Somewhere in the rainforests of New Guinea, parts of Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands, you can find the red-eyed crocodile skinks that looks a lot like baby dragons. But they are actually not, as they are skinks or commonly known as bush crocodiles.

First discovered by Dr. Nelly de Rooji, the curator of the Zoological Museum in Amsterdam, she described it as Tribolonotus gracilis. Currently, there are eight known species under the genus Tribolonotus, which can be found in Irian Jaya, and Papua New Guinea to the Solomon Islands.

Since deforestation has threatened their much of their habitat and existence, the skinks have adapted to living on coconut plantations beneath the husks of the trees. Recently, they have become a very popular option as pets. But unlike other pets, you cannot play or pet them as they like to lead a secluded life.

Red-eyed crocodile as a pet

These reptiles have rough scaly exterior that led them to be called the red-eyed crocodile skink. Aside from that, they also have a bright red or orange ring around their eyes, hence the "red-eyed" name and made them look like dragon hatchlings that made them popular.

Their size could also differ as they can be as tiny as 2.5 inches to as big as 10 inches in length. Their tails are a considerable part of their length as they use it also as a defense system.

If asked if they are good pets, the answer is yes. Red-eyed crocodile skinks are the perfect pet for beginners because of their simple nature. There is not much to care for the skink because all you need to provide is good housing and good nutrition.

Make sure to clean its house at least once a week and feed them once every 2 or 3 days as they come out easily to the sight of food. The only drawback of these pets is that they do not like heat and are very shy.

Since they are hard to hold on to, children are not advised to pet them. These reptiles can only be regarded as display pets and do not like to be handled. They may vocalize or even play dead or sometimes bite if they are handled. But since these reptiles do not generally bite, this should not be a major concern.

They thrive on a natural diet, such as insects. You can place an earthworm, crickets, or grubs to feed it. Placing them near plants will be much preferable for them as these reptiles like to burrow in deep under the roots to make it their nests.

Their nest should have a temperature of 73 to 81 degrees and humidity needs to be around 70 to 90 percent. There is no need for them to be under the constant heat of sunlight but it is still advisable.

Breeding the red-eyed crocodile skinks

Red-eyed crocodile skinks tend to be aggressive towards the same sex, like male to male. But pairs and their young can live may live within a range of a few square feet inside the same enclosure.

Females have the left and right ovary. However, only the right oviduct is functional, which means that eggs from the left ovary needs to transfer across the body before laying eggs. Approximately, they lay about six eggs.

Breeding usually occurs during the wet season, approximately six weeks apart. But in captivity, breeding can occur any time of the year by frequent misting and from higher humidity. They sexually mature around the age of 3 or 4. As they are known to be shy, their breeding activity most likely occurs in their nest.