← Full Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink guide
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Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink — care sheet
Tribolonotus gracilis · Intermediate
| Adult size | 6–8 in (16–20 cm) — small and stout |
|---|---|
| Lifespan | Up to about 10 years with good care |
| Enclosure | Minimum 24×18×18 in (60×45×45 cm) for one, densely planted with lots of cover and leaf litter, PLUS a larger-than-usual water area it can climb into and soak. They are shy and semi-fossorial, so hides and clutter matter enormously. Best kept singly or as a single male–female pair — males will fight. |
| Basking / warm zone | A gentle warm hide / basking area of 80–82°F (27–28°C) from a low-wattage bulb — this is a cool-running forest species, not a hot basker, so it must not overheat. |
| Cool side | Cool zone 75–78°F (24–26°C). |
| Night | Night 72–75°F (22–24°C) — a mild drop is fine. |
| UVB & lighting | UVB isn’t strictly required (they’re nocturnal) but is beneficial: a low-output T5 bulb (Arcadia ShadeDweller) giving UVI 1.0–2.0 at the top of the enclosure. If you skip UVB you MUST supplement vitamin D3 — UVB is the better route. Replace the bulb yearly. |
| Humidity | HIGH and moisture-dependent — 70–80% by day, rising to 80–100% at night. Mist morning and evening (and often midday), run a fogger at night, and keep a deep moist substrate. This is the single biggest difference from an arid skink: kept dry, a crocodile skink dehydrates and does poorly. |
| Substrate | A moisture-retentive, burrowable mix (a bioactive-style soil/coco blend) at least 2–4 in deep, topped with leaf litter and cork for cover. It holds the humidity and gives them somewhere to hide and dig, which lowers stress. |
| Diet | Insectivore — a varied menu of appropriately-sized insects (crickets, dubia/discoid roaches, black soldier fly larvae, silkworms, earthworms, the occasional canned snail), each feeder roughly half the width of the skink’s head. Juveniles daily; adults every other day, offering as much as they’ll eat in about 5 minutes. |
| Supplements | Dust feeder insects with calcium at every feeding, and add a multivitamin on a rotation. Calcium + D3 matters especially if you provide little or no UVB. Always keep a bowl of clean water available too. |
Before you buy
- A humid, densely-planted 24×18×18 in (or larger) tank with lots of cover and a soaking water area.
- A misting/fogging routine to hold 70–80% day / 80–100% night humidity — this is a moisture-dependent species.
- Acceptance that it’s look-don’t-touch, and that most are wild-caught (budget for quarantine and a vet fecal).
- A varied insect supply with calcium/vitamin dusting, and an exotics/reptile vet who sees small lizards.
See a reptile vet if…
- Sunken eyes, wrinkled skin, or lethargy (dehydration — usually from humidity kept too low).
- A rubbery jaw, bowed or wavy limbs, or tremors (signs pointing to metabolic bone disease / too little calcium or UVB).
- Open-mouth breathing, mucus, or wheezing (possible respiratory infection — often from being kept too cool or damp-stale).
- Poor weight, or abnormal/worm-visible droppings in a new import (parasites — very common in wild-caught skinks).
- A female straining and off her food (egg-binding), retained stuck shed, or any tissue protruding from the vent (prolapse).
Never
- Never keep it dry like a desert skink — it needs high humidity and a soaking water area.
- Never handle it for fun — it stresses badly, vocalises, plays dead, and may drop its tail.
- Never let it overheat — it’s a cool forest species; keep the warm spot around 80–82°F.
- Never house two males together — they fight; keep it singly or as a single male–female pair.
- Never skip calcium/vitamin supplementation, especially if you provide little UVB.
Common red-eyed crocodile skink questions
How hard are Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks to keep — are they good for beginners?
Intermediate. A tiny "living dragon" — and nothing like the hardy, arid blue-tongue. It needs high humidity, cooler temperatures, a water area to soak in, and lots of cover, and it is a shy, look-don't-touch display animal that stresses easily. Add that most are wild-caught, and it earns its Intermediate rating.
What do Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks eat?
Insectivore — a varied menu of appropriately-sized insects (crickets, dubia/discoid roaches, black soldier fly larvae, silkworms, earthworms, the occasional canned snail), each feeder roughly half the width of the skink’s head. Juveniles daily; adults every other day, offering as much as they’ll eat in about 5 minutes.
How big an enclosure do Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks need?
Minimum 24×18×18 in (60×45×45 cm) for one, densely planted with lots of cover and leaf litter, PLUS a larger-than-usual water area it can climb into and soak. They are shy and semi-fossorial, so hides and clutter matter enormously. Best kept singly or as a single male–female pair — males will fight.
What basking temperature do Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks need?
A gentle warm hide / basking area of 80–82°F (27–28°C) from a low-wattage bulb — this is a cool-running forest species, not a hot basker, so it must not overheat.
What should the cool side be for Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks?
Cool zone 75–78°F (24–26°C).
What night-time temperature do Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks need?
Night 72–75°F (22–24°C) — a mild drop is fine.
What UVB and lighting do Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks need?
UVB isn’t strictly required (they’re nocturnal) but is beneficial: a low-output T5 bulb (Arcadia ShadeDweller) giving UVI 1.0–2.0 at the top of the enclosure. If you skip UVB you MUST supplement vitamin D3 — UVB is the better route. Replace the bulb yearly.
What humidity do Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks need?
HIGH and moisture-dependent — 70–80% by day, rising to 80–100% at night. Mist morning and evening (and often midday), run a fogger at night, and keep a deep moist substrate. This is the single biggest difference from an arid skink: kept dry, a crocodile skink dehydrates and does poorly.
What substrate do Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks need?
A moisture-retentive, burrowable mix (a bioactive-style soil/coco blend) at least 2–4 in deep, topped with leaf litter and cork for cover. It holds the humidity and gives them somewhere to hide and dig, which lowers stress.
What supplements do Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks need?
Dust feeder insects with calcium at every feeding, and add a multivitamin on a rotation. Calcium + D3 matters especially if you provide little or no UVB. Always keep a bowl of clean water available too.
How big do Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks get?
6–8 in (16–20 cm) — small and stout
How long do Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks live?
Up to about 10 years with good care
What are the signs Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks are sick or need a vet?
See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: Sunken eyes, wrinkled skin, or lethargy (dehydration — usually from humidity kept too low).; A rubbery jaw, bowed or wavy limbs, or tremors (signs pointing to metabolic bone disease / too little calcium or UVB).; Open-mouth breathing, mucus, or wheezing (possible respiratory infection — often from being kept too cool or damp-stale).; Poor weight, or abnormal/worm-visible droppings in a new import (parasites — very common in wild-caught skinks).; A female straining and off her food (egg-binding), retained stuck shed, or any tissue protruding from the vent (prolapse)..
Sources: ReptiFiles — Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink Care Sheet · Hartdegen, Russell & Young (2001), “Vocalization of the crocodile skink (Tribolonotus gracilis) and evidence of parental care” · Baines et al. (2016), “How much UVB does my reptile need? The UV-Tool” · Association of Reptilian & Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) · Merck Veterinary Manual — reptiles. Written and fact-checked by The Baskden Team — kind, general guidance, not a diagnosisand not a substitute for an exotics vet. baskden.com