The Red Eyed Crocodile Skink is one of the most unique looking reptiles in the hobby with their dragon like appearance. They are a small lizard that is relatively easy to care for.
They are native to South-East Asia and can be found in places such as Indonesia and New Guinea.
Red Eyed Crocodile Skink Description
The Red Eyed Crocodile Skink is a small species of lizard that grows to less than 20cm, although half of this length is taken up by the tail. This is small in comparison to many other species of lizard found within their range.
These lizards get their name from their appearance. While their actual eyes are not red, they have very distinctive red scales around their eyes and their skin has an armor like appearance similar to that of a crocodile. These ‘armored’ scales are dark brown while they have a creamy underbelly.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Red Eyed Crocodile Skink is native to New Guinea and parts of Indonesia where they live in the humid, tropical forests of the region. They have also adapted to live around human settlements where food is plentiful.
There are many other common reptile species found in New Guinea including the Bismarck Ringed Python, the Boelen’s Python, the Green Tree Python, the Viper Boa and the White Lipped Python.
These lizards like humid environments and are usually found near bodies of water. They spend most of their time among the debris on the forest floor where they are protected against predators.
These lizards can climb and will spend a lot of time on low lying logs and branches. While they can climb, they are not an arboreal species and will not be found high up in the tree canopies.
Red Eyed Crocodile Skink Housing
One or two Red Eyed Crocodile Skinks can be comfortably housed in a 2ft long enclosure but the longer the better. They are a terrestrial lizard, so floor space is more important than height. Most people choose to house these skinks in a glass vivarium which suits them well. However, they will do well in other types of enclosures also.
One thing to keep in mind when housing these lizards is that they require high humidity. Maintaining high humidity is probably the most difficult aspect of Red Eyed Crocodile Skink care. These lizards do well with humidity levels between 60-80%.
A water Bowl should be available at all times and this should be changed regularly to ensure bacteria doesn’t build up in the water. These lizards will appreciate a large water bowl that they can sit in, but the water should be shallow to ensure the lizard doesn’t drown.
Light and Heat
Red Eyed Crocodile Skinks do well at temperatures between 75F (23oC) and 80F (26oC). If the room your lizard is in remains between these temperature ranges, there is no need to provide artificial heat. However, if your room is colder than this artificial heat is required.
There is much debate around the topic of keeping lizards at ‘room temperature’ as they may not be able to thermo regulate correctly. However, if you include a damp hide or a large water bowl in their enclosure, it may allow the lizard to cool its body temperature by a couple of degrees.
You can provide artificial heat to your lizard using a heat mat or overhead heat bulb. Whatever heat source you choose ensure it is connected to a high quality thermostat to ensure temperature is correctly maintained.
Red Eyed Crocodile Skink Substrate
As a Red Eyed Crocodile Skink requires high humidity, you should choose a substrate that will hold humidity well without moulding. There are many substrates that fall under this category. Cypress Mulch, Coco Fibre and Sphagnum moss are just some of the readily available substrates that will help hold humidity levels.
Some people choose to use more basic substrates such as newspaper and paper towel as they are easier to keep clean. However, if you choose to use these substrates, extra care must be taken to ensure the lizards humidity requirements are met.
The most common option here is to include a moist hide in their enclosure. This can be as simple as a lunch box with a hole cut in the top. You can place a damp substrate inside the lunchbox such as sphagnum moss.
Feeding a Red Eyed Crocodile Skink
The Red Eyed Crocodile Skink is an insectivore and will not eat fruit or vegetable like other popular pet lizards such as the Bearded Dragon. You must be willing to feed your lizard live insects and deal with escapees if you want to own a Red Eyed Crocodile Skink.
You should feed these lizards a varied diet of Crickets, Dubia Roaches, Mealworms and other feeder insects. A varied diet will provide the best nutrient balance for your reptile. The insects must be alive as your skink will not eat dead insects.
Juveniles can be fed about three appropriately sized insects a day while adults can be fed three insects every second day. It is important to gut load the insects prior to feeding them to your Skink. They should also be dusted with a vitamin/mineral supplement prior to feeding.
Handling a Red Eyed Crocodile Skink
Red Eyed Crocodile Skinks are generally shy animals and do not like to be held too often. Infrequent handling every couple of days should not cause too much distress to the animal. Handling sessions should be kept relatively short and care should be taken while handling.
Like all animals there are exceptions and some skinks will love time out of their cage to explore and get a bit of exercise. If they get spooked, they often freeze or even play dead. This is a defensive mechanism designed to confuse a potential predator.
The Red Eyed Crocodile Skink has the ability to ‘speak’ when they are stressed or scared. This vocalisation will allow you to know that the lizard is uncomfortable, and it may be time to put it back in its enclosure. These lizards rarely bite but care still needs to be taken when handling, for the lizard’s sake rather than yours.
Breeding Red Eyed Crocodile Skinks
A Red Eyed Crocodile Skink reaches sexual maturity at around a year old. They are relatively easy to breed and will often successfully mate just by placing an adult male and female in a tank together. It is important to ensure your breeding group has enough space, so cage size is important here.
Also ensure there is enough hiding places in the enclosure for the lizards to feel secure. Hides can range from ceramic reptile hides to cork bark and leaf litter. These hides should be large enough for both lizards to fit into.
The Red Eyed Crocodile Skink is not a very prolific breeder and only produces one egg at a time. They will only lay every 2 months or so. The egg can be left in the lay box or removed and incubated separately.
Incubation time is roughly 70 days and temperatures should be kept as close to 80F as possible. When the hatchling emerges from the egg, it is typically 2-3 inches long and can be fed small crickets and mealworms after a few days.
Hatchlings should be kept separate to adults. High humidity is important for the young Skinks. Many people choose to house juveniles in plastic storage boxes until they are established. Just be sure to include adequate ventilation holes. Once the Skink is a few months old, they can be transferred to an adult sized enclosure.
