The White Eyed Crocodile Skink is named due to its appearance. Adults are medium-sized, with a brown to light black colouration with a yellow belly.
| Origin | New Guinea |
|---|---|
| Environment | Rain-forest/ Coconut plantations |
| Adult Size | 8-10cm |
| Suitability | Novice |
| Lifespan | 12 Years + |
| Temperament | Docile |
White Eyed Crocodile Skinks look very much like a mini crocodile, however, only reach 8-10cm (3-4 inch). They have stout strong built bodies and legs with four rows of backwards-facing scales along their back that resembles the look of a crocodile. Unlike their relatives, the Red Eyed Crocodile Skink the White Eyed skinks lack the red colouration around their eyes. They are also hardier than their relatives making them a little easier to keep.
Where are White Eyed Crocodile Skinks From?
White Eyed Crocodile Skinks originate from New Guinea and Irian Jaya. They are a ground-dwelling species and can be found living in and around coconut plantations as well as in the rainforests. These areas allow them to camouflage well amongst leaf litter.
Housing White Eyed Crocodile Skinks is relatively easy. They require a minimum of a 3ft enclosure if you’re housing a pair. Males can and will fight so it’s best to keep one male and one female if you want more than one, as multiple females can also dominate one another.
The enclosure will need to be set up natural for these guys for them to really thrive and express natural behaviours. Coconut fibre, moss peat and other tropical mixes can be used for the substrate and live or sphagnum moss can be mixed in with the substrate or piled in one area to help with humidity levels and also aid shedding. Plenty of hides should be used to allow areas of retreat if they feel nervous, these can be natural or more artificial-looking. Cork bark and branches will also allow them the opportunity to climb if they wish too. If you want something a little more extra, leaf litter will give the set up more of a natural look and allow the skinks to hide underneath too. For water, we use a large natural-looking water bowl as we find they will often soak themselves or use the bowl to cool down in. Spraying the enclosure 1-2 times a day is also recommended. Humidity levels should remain around 70-90%, a digital or analogue hydrometer will help you keep an eye on the humidity.
Heating the enclosure is best done via the use of heat bulbs rather than heat mats. If you are using a Glass Terrarium make sure to use an appropriate sized canopy top or hood to hold the lighting (we can always help you with any equipment you are unsure of).
Daytime temperatures for the White Eyed Crocodile Skinks should remain around 22C-26C (71.6-78.8F) with a night time drop around 20C-22C (68-71.6F). It’s always best to connect the heat bulb to a dimming thermostat to help with temperature control and prevent overheating. As the skinks are nocturnal you can use a daylight basking bulb during the day and an infrared bulb for the night so you can still observe them out and about. A digital thermometer is best to check the temperatures of the enclosure as this can be moved around the enclosure to check the readings.
Although some say UVB is not essential for White Eyed Crocodile Skinks due to them being more active at night, we provide a UVB compact bulb or UVB strip light. These bulbs are still beneficial to their health and we recommend using them.
You will find if you try to handle your Crocodile skink they may squeak or let out a little noise, this means they don’t want to be handled and is normal for this species. Ideally, Crocodile skinks do better being more of a display pet rather than a pet to handle, over handling this skink will lead to stress.
When it comes to feeding, White Eyed Crocodile Skinks will eat a variety of live food, however, we do find they’re more likely to eat roaches, mealworms, earthworms and waxworms. The food should also be dusted with a good brand of calcium three times a week as well as a vitamin powder once or twice a week.
