Gidgee skink (Egernia stokesii)

Short answers

Gidgee skink: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100×50×50 cm for one animal; at least 150–180×60×50 cm for a group.

Gidgee skink: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 26–32 °C (warm side up to 35 °C), basking spot 40–48 °C, at night 18–22 °C.

Gidgee skink: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB needed (Ferguson zone 3, UV index 4–6; a high-output UVB lamp).

Gidgee skink: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 20–25+ years.

Gidgee skink: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

26–32 °C (warm side up to 35 °C)

Night temperature

18–22 °C

Basking spot

40–48 °C

Humidity

40–60 % (dry, with a locally humid floor hide)

UVB

UVB needed (Ferguson zone 3, UV index 4–6; a high-output UVB lamp)

Enclosure

Minimum size

100×50×50 cm for one animal; at least 150–180×60×50 cm for a group

Substrate

A sand-loam mix they can dig in (8–10 cm) with rock structures, rock crevices and bark as hides

Feeding

Food

Omnivorous: mostly insects (crickets, roaches, black soldier fly larvae) plus greens and vegetables, a little fruit and flowers; more plant-based as adults

Feeding interval

adults insects 2–3×/week, green food almost daily; juveniles daily; calcium and D3 ~2×/week

Key facts

Adult size

25–30 cm total length (a strong, spiny gripping tail)

Life expectancy

20–25+ years

Origin

The dry, rocky regions of central, western and southern Australia; a crevice dweller in arid and semi-arid country

Protection status

Not listed under CITES or EU law, no registration duty in Germany. Australian export is prohibited → captive-bred animals only; document the lineage

Brumation

A cooler winter rest to stimulate breeding is recommended: ~6–10 weeks at 15–20 °C, with reduced lighting and no feeding; it is not vital for survival

Cohabitation

A group (family unit) is the housing form closest to natural behaviour: a real exception among skinks, since in the wild this species lives in stable aggregations of up to 17 related animals with long-term pair bonds. Only one adult male per terrarium – two males will fight. A ratio of one male to one or more females, ideally raised together; do not combine unfamiliar adults.

Notes

Very robust, long-lived, live-bearing (a litter of about 1–8). Common mistakes: too small or too poorly structured → stress and aggression; too little UVB → MBD and rickets; too damp → skin problems; and strange males or two males kept together. It dislikes being handled; when threatened it wedges itself into rock crevices with its spiny tail.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Tree skink (Egernia striolata) – Beginner
• Cunningham's skink (Egernia cunninghami) – Intermediate
• Black rock skink (Egernia saxatilis) – Intermediate
• Hosmer's spiny-tailed skink (Egernia hosmeri) – Intermediate
• Desert skink (Egernia formosa) – Intermediate
• King's skink (Egernia kingii) – Intermediate
• Eastern crevice skink (Egernia mcpheei) – Intermediate
• Richard's crevice skink (Egernia richardi) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Gidgee skink (Egernia stokesii) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100×50×50 cm for one animal; at least 150–180×60×50 cm for a group), substrate (A sand-loam mix they can dig in (8–10 cm) with rock structures, rock crevices and bark as hides), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.