The Red eye crocodile skink originates from the lush landscape of South East Asia, and they are one of the captivating natives of the forest, hiding among the mossy trees and leafy litter. They have a striking resemblance to the delicate pink tongue skink and to the fiery house of Fire skink. However, their attractive orange red eye rings are what that truly differentiates from other and also add a touch of mystique to interesting personality.
These skinks are very active in the glow of dawn and dusk, engaging themselves in the search of various insects that shows their ability and power of agile hunters. While they face a challenge because of their swift movements, but if handled with care, you can get an opportunity for interacting with these mysterious creatures.
However, the journey to be the owner of the Red eye crocodile skink doesn’t come without challenges. Their adept camouflage and crepuscular nature makes them great companions, as they blend themselves easily in the earthy surrounding. If you are a dedicated enthusiast there are plentiful rewards. From looking at them to swim gracefully and by witnessing their technique of skill hunting, you will get the fascinating glimpse of their wonders right in front of you in your home.
Crocodile Skink Enclosure Requirement
If you are a little curious about the well-being of your crocodile skink than you need to provide them just more than an enclosure. They need a habitat that good enough to accommodate all their needs for hunting, exploration, and expressing of natural behaviors. They have a length that reach up to 8 inches and their need for need for aquatic spaces, these creatures deserve an accommodation that reflect their wild instincts.
In order to give proper space to a single red eyed crocodile skink to grow, expert recommends an enclosure with a length of 24 inches and width of 18 inches or larger than that. When you provide such dimensions for these skinks it gives room to run around, swim in to watery domains and keep their mental and physical well-being.
However, you should keep in mind that the large enclosures are necessity not a luxury, as they mimic their natural habitat to allow them to roam freely. By giving them spacious and properly designed environments you can see them growing with grace and charm.
Reptile Light requirement
Being a nocturnal creature, red eyed skinks become active during the period of darkness, but they still need light during the day time to keep their circadian rhythm going. It is essential to provide them light for 12 hours to mimic a routine of natural cycle.
Technically red eyed skinks can live without reptile UVB lighting if you provide proper amount of vitamin D3 supplements in their diet. However, optimal results can be achieved by adding UVB in their daily routine. When you are providing UVB light the distance between the skink and light should be monitored carefully. By following the recommended distance between the skink and UVB lamp you can make sure that they get the necessary UV light without overexposure.
When you are installing the UVB lights, it’s important to place the bulb almost half of the length of enclosure. Regular maintenance of the UVB bulbs is also necessary and they should be replaced by every 12 months so that they keep providing the effective UVB rays. By managing their need to thrive in the lightning environment you can make sure that they grow well in captivity.
Crocodile Skink Temperature Requirement
In captivity providing them warmth just like the sunlight is essential for the well being of red eye crocodile skinks. Get a white heat lamp to give them the warmth that they experience in the wild. Careful monitoring of temperature is also very important to ensure their health and comfort.
The recommended temperature for the warm zone is 80-82°F and for cool zone is 75-78°F and the night time temperature should be 72-75°F. In order to create a basking spot you need one or two 50 watt bulbs. Dimmable lamps can also be used because they help in adjusting the temperature.
Keep monitoring the warm side temperature because that it should stay in the recommended range. You can do this by placing a digital probe thermometer inside the warm hide. You can also place thermostat that can help in maintain the temperature automatically.
Crocodile Skink Humidity
It is essential to create high humidity environment for the good health of the crocodile skinks. The optimal level of humidity ranges between 70-90%. Proper humidity levels can also be managed by using digital hygrometer. To get the accurate reading place the hygrometer properly on a branch in the middle of the enclosure, best place would be a shaded area where skinks take frequent breaks. This place can give you the actual representation of the overall humidity of the habitat.
To increase the humidity level, a two way approach is used. First way is to place a source of drinking water in the enclosure to increase the humidity and the second way is by misting the enclosure two times in the morning and evening. By performing this task in the dark hours will mimic their natural activity pattern.
If you still needed help in boosting humidity, buy an automatic cool mist humidifier or fogger for nights. These devices are a great source for maintaining optimal humidity levels and creating a comfortable environment for red eyed crocodile skins.
Substrate
Creating an enclosure for red eyed crocodile skink need a good source of substrate to make sure that they thrive in an environment that is good for both the skink and the plant present with in.
Start making it by using a layer of drainage material or clay ball and keep an approximate thickness of 2 inches. Now cover this layer with a solid mesh to prevent soil from infiltrating the drainage layer, this will prevent waterlogging and promote proper drainage of water.
