The Emerald Tree Skink (Lampropholis elegans) is a beautiful, inquisitive lizard found in warm and humid climates throughout much of Southeast Asia. While they are not commonly kept as pets, Emerald Tree Skinks make interesting additions to any reptile collection. This care sheet will provide you with everything you need to know about housing, feeding, and keeping your Emerald Tree Skink healthy.
What is Emerald Tree Skink?
Emerald Tree Skink (Hemidactylus auratus) is a small skink that can be found in the rainforest regions of eastern and southeastern Australia.
These skinks are often kept as pets, but they can also be found in captivity. Emerald Tree Skinks are terrestrial and eat insects, spiders, and other small creatures.
How do I care for my Emerald Tree Skink?
The Emerald Tree Skink is a common pet lizard and can be kept in a variety of setups including tanks, terrariums, or even as free-roaming lizards. The key to keeping this skink healthy and happy is providing appropriate housing and care. Here are some tips on how to care for an Emerald Tree Skink:
* Provide a warm, dry environment with plenty of hiding places.
* A basking spot should be provided where the skink can get warm and bright light.
* Feed them a diet that includes fresh vegetables, fruits, and insects.
* Keep the enclosure clean and free of debris.
* Monitor the skink's water and food intake and provide fresh water as needed.
* Provide a moderate amount of UV light to help keep the skink healthy.
* Handle the skink gently and be sure to wear gloves when handling them so they don't get scared.
* Be sure to introduce the skink to other animals slowly so they don't get stressed.
* Emerald Tree Skinks can live up to 10 years in captivity.
Background
The Emerald Tree Skink is a native of eastern Australia. It is a small, slender lizard that can grow up to 2 inches in length.
This skink is a nocturnal animal that prefers to live in humid areas. It feeds on insects, spiders, and other small creatures. Emerald Tree Skinks are easy to keep and require minimal care.
Feeding and Breeding
Emerald tree skinks are omnivorous, eating a variety of insects, small mammals, and other invertebrates. They will also eat plants, but do not consume large amounts of them. They will typically eat once or twice a day.
The Emerald tree skink is a diurnal species that spends the majority of its time hunting and foraging for food. They are ambush predators and will wait until their prey is within striking distance before attacking. When feeding, they will often use their tongue to capture prey items.
To keep your Emerald tree skink healthy and happy, provide them with a variety of insects, small mammals, and other invertebrates as their main diet. Be sure to provide them with plenty of hiding places so they can rest and digest their food.
Health and Safety
The Emerald Tree Skink (Eumeces perotyi) is a small, terrestrial lizard that is native to the humid rainforests of eastern and central North America. The Emerald Tree Skink is typically green and brown in color, with a characteristic leaf-shaped pattern on its back.
These lizards are easy to care for, but they do require a moderately warm environment with plenty of hiding spots and climbing surfaces. Emerald Tree Skinks are also prone to shedding their skin, so they should be handled very carefully to avoid injuring them.
Quarantine and Handling
The Emerald Tree Skink is a species of lizard that needs specific care in order to avoid illness. They should be kept on a humid, warm substrate with plenty of hiding spots and vegetables for them to eat.
Their enclosure should be at least 55sq. ft. and they should only be housed with other emerald tree skinks if they are of the same age and size.
Housing
Emerald tree skinks are arboreal lizards that live in colonies of 10-30 individuals. They require a humid environment with plenty of vegetation to hide in and plenty of spaces to move around.
A single emerald tree skink can be housed in a 10x10x10 inch enclosure, but multiple Emerald tree skink cages should be setup for larger colonies.
The enclosure should be filled with moistened sphagnum moss and branches should be provided to climb. The enclosure should also have a hiding spot, such as a shady corner, and a place to eat (such as a bark lined log).
Feeding emerald tree skinks insects, small mice, or fruit is ideal, but they will also eat bird food when available. Water dishes should be placed in areas where the lizards cannot get to them, such as the highest part of the enclosure.
Indoors and Outdoors
Emerald Tree Skink Care Sheet
The Emerald Tree Skink is a small, easy to keep lizard that can be kept in most any type of household environment. The Emerald Tree Skink is a non-venomous, insectivorous reptile that requires temperatures between 68 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. They are also able to tolerate a range of lighting conditions.
The Emerald Tree Skink should be provided with plenty of hiding spots and objects to climb on. As they grow older they will require more climbing space as they become more active. The Emerald Tree Skink should be fed live insects and small prey items such as spiders, crickets, and bisquit larvae.
Where can I find Emerald Tree Skinks?
Emerald Tree Skinks can be found in the wild in eastern and southern Australia.
They can also be found as pets in some areas. They are usually kept as pets in warm climates.
What do Emerald Tree Skinks eat?
Emerald Tree Skinks eat a variety of insects, small lizards, and other small prey.
Emerald tree skinks are insectivorous and their diet consists mainly of insects, spiders, and smaller lizards.
Some of the insects Emerald Tree Skinks eat include:
- Rove beetles
- Springtails
- Millipedes
- Cockroaches
- Beetles
Conclusion
We hope you have found this care sheet on Emerald Tree Skink helpful. These reptiles are cold-blooded, so they need specific temperatures and humidity levels to survive. Make sure to provide a temperature gradient of 10 degrees between the warmest part of your reptile room and the coolest part of your reptile room (or terrarium), as well as provide a humid environment that ranges from 50% to 75%. Please also keep in mind that Emerald Tree Skinks require access to fresh water, so be sure to have enough rainfall or watering supplies on hand. Thank you for reading!
READ MORE: Desert Spiny Lizard Care Sheet