The African fire skink is Mochlus fernandi, a skink recorded from West and Central Africa. This is an identification and natural-history profile: it helps you use the current name and evaluate a source, but it is not a substitute for a species-specific husbandry plan.
At a glance
- Current scientific name: Mochlus fernandi
- Common name: African fire skink
- Family: Scincidae
- Recorded range: West and Central Africa
- Reproduction: Oviparous, meaning egg-laying
Why the scientific name is useful
Common names are useful starting points, but they are not a dependable identification system on their own. They can be shared by several animals, applied differently in different places, or carried forward after a scientific classification changes. The name Mochlus fernandi gives readers a precise term to search in a current taxonomy source.
Older references may use a previous combination or another historical label. That does not automatically mean the animal is a different species. It means the reference should be read in context and checked against a current taxonomic record. The Reptile Database entry for Mochlus fernandi is a useful first stop because it connects the accepted name, synonyms, classification, and reported distribution in one record.
What this profile can tell you
The profile establishes that the African fire skink belongs to the skink family and is associated with West and Central African records. It also gives the correct search term for checking a listing, a field guide, or a specialist reference. Those are meaningful foundations: a care article that begins with the wrong species can sound confident while describing the wrong animal.
Distribution is context, not a care recipe. It can help explain why geographic origin appears in a profile, but it does not by itself establish a suitable enclosure, temperature, humidity, lighting, diet, or health plan for an individual animal. Those choices need current, species-specific guidance and a clear understanding of the animal’s source and condition.
A practical research check
- Match the common name to the italicized scientific name, not just a product label.
- Check that a source is current and identifies the exact species it discusses.
- Keep historical names as search clues, but verify how a current reference treats them.
- Separate identification facts from care instructions; each should have an appropriate source.
- For an animal you already have, take persistent welfare concerns to a qualified reptile veterinarian rather than using an identification profile to diagnose a problem.
What this page does not cover
We have intentionally not turned a name-and-range reference into a generic care sheet. Specific husbandry requirements, feeding schedules, supplements, treatment, and breeding decisions require up-to-date specialist sources and professional advice where appropriate. Starting with the correct name makes that next research step much more reliable.
That approach also makes later updates easier to trust. If a new reference changes a synonym, range detail, or classification, the page can be reviewed against one clear species identity instead of silently mixing several labels. Readers can use that same habit with any unfamiliar animal: establish the name first, then decide which questions need a deeper, current answer.
Reference: The Reptile Database — Mochlus fernandi.