Lychee is a lizard of the species "northern blue tongued skink" which is native to Australia. I got him in August of 2020 and since then he is living with me in the UK. 

As a first time reptile owner it was quite surprising for me how many requirements these little lizards have. I had to build a 4x2x2 ft terrarium, install heating and UV lamps, temperature and humidity thermometers, choose the correct bedding which is not too fine (so that it does not get into his nostrils and mouth) but also not too big (so that he can burrow in it), and the list goes on… 

This made me realise that the lizards and other reptiles and amphibians living in the wild don’t have all these luxuries and a caring owner. On top of that, the environment they evolved to live in has been hugely altered by human activity and shows no signs of returning to normal. 

Therefore, I decided to set up the fundraising page for this wonderful charity ARC, which is committed to conservation of reptiles and amphibians. They take care of habitats with the help of volunteers, participate in changing policies and legislation in favour of endangered species, and many more great things including school and university placements! 

You can support ARC by donating on my fundraising page (100% goes to them), or getting involved as a volunteer! I also recommend to just explore this website as there is a lot of information and resources you might find interesting. 

You can also follow Lychee on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lychee_the_skink 

Lychee The Skink