• Many of us have probably been inspired by Clint’s reptiles and added the Emerald Tree Skink to our wishlist. We have finally started getting offspring from our breeding trio. If you are interested, subscribe to our newsletter, and we will send out notifications when juveniles are available for sale.

    Care guide

    Common name: Emerald Tree Skink

    Family: Scincidae

    Genus: Lamprolepis

    Lifespan: 7-10 years

    Origin: The islands of Southeast Asia

    Adult size: approx. 20-25 cm

    Diet: Insects

    Active: Diurnal

    Habitat type: Arboreal

    General:
    The lizard is a friendly, active, and social species, very beautiful with its emerald-green color.

    Appearance and behavior:
    The lizard is slender with a tapered head, large black eyes, smooth scales, and long toes. The hind legs are often brown with white spots. As juveniles, they are very curious and often come out on their own at feeding time – in other words, quite easy to tame and social. Emerald tree skinks usually do well in groups, but never keep males together.

    Terrarium:
    Since the lizard is arboreal, a tall terrarium is required. For an adult, 90 x 45 x 90 cm is recommended, but bigger is always better. There should be plenty of climbing opportunities, preferably with natural plants covering large parts of the terrarium. The plants help the lizard feel secure. Natural plants also make it easier to maintain the correct humidity level, which should be around 60% during the day and increased to 80% or more at night. The temperature should be between 24-30°C, with a basking spot at 35°C. It is usually easier to maintain a good temperature gradient in a larger terrarium. UVB is required, with a suitable strength of 6%, and the lighting should cover the entire length of the terrarium. Arcadia is a good brand with long-lasting tubes. Lighting should be on for 12 hours per day, which can be reduced to 11 hours during winter.

    Diet:
    The Emerald Tree Skink eats most common feeder insects. Dubia roaches and crickets are good staples. These should regularly be dusted with calcium and vitamins to keep the lizard healthy. They also appreciate CGD (Crested Gecko Diet) occasionally. Feeding should be daily up to about one year of age, after which every other day is fine. Feed until the lizard no longer seems interested, or as much as it can eat within about 5 minutes. Water can be provided in dishes placed high up in the terrarium. However, the lizard usually drinks water from glass and plants. Therefore, you should spray a couple of times per day to also provide necessary hydration.

    Sexing:
    Around one year of age, Emerald Tree Skinks can be sexed. The male has yellow spots on the “heel” of the hind legs. Females lack these spots.

    Breeding:
    Mating often occurs year-round. The female lays 1-2 eggs, which are buried in the substrate. It is therefore important that the terrarium has a deeper substrate that retains suitable moisture. Many breeders let the eggs hatch in the terrarium since they are often hard to find. There is also a risk they may be damaged if you dig in the substrate. In that case, make sure the terrarium is escape-proof, as the juveniles are quite small. If you want to incubate the eggs, the temperature should be around 27°C. The eggs then hatch after about 60 days.