Description:
Scientific name: Lamprolepis smaragdina
Life span: 7 years
The name “green tree skink” or “emerald green skink” are occasionally (and erroneously) used to refer to the emerald tree skink (Lamprolepis smaragdina). The emerald tree skink often has huge, black eyes with golden rims and is vivid lime green in hue. Their lower torso or hind limbs, however, may be medium brown with white speckling. Sometimes the entire body is brown or has black spots on it.
Native Region/Habitat
It can be found in arboreal forests in Taiwan, the Solomon and Santa Cruz islands, Palawan, the Luzon and Sulu archipelagos in the Philippines, New Guinea, and the Indo-Australian archipelago.
In disturbed coastal areas, the emerald tree skink is frequently observed in palm plantations.
Behavior:
They favor bare tree trunks devoid of climbing vegetation. The record number of palm trees was found on a small island with only four other plants. It is a species that is quite active. Constantly moving, and if handled, becomes quite squirmy. They are a non-aggressive species, but it has been noted that they will occasionally band together to attack larger prey.
Care As a pet/In captivity:
Tank: Emerald tree skinks are active lizards that require lots of room to climb and run around. The minimum size terrarium for a single skink should be 18″ x 18″ x 36″, however bigger is usually preferable!
Heat: The basking temperature for emerald tree skinks should be 95°F, as determined by a digital probe thermometer with the probe positioned on the basking surface. On the other side of the enclosure, there should be a colder section that maintains a temperature of between 75 and 85 degrees.
At night, you ought to turn off the heat source. Although nighttime lows of 68°F are possible, they shouldn’t exceed 77°F.
Humidity: For optimum health, emerald tree skinks require a humid habitat. During the day, the humidity should be approximately 70%, while at night; it should be close to 100%. A digital probe hygrometer with the probe in the center of the terrarium allows you to keep an eye on the humidity levels.
Feeding: Emerald tree skinks are predominantly insectivorous, which means they must consume insects (ideally alive) to provide their bodies with the necessary nutrients. Age affects how frequently people need to eat: While fully developed adults can only be fed every other day, children should be fed every day. Give the skink as many insects at a time as it can consume in 5 minutes or less.
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