Diet's effects on coloration

[maximumbuttitude]

Had one of those weird ideas you come up with in the shower today: has research been done on how diet affects a Tiliqua's color, or intensity of color?

I had the idea from how certain foods eaten long-term can cause human skin color changes (carrots => skin yellowing). Any of you lovely lot and your skinker squads have observations or tales on the subject?

[donkeybuff]

I don't think there have been formal studies done on it, but it is definitely observable that good diet/husbandry will produce better colored skinks. I noticed that my indo is much brighter and glossier when the humidity is higher. I haven't personally seen how diet can change the color, but skinks that come from bad situations usually color up immensely after good diet/husbandry.

[Dakota]

I think when you feed too many veggies to a growing baby gigas, it will give it raised/thick scales (kindly like a shingleback) making the "shine" vanish, creating a duller color by appearance.. when their face/body should be completely smooth and shiny.

From what I noticed. And also, not only diet.. but good care.

[Lauriek]

It takes an awful lot of carrots to change skin colour noticeably. An awful lot. Don't think I could eat that many Many lizards are able to change colour - chameleons, for example. Some can change colour when breeding. I suspect skink patterns and colour is more related to genetics than diet.