The next step is to start making a soil like mix that mimic the condition of tropical rainforest, and also give essential nutrients for plant and support the eco system. If you make a home mixture it includes 25% peat moss, 25% play sand, and 50% organic topsoil, total around 24 quarts. Then add , sphagnum moss, leaf litter and microfauna in the soil. You can also use premade substrate available with kit but you have to check before which one will work best for your red skink.
Now to make sure that the substrate start functioning, add tropical clean-up crew organism in the form of orange/blue isopods, arid spring tails and dwarf isopods. These nutrients are very beneficial they help in nutrient recycling, decomposition and also maintain health of the soil. You can also add other beneficial species like earthworms, dubia roaches and millipedes to further enhance the effectiveness of ecosystem.
By adding the layers of substrates and by introducing the range of different organism, you can create an environment that helps in promoting a thriving eco system in the enclosure.
Decoration of Crocodile Skink Enclosure
It is also important to create and aesthetically pleasing enclosure that visually appeal everyone and create an enriched environment for your red eyed crocodile skink. These small enhancements improve their quality of life and also engage them in natural behavior.
The crocodile skink is a terrestrial creature so they love to stay in an environment that provides a lot exploration and hiding opportunities. Adding items like caves, small cork hollows, and foliage gives them stimulation to express their natural instincts. Don’t be afraid of cluttering the enclosure, as a lot of hiding spots can help in making your pet feel extra secure and comfortable when they move into the spaces.
Different live plants will also play a role in creating a mini eco system in the enclosure. Adding Moss especially is highly beneficial for the red eyed crocodile skinks, as it not only improve the visual appeal but also improve the overall health of the habitat. Live plants also help in improving the humidity levels, oxygen concentration and provide more hiding and climbing spots for your skinks. These variety of items make sure that crocodile skink live a happy life in captivity.
Diet of Crocodile Skink
The crocodile skinks are insectivores so they will rely on a diet that consists of insects to fulfill their nutritional needs. To make sure that their nutritional needs are met provide them a diet that is rich in different insect species.
The juveniles should be fed daily, while the adults should be fed every other day. Provide a lot of insects in each feeding session for the skink but make sure that they consume in the time of 5 minutes, making sure that they get their nutrition without overfeeding. Its also important to provide feeders of suitable size to prevent the choking hazards.
The key point to keep in mind is the variety in the diet of red eyed crocodile skinks. The different insects that you can add in their diet are; crickets, discoid roaches, dubia roaches, snails, hornworms, black soldier fly, Earthworms, silkworms, meal worms, super worms,
When you provide diversity on the feed of skinks and keep everything interesting and engaging, it will help in growing a healthy crocodile skink in captivity.
Supplements
Indeed, its important to make sure that the insects you feed your red eyed crocodile skinks improve their health. The food you provide to the skinks must be full of nutrients so they meet all of their needs and provide them all the essential minerals and vitamins.
However, gut loading just with insects will not provide all the necessary nutrients. In order to supplement their diet its best to dust the insects with an appropriate amount of supplement powder just before you feed them to your skinks. This will make sure that your pet get all the essential nutrients that are needed for good health.
Always get a supplemet powder that is meant only for feeding reptiles, and lightly coat the insects before you provide them to the red eyed crocodile skinks. These small steps will help in overcoming all the potential nutritional deficiencies in feeding and making sure that your pet will get a balanced and nutritious diet.
Water
Providing access to the clean water is also important to maintain the good health of red eyed crocodile skinks. There must be water dish present for them to soak and it should be large enough that their whole bodies can easily get in it.
Maintain the water dishes regularly to ensure that there must be no bacterial growth in it. The recommendation is to clean the water dishes thoroughly with a proper disinfectant on weekly basis. This will help in easily removing the debris or bacteria and maintain a hygienic environment for the skinks.
Handling
Red-eyed crocodile skinks are those pets that don’t like to be touched a lot. They are more like display animals rather than hands on pet. If you handle them on regular basis it will lead to stress and they show behaviors like playing dead, vocalization or tail dropping.
If you want to interact with your ref eyed skink its important to build trust gradually. When you first brought them home allow 2 weeks to get them adjusted to the new environment before you introduce yourself. During this time focus on the behavior of your skink and give them secure and comfortable habitat.
To make your bond strong, offer them treats or insects using feeding tongs. This will help you engage with them without causing any unnecessary stress. By consistent interaction you can make a bond with your red eyed skinks while respecting their behavior and preferences. Keep in mind that all skinks are unique and some may take more time to interact with others. Always prioritize the comfort and well being of your pet when building trust with them.
Conclusion
The red eyed crocodile skinks have a unique appearance and intriguing nature that captivate the heart of all enthusiasts. By following all the recommendations of their needs you can easily thrive them in captivity. They also give you endless opportunities for exploration and admiration in the realm of exotic pets.