Fire Skink or Jeweled Curly Tail
 

I am trying to decide on my next lizard. I have a tank set that with a few modifications could go towards either species I am considering. I have years of reptile experience and have done my research on both just trying to decide which one to get. Should I get a Fire Skink or Jeweled Curly Tail and why?

Go with the skink. My thought is skinks will be more handleable. Just my 2 cents

Both are really cool lizards. Fireskinks are very hardy and easy to feed, eating earthworms and even a bit of scrambled egg if you run out of feeder insects for some reason.

They live quite a long time [ I got one that was already an adult at a reptile show and he lived for 10 years ] and although they may be squirmy at first they can become quite tame. They don't need very high temps., but they do need substrate to dig under and may spend a lot of time under the coco fiber,spagnum moss or mulch. The substrate has to be kept moist and the skink will try to make burrows if it's deep enough.

But again, they are really hardy + not prone to getting sick very easily, they don't need constant high levels of uvb and are easy to care for.

I have never worked with curly-tails, but I've heard they don't like being handled. Of all the inexpensive WC skinks I've worked with, fire skinks are the best to handle. Of all the inexpensive WC lizards I've worked with in general, I'd rate them #3, behind acanthosaura and certain plated lizards.