Ocellated Skink Care Sheet
Lizard
7 - 9 inches long
5 - 10 years
Omnivore
Diet & Nutrition
Ocellated Skinks are omnivores, although they eat mostly insects. Offer a variety of live insects including crickets, mealworms, waxworms, superworms, and cockroaches. Vegetation includes turnip greens, collard greens, mustard greens, and fruit in small amounts.
Feeding Schedule
Feed babies and adults daily, although some keepers will feed adults every other day. Feed an 80/20 mix of insects and vegetation. Dust food with calcium powder daily & multivitamin once a week. Feed them the amount they will eat in 10 minutes.
Housing & Habitat
Ocellated Skinks are from coastal region of the Middle East. They are ground dwellers and love to hide. Provide plenty of hiding places along with flat basking surfaces. Some keepers provide a humidity box to aid in shedding.
Ocellated Skinks may be kept alone or in pairs. If housed together skinks should be of similar size to avoid injury. Never house two males together in the same tank. Two females generally get along well. A male and female will likely breed if housed together.
Enclosure Size
An adult must have a minimum cage size of 30" Long x 12" Deep x 12" High, although many keepers prefer a larger cage. If housing multiple Ocellated Skinks together, a cage size of 36" Long x 18" Deep x 16" High is recommended.
Substrate
Ocellated Skink's love to dig and burrow. To accommodate this behavior a loose substrate is recommended. Acceptable substrates include ground walnut shell, sand, or a sand soil mixture. The concern with loose substrate is the possibility of impaction. If the skink consumes large amounts of the substrate, it could cause intestinal blockage.
Temperature & Lighting
Temperature
A Ocellated Skink's basking spot should be 100°-110°F. The cool end of the tank can be as cool as 75°F.
Lighting
Since this is a diurnal species, it requires two light bulbs. One is the heat lamp which also emits UVA. The second is a UVB lamp. The UVB lamp will specifically say UVB on the box. If the box doesn't say UVB, it's not UVB.
Plant and Fish bulbs are not UVB bulbs.
Humidity & Watering
Humidity
Humidity levels should be kept between 15 - 35%.
Watering
Always provide a bowl of fresh drinking water.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What do Ocellated Skinks eat?
Ocellated Skinks are omnivores, although they eat mostly insects. Offer a variety of live insects including crickets, mealworms, waxworms, superworms, and cockroaches. Vegetation includes turnip greens, collard greens, mustard greens, and fruit in small amounts.
What size enclosure does a Ocellated Skink need?
Ocellated Skinks are from coastal region of the Middle East. They are ground dwellers and love to hide. Provide plenty of hiding places along with flat basking surfaces. Some keepers provide a humidity box to aid in shedding. Ocellated Skinks may be kept alone or in pairs. If housed together skinks should be of similar size to avoid injury. Never house two males together in the same tank. Two females generally get along well. A male and female will likely breed if housed together. An adult mu...
What temperature and lighting does a Ocellated Skink need?
A Ocellated Skink's basking spot should be 100°-110°F. The cool end of the tank can be as cool as 75°F. Since this is a diurnal species, it requires two light bulbs. One is the heat lamp which also emits UVA. The second is a UVB lamp. The UVB lamp will specifically say UVB on the box. If the box doesn't say UVB, it's not UVB. Plant and Fish bulbs are not UVB bulbs. Humidity: Humidity levels should be kept between 15 - 35%.