Ocellated Skink Care Guide

LIFE SPAN

7 - 10  years

AVERAGE ADULT SIZE

6-12 inches

CAGE TEMPS

Basking spot – 100 0 F

Day time temps – 75-85 0 F

Night temps – not to drop below 70 º F

HUMIDITY

20-40% 

NORMAL BEHAVIOR & INTERACTION

Ocellated Skinks are diurnal, meaning they are awake during the day. These skinks are quick and agile so should not be handled. Housing small colonies of these lizards together can be successfully achieved.

FEEDING

Carnivores; live prey. Offer protein sources such as: gut-loaded crickets, mealworms, superworms, small roaches and wax worms several times a week. 

SUPPLEMENTS

Dust food with calcium supplement and vitamin supplements. As a rule, a growing juvenile’s food should be dusted more often than an adult’s.

WATER

A large bowl of clean fresh chlorine-free water must always be available.

ENCLOSURE 

Ocellated skinks should have a cool side and a warm side to their enclosure to allow for body temperature regulation. A 20 gallon long tank is ideal with hide houses on either side for 1-4 skinks. They spend much of their time under the sand and are not avid climbers but will utilize flat surfaces like stones to bask on.

SUBSTRATE

We recommend a sand or crashed walnut shell substrate.

UVB LIGHT

Ocellated Skinks MUST be exposed to UVB lighting 8-12 hours a day. This exposure is CRITICAL in allowing the animal to synthesize vitamin D3 and absorb calcium.

DAY/NIGHT CYCLES & HEATING

All reptiles must have distinct day and night periods in their enclosure to maintain their biological rhythms. Ocellated Skinks need 8-12 hours of daytime and nighttime. 

HABITAT MAINTENANCE

Daily maintenance should consist of spot cleaning by removing soiled substrate, cleaning water bowl thoroughly and wiping glass clean. The entire tank should be cleaned thoroughly at least once every month.

RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES

• 20 gallon reptile tank with secure mesh top
• Large dome & appropriately sized heat light
• Fluorescent UVB bulb & housing
• Under tank heating pad
• Temperature/humidity gauge
• Sand or crushed walnut substrate
• Large water bowl
• Flat basking surfaces
• Hide house
• Live foods
• Calcium & vitamin supplements
• Water dechlorinate drops

Vet Approved

Our Care Guides are designed to assist in general knowledge and requirements for the care of your new family member. We strongly encourage further research and consultation with your veterinarian on the complete and proper care of any new pet.

For more information visit petsuppliesplus.com, cdc.gov/healthypets or contact your veterinarian.

Always wash your hands before and after handling your pet or cleaning its habitat, and remember that any pet can scratch, bite or transmit disease to humans.

For pregnant women, persons with compromised immune systems, or if you have children under the age of 5, we strongly recommend contacting your physician prior to purchasing or caring for a new pet.

Please see the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov/healthypets for more information.