# My red eyed crocodile skinks



## ManicTurt (Mar 17, 2020)

Hello everyone! 
I wanted to share my red eyed crocodile skinks. I had been fascinated with these little dragons for years but had never seen one in person so I read everything I could get my hands on. 7 years later I had set up a enclosure and walked into a small pet store (the serpentarium, I love this place but I wish it was closer) and found them as a pair, both also captive bred.



This is when I first brought them home. This is the male, Toothless.

They have 2 eggs now and I am hoping for a few more this year.


I need to go find some leaf litter for them, but I see them using everything I have put in when I do see them out in the morning.


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## Yvonne G (Mar 17, 2020)

What an interesting-looking little animal. I never knew of this creature.


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## Tom (Mar 17, 2020)

Great set up.

What do you feed them?


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## ManicTurt (Mar 17, 2020)

Tom said:


> Great set up.
> 
> What do you feed them?


Thank you! They have Dubai roaches, red worms, crickets and mealworms. I tried other things but they if they even see me put it in they don't touch it. I put in isopods and springtails too just to clean up a little. Aside from pinhead crickets I'm not sure what to feed the babies when they hatch. I try to have variety but they will be so tiny!


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## Toddrickfl1 (Mar 17, 2020)

Awesome looking Skink! Thanks for sharing.


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## NorCal tortoise guy (Mar 17, 2020)

Very cool I’ve always found those interesting


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## Tom (Mar 17, 2020)

ManicTurt said:


> Thank you! They have Dubai roaches, red worms, crickets and mealworms. I tried other things but they if they even see me put it in they don't touch it. I put in isopods and springtails too just to clean up a little. Aside from pinhead crickets I'm not sure what to feed the babies when they hatch. I try to have variety but they will be so tiny!


I have a colony of red runners. They work better for most applications than dubia, and they breed faster too. The little ones are the same size as pinheads, and they move around a lot to attract the attention of out little predators.


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## ManicTurt (Mar 17, 2020)

Tom said:


> I have a colony of red runners. They work better for most applications than dubia, and they breed faster too. The little ones are the same size as pinheads, and they move around a lot to attract the attention of out little predators.


That's a great idea, thank you! I'm probably going to get some as soon as I can so I can start breeding those too.


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## Tom (Mar 24, 2020)

@ManicTurt 

Time for an update and more photos! 

When are those eggs due? I would love to see hatching and hatchling pics!


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## ManicTurt (Mar 24, 2020)

Tom said:


> @ManicTurt
> 
> Time for an update and more photos!
> 
> When are those eggs due? I would love to see hatching and hatchling pics!



I have a week until one of the eggs could hatch, I am so excited for it! Thank you for asking, I will post some pictures as soon as the first one hatches. The second one still seems healthy and I turning a nice pink last time I candled it but it has about 2 months still.


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## Srmcclure (Mar 25, 2020)

Omg! Such beautiful little creatures! ?


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## ManicTurt (Mar 25, 2020)

Srmcclure said:


> Omg! Such beautiful little creatures! ?


Thank you! I love these little guys!


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## ManicTurt (Mar 29, 2020)

Well this is my first time hatching anything, but up until yesterday the egg looked wonderful. The humidity and temperature have remained constant and I had no problem for 2 months. When I checked yesterday though the egg was a little sunken in and seemed to have soft spots, and when I candled it nothing moved. I left it in the same spot just in case, but I am worried. I will leave it until there is no possible way something could be alive inside.


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## NorCal tortoise guy (Mar 29, 2020)

Have have not worked with these lizards but I have seen other soft shell eggs dip a little just before hatching don’t give up for sure. I never through an egg away until it stinks. I’ve even had eggs with mold growing on them hatch healthy babies


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## ManicTurt (Mar 29, 2020)

NorCal tortoise guy said:


> Have have not worked with these lizards but I have seen other soft shell eggs dip a little just before hatching don’t give up for sure. I never through an egg away until it stinks. I’ve even had eggs with mold growing on them hatch healthy babies


Thank you, that does make me feel a little better. It doesn't smell and I dont notice anything else wrong. I will keep an eye on it, I wonder how long it could take.


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## ManicTurt (Apr 4, 2020)

Well the egg started molding, getting brown spots and stinking. There was no movement for 2 weeks before this, and I dont know why it happened but there was no way it was alive anymore. It was healthy until it was about time to hatch. The 2nd egg looks wonderful still and is already developing at a much faster rate than the one that passed away. The temperature and humidity has not changed so I am trying to learn what it could have been.


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## ManicTurt (Jun 23, 2020)

Walked in today and the egg finally hatched! Baby is doing great!


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## ManicTurt (Jun 23, 2020)

I will take more pictures after he rests for a while, but he is so adorable! Here is a less blurry photo.


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## Chubbs the tegu (Jun 23, 2020)

Nice man! Congrats


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## Tom (Jun 23, 2020)

ManicTurt said:


> I will take more pictures after he rests for a while, but he is so adorable! Here is a less blurry photo.
> View attachment 298169


FANTASTIC!!!


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## method89 (Jun 23, 2020)

That's awesome. Very cool looking. Congrats on hatching!


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## method89 (Jun 23, 2020)

When do they begin to get the red around their eyes?


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## ManicTurt (Jun 23, 2020)

I believe around 6 months? I can,t find very much about them online that doesn't contradict something else. I have read that the only live 5 years while somewhere else said 12. I will post updates and let you know when I have an answer though!


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## EllieMay (Jun 23, 2020)

Oh wow... these are some cool critters! Congrats on the baby.


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## EllieMay (Jun 23, 2020)

Will you have to separate them or will they colonize or live in harmony???


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## ManicTurt (Jun 23, 2020)

EllieMay said:


> Will you have to separate them or will they colonize or live in harmony???


From what I have been told by other breeders they live together and protect the baby until they get big enough. Some people have even said that they have observed the parents bringing the baby small insects. It is my first time, but I hardly ever see the parents out and now one at a time they are only doing what I could describe as guarding the nest. They only behaved this way before when they first laid the egg. I will keep tabs on their behavior since there is so little information.


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