Eric Smith 
Petey the skink, who was reported stolen last week from Lexington pet shop, was recovered Tuesday when an unidentified couple tried to leave Petey outside Scott County Animal Care & Control.
Animal control workers were able to delay the couple until they could be apprehended by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office It is illegal to abandon an animal in Kentucky, which includes leaving them at an animal care facility without filling out surrender forms.
Petey was reported stolen from Most Valuable Pets, a pet store in Beaumont Center in Lexington, the night of Saturday Mar. 19, according to WKYT.
A worker from Most Valuable Pets picked Petey up from Animal Care and Control Tuesday and he has been safely returned to the pet store.
Skinks are a type of lizard that can be found in the wild all over the world, including the United States, although monkey-tailed skinks, like Petey, are not native to North America. They are found most commonly in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Monkey-tailed skinks are herbivores and require a diet of fruits, greens, and vegetables. In captivity they need a large tank, humid environment, and regular exposure to UVB light for proper calcium uptake. Monkey-tailed skinks are one of the largest and most long-lived skinks.
Matt Cracraft, Sales & Inventory Manager for Most Valuable Pets, said that Petey is back at the store and doing well. Petey has been moved to a new, more secure cage with a lock and will remain at the store as a pet, said Cracraft. Most Valuable Pets had Petey for about eight months prior to the skink-napping. Petey is easy to handle and a “pretty relaxed and chill lizard”, said Cracraft.
At this time no definitive motive has been established for Petey’s theft or return, but Cracaft speculated that he may have been stolen for his value, around $800. Commercially available monkey-tailed skinks are typically bred in captivity and unlike many other reptiles usually only have single births.
No word yet on whether charges will be filed against the unidentified couple.
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