Croc skinks are insectivores that will search the ground for insects to hunt. Although not intended for pets, croc skinks should not be handled regularly and will quickly escape if grabbed by humans or pets. Select the best crocodile skink for sale.
Substrates that work best include earthy/dirt mixes with moss, as these give your snake room to roam freely while providing enough water to soak into their bodies. Misting 2-3 times daily helps maintain humidity levels in their enclosure.
Substrate
Crocodile skinks are insectivores; they hunt insects such as grubs and worms for sustenance in the wild. As such, they should not be fed plant-based foods in captivity either. Instead, they should receive an all-insect diet consisting of dubia roaches, silkworms, crickets, and possibly other insects such as hornworms and waxworms as their staple sources.
Crocodile skinks require a damp substrate, such as cypress mulch, New Zealand sphagnum moss, and soil mixed, for optimal conditions. This mixture helps increase humidity while permitting their lizards to dig and burrow freely, controlling odors and preventing mold growth.
Misting systems or reptile foggers are ideal for maintaining an appropriate moisture balance in a terrarium; this will maintain humidity levels between 70-80%. Furthermore, placing a water dish within its enclosure is ideal; ensure it provides enough depth that lizards can walk on it without submerging themselves while at the same time remaining shallow enough for soaking purposes. To provide fresh, clean water at all times.
Usually, two thermometers should be utilized within an enclosure to monitor and maintain an ideal temperature range for your crocodile skink. One should be placed in the more excellent end, while another near its source should provide heat during basking sessions. Maintaining such ideal temperatures will aid proper shedding and health in your terrarium environment.
As with any captive animal, breeding your crocodile skinks is often preferable to purchasing them from pet stores or online sellers. By breeding, you can ensure they are being raised correctly and will have the highest likelihood of thriving in captivity. Furthermore, breeding guarantees purebred specimens without parasites or diseases that could spread to other reptiles or pets in your home.
Lighting
Red-eyed crocodile skinks have become highly sought-after pet reptiles thanks to their armored scales and strikingly similar appearance. Although these beautiful creatures make excellent display animals, they require dedicated owners who can provide adequate care.
Crocodile skinks are insectivores and should be fed a diet consisting of various live insects such as dubia roaches, crickets, silkworms, mealworms, and calci worms – be sure to dust all these options with multivitamin and calcium supplements for optimal health! Juveniles should be fed daily, while adults should receive feedings twice weekly.
These animals may not be used to the bright lighting conditions in an average terrarium environment, so a low-wattage heat lamp should be placed on the cool side and monitored using a digital thermometer. Basking areas should remain at approximately 85 F while cooling zone temperatures can drop to 72-78 F during daytime hours and even further to 68 F overnight.
Crocodile skinks require at least 90% high humidity for optimal living conditions. A moist substrate such as Cypress mulch, sphagnum moss, or soil is recommended, and regular misting helps maintain these levels. A comprehensive water dish must also be provided, and fresh spring water or reptile-safe water must always be readily available. Adding a fogger may further boost humidity while increasing visual appeal in their habitat.
Crepuscular in nature, these lizards tend to be most active at dawn and dusk. While some keepers believe this species doesn’t require UVB lighting since they don’t seek direct sunlight, we still recommend providing this lamp. Hence, your crocodile skink receives adequate vitamin D3 levels to thrive.
Crocodile skink lizards may be domesticated, but they do not like being handled and should never be picked up or held. Taking causes them great distress, leading them to vocalize, vomit, or play dead to scare away threats; if this fails, they may sever their tail to escape their predator.
Temperature
Red-eyed crocodile skinks have become an increasingly popular reptile species due to their distinct appearance and minimal maintenance requirements. With their distinctive bodies, long legs, and decorative bright reddish-orange scales circling their eyes, this unique species is commonly found in forests, rivers, and streams throughout its native range. However, their ideal habitat often lies near water.
Captive seahorses require a large aquarium or tank (55 gallons is best) to reside. However, large plastic bins with screen tops also work as housing solutions. Your pet’s terrarium should provide ample room for movement and hide from predators – the more significant its tank size, the more relaxed your aquatic friend will become, making caretaking simpler for both of you!
These animals are predominantly insectivores, meaning they feed on insects such as crickets, cockroaches, locusts, earthworms, and calci worms. A daily snack of live prey items will ensure your skin stays healthy and content. Most owners opt for using an automatic feeder such as the Hopper Feeder, which conveniently drops live food directly into their pet’s enclosure – this allows owners to monitor appetite easily without accidentally overfeeding their pets.
Your crocodile skink will benefit from high humidity conditions that can be achieved through proper substrate selection (e.g., soil mixes and mosses), significant water sources, misting systems, and general humidity monitoring. Humidity should ideally range between 80-95% to replicate natural conditions for your crocodile skink.
Although some care enthusiasts for crocodile skinks advise against using UVB lights in a terrarium environment, we strongly encourage adding them to help combat respiratory infections and metabolic bone disease. UVB bulbs should be set on a 12-hour light cycle to give your pet a more natural setting.
As part of a healthy, hygienic environment for your pet, daily spot cleaning of their habitat should include removing any waste products (poop/urates/fur) and wall-cleaning and cage wall polishing. Once every month, sanitization should occur to guarantee their well-being and ensure an ideal living experience.
Water
Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks are unique pet lizards in that they are crepuscular (active in the evening) and capable of climbing, swimming, and handling with extreme caution. When approached, they often show stress-induced behaviors, including shedding, vomiting, and tail-wagging; handling should only ever be undertaken when necessary and with great caution as excessive handling has been one of the primary causes of health issues for reptiles; in fact, stressed snakes are more prone to parasites and disease transmission than healthier counterparts.
As they are insectivores, providing your crocodile skink with an appropriate diet is crucial to their welfare and well-being. Offering your croc the proper mix of insects will ensure they receive all the essential vitamins and minerals they require for living a happy and healthy life. When feeding insects gut-loaded before being gut-loaded by you, every two days, dust them lightly with calcium powder powder for added benefits. Feed your adult crocodile skink regularly to reduce stress levels while helping avoid overfeeding; offer them three or four vitamin-dusted crickets, roaches, or mealworms per 48 hours for maximum benefits!
Crocodile skinks require not only rich substrate and temperature regulation but high humidity levels as well. Their ideal environment should contain 80-90% moisture levels – using a digital hygrometer helps keep this level consistently at 80-90%. Misting their enclosure several times daily or placing half a piece of plexiglass over half of their tank top will help raise the humidity to this range and provide fresh air and light at the same time.
An ample water dish should always allow your lizard to submerge themselves fully. Furthermore, regular changes and cleaning are needed as dirty water may lead to bacteria growth that could make them sick.
Adding hiding spots and low-lying foliage will provide your crocodile skink with security and comfort in its home and encourage exploration and movement more freely. It may also help facilitate breeding efforts as they require active environments to spawn successfully.
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