Like all other animals, skinks also make sounds! Actually, skinks mostly make noises from a hiss or blowing out or huffing. Generally skinks are pretty quiet animals but with a little knowledge, you can understand what your pet skink is expressing!
Do Skinks Make Noise?
Unlike some lizards (like the undeniably chatty gecko), skinks are notably quiet animals.
While it’s rare for skinks to vocalize, they do produce some small sounds, either to express discomfort or quite simply because they can! These sounds can be hissing, blowing of the nose, and others.
Once you know what to listen for, it is actually quite easy to identify the sounds and what they mean!
What Kind of Noise Does a Skink Make?
1. A Hiss
When it comes to a skink, you will most likely only hear it make a hissing sound, which can mean a few different things depending on your skink.
If you pay close attention to your skink, you will be able to differentiate the “attitude” behind the hiss, and whether they are truly distressed or just sighing.
Skinks will often hiss if they simply get picked up too quickly, or have been startled in some form or fashion.
And just as a side note, if a skink “hisses” at you, they are feeling threatened and you need to back off!
2. A Nose Blow or Huff
The next most frequent vocalization you’ll hear from a skink is a noise that makes it sound like it is blowing its nose, or huffing.
In most cases this is just a sigh, but if it is quite forceful, it can represent some level of distress or annoyance.
For example, perhaps they want you to stop petting it and to give them some space, or to return to their quiet tank!
Unless you have introduced new bedding that has caused your skink to sneeze or snuffle.
Generally, this is completely normal, unless it is frequent and/or nasal discharge is present.
If either of these conditions is present, it may indicate that your skink needs to visit your veterinary office and be treated with medication because it is sick!
3. Claw Scratches on the Tank
At some point, you may hear the scratch of your skink’s nails on the tank.
It can be very quiet and go unnoticed or straight up scary (think nails on a chalkboard).
It’s normal – and healthy – for your skink to have claws, but you will want to keep them trimmed and well kept.
This will keep them comfortable, as well as help them move around more quietly in the tank.
Other Ways That Skinks Tell You How They Feel
The vast majority of animals convey their understanding of the world to each other using body language and nonverbal cues to some degree.
Skinks are not any different, and there are some clues and cues in their bodies that can tell you about how they’re feeling.
Don’t panic if it takes time to figure things out: it’s completely natural to not know how your skink, or skinks in general, behave initially! Observing skinks in person will give you a better idea over time of normal skink behavior, at least with that skink.
Refusal to Eat/Drink
When a skink is distressed, it may has little appetite or may not eat or drink at all.
If this occurs, you need to do something to lower their stress right away or your skink’s health could be compromised!
Panting/Breathing Heavy
If they are ever in some kind of distress, skinks may also breath rapidly or pant.
This may occur for many reasons, such as agitation, overheating, or fear. If you see your skink panting, you’ll want to make sure everything is ok!
Unusual Food-Seeking Behavior
Alternatively, a distressed skink might comfort itself with food.
This can present in three forms of excessive and/or persistent seeking.
Red Flag: If your skink is exhibiting excess sensitivity around food it may warrant a double check on everything!
Staring Intently
Similar to cats; skinks often fixate on what they are interested in.
They are curious little creatures, and if a skink catches an object with its gaze for long enough, it’s likely that it will go within 6 inches of the object.
Eyes Closed/Postured Relaxed
It’s not too hard to tell when a skink is feeling content.
They’ll stretch, close their eyes, maybe nap, and generally relax!
How to Help Your Skink Relax
If you feel your skink might be stressed, there are a few easy things you can try to help relax them.
First, you need to identify what’s stressing them! If your home has gotten too chaotic, your skink would really love for you to escort them back into their peaceful tank!
Another possibility is that your skink simply does not want to be held. In this case, set them down and wait until they want to be petted again.
Also, make sure they are not around any predatory pets that could be scaring your skink to stress.
Lastly, to comfort and calm your skink, you can also try giving them a little treat or a snack!
Final Words
So, if you were wondering, “Do skinks make noise?” now you know!
They do, but not very loud. Most of the noise you’ll hear will be a hiss or a nose blow, or the scratching of their nails on the tank.
Generally, hisses mean to step away!