Lamprolepis Smaragdina (Smaragd Skink)

Lamprolepis Smaragdina (Smaragd Skink)

Age: 5 to 10 years old
Origin: Southeast Asia
Length: 20 to 25 centimeters
The Smaragd Skink is a lizard that can become up to 24 centimeters with a sharp tapered head, large black eyes, smooth scales and long toes. They are often bright green in color, but can have black speckles or are wholly or partially brown. Some individuals are completely green, except their hind legs, which are brown with white spots.

Care
Experience: Average lizard holder
Food: Insectivoor
Feeding adult: 3 times a week
Feed young: daily
Water trough: yes
Change water: daily

Power supply
The Smaragd Skink is an insectivore, the insects that can be offered include crickets, curls and buffalo worms. This diet can possibly be supplemented with mealworms or wax moths. The food must be smaller than the head of the Skink. Feed young animals small crickets or fruit flies every day. Enter as much as they can get up in an hour, remove the non -eaten prey animals to prevent them from disturbing a resting skink.

These animals also need extra calcium and vitamins. You can give this by always taking the food animals with so-called calcium and vitamin preparation for reptiles. Fresh drinking water must always be present.

Water
There must always be water, you can offer this in a small water bowl, but the water do change daily to prevent bacteria accumulations in the water. This species gets the most water through the spraying of the terrarium, therefore also spray the terrarium daily.

Cleaning
It is important to clean the terrarium well. Therefore, remove not eaten food animals every day and remove droppings before giving you the SKINK again. Replace the soil material once a month or a few times a year and then immediately clean the rest of the terrarium (including the design). If you use cleaning products, it is important to rinse everything well after time. After you have been in contact with the animals or the terrarium, always your hands well, reptiles can convey salmonella.

Handle
Smaragd Skinken does not like to be used and would never be an animal that can be regularly taken from its terrarium. If you handle the Skink, pick it up by quietly sliding your hands under his body. Support the lower body and lift it off the ground. Keep one thumb on his back while handling so that it cannot run away easily. While handling it is advisable to keep it above your lap or above a table. This prevents the Skink from falling from an altitude. Finally, it is advisable to wash your hands before and after handling. Here you will prevent the SKINK and yourself becoming sick.

Housing
Minimum size stay for 1 skink: 45x45x90
Day temperature: 25-30 degrees Celsius
Night temperature: 22-26 degrees Celsius
Hours of light: 12 hours a day
Humidity: 70-90%
Ground cover: a ground cover that retains good moisture to reach the high humidity, cocopeat, non-fertilized garden soil, beech chips.

Design
This skink is a real climbing gesture, so a high terrarium with climbing possibilities is a must. In the terrarium you can place pieces of wood or stones that serve as a hiding place or where they can lie to sunbathe. It is important to place enough branches, plants and other climbing options in the terrarium, the SKINK would make good use of this. However, make sure that everything is placed firmly so that the Skink cannot injure itself when something falls.
The stay must offer different temperatures. There must be both warmer and colder parts so that the animals can choose. A UV-B lamp must still be hung. In this way the animals can build enough calcium on in their bodies. Without this lighting they can get very ill. Use light bulbs, energy -saving lamps or possibly daylight lamps and leave the light on twelve hours a day.
Behaviour
Lifestyle: dayactive

Character
This type of skinks is a real climber and can also be found in the tree, they spend little time on the floor. They are day -active animals that are always busy and very interesting to look at.

Points of attention
This kind does not always want to drink from a water bowl, but often drink from leaves or branches, so make sure that the terrarium is sprayed daily.
Costs and purchase
Legislation: -
One -off costs: This includes the costs for stay, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. Together this can cost a few hundred euros up to a few thousand euros. The final amount is due to the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs fall the costs for the food, this is a few tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: costs are gave birth when your Skink happens to fall ill or your equipment will break.