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Tribolonotus Novaeguineae

Muddy eyed Crocodile skink

This little skink originated from Papua New Guinea, living underneath fallen leaves and soil. It doesn't like heat that much. Keep this in mind during hot summer days. They are fairly easy to care for but are less sturdy. When their requirements are met everything will go easy, if not they can quickly become ill. 

I keep mine in a riparium of 80x40x40 with a pond in it. Larger is better but from my experieces this size will suffice, my male will sometimes wander around, my female won't, she has her fixed spots and is seen less frequently. 

A lot of people will tell you this animal is really shy and won't be visible very often. My personal experience begs the differ, I see mine almost everyday. I think it is a matter of just leaving them be and don't disturb them to often. I suggest you don't handle them unless needed (eg; when they are ill or you're putting them in a new vivarium etc). Provide a lot of hiding spots as they don't like to be in the open (in the warm area of the vivarium aswell as in the cool area). They like their enclosure really humid. I keep the humidity somewhere around 85% the whole time. If you want to breed make sure that there are also places in the vivarium that are less humid.

Lighting and heating.

 

Use a fluorescent Uvb bulb so it doesn't emit heat in combination with a ceramic heat emitter. In my setup I use a TL during the day for light and to stimulate plant growth, a fluorescent UvB bulb for UvB (they don't really bask under it) and a ceramic heat emitter that is contected with a thermosensor and a PLC, controlling the temprature. Underneath the ceramic heater it is max. 30-32 °C and the overal temprature is somewhere around 25°C with some corners that are warmer, some that are cooler.
The minimum temprature at night is 22 °C. 

 

Food.

They eat crickets, mealworms and waxworms and sometimes tiny newborn snails (Achantia Fulicia). Give them vitamines and calcium supplements once every few weeks. Note that you won't always see them eat, and that they don't eat a lot so don't worry if that happens.

 

Breeding.

 

I suggest you just keep one male and one female. I know some people will have two females and it might work, but I don't want to take any risks. Males are very territorial so If you keep two males in one enclosures they will fight. (I speak of personal experiences as I bought a male who was sold to me as being a female). These skinks will really form a couple and when this happens they will sleep in the same hide. It's very fascinating to see. After the coppulation the female lays one egg, that will incubate after 70 days on a humid substrate at 24-26°C. The parents will really care for the juvenile skink and this is really unique among lizards.  

My male tribolonotus novaeguineae wandering about.

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