in perfect health, and have never suffered a
fatality (other than one to trauma). No animal protein has ever passed their
lips. I have occasionally experimented with offerings of the sorts of animal
protein that they would be likely to encounter during their arboreal pursuits,
such as eggs and bugs, but neither the original trio caught in the wild nor
those born in captivity showed any interest.
I spoke to a researcher at the University of Florida in Gainesville who had
performed an autopsy on a Solomon Island skink. She said they had double,
ruminant-style stomachs, which would explain their preference for high-cellulose
leaves. They will eat fruits, but grow tired of them quickly. Mine primarily eat
romaine lettuce and kale, sprinkled with “bee pollen” and occasional calcium
powder.
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Arlington, Virginia
