Ocellated skink (Chalcides ocellatus)

Short answers

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

From 80×40×40 cm for one animal; for a pair from 90×40×40 cm (15 % more floor space per additional animal, as in the 1997 expert report).

Ocellated skink: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 25–30 °C, basking spot 32–35 °C, at night 20–23 °C.

Ocellated skink: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB needed (for D3 and colour; roughly Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 3–4).

Ocellated skink: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 10–15 years.

Ocellated skink: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

25–30 °C

Night temperature

20–23 °C

Basking spot

32–35 °C

Humidity

40–60 % with a humid retreat corner (a generalist that tolerates humidity, but never permanently wet)

UVB

UVB needed (for D3 and colour; roughly Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 3–4)

Enclosure

Minimum size

from 80×40×40 cm for one animal; for a pair from 90×40×40 cm (15 % more floor space per additional animal, as in the 1997 expert report)

Substrate

Substrate they can dig in (sand-loam or sand and coco), ~10 cm deep, plus cork, leaf litter and hides

Feeding

Food

Insectivorous (house crickets, crickets, locusts, wax worms), occasionally small invertebrates or a little sweet fruit; dust with vitamin and mineral powder

Feeding interval

adults approx. 2–3×/week

Key facts

Adult size

20–30 cm total length (SVL up to ~8–12 cm)

Life expectancy

10–15 years

Origin

Southern Europe (Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey), North Africa, the Near and Middle East to Pakistan and Sri Lanka; introduced to California

Protection status

Not listed under CITES; IUCN "Least Concern"; no registration duty in Germany. Note: some dealer profiles wrongly claim "WA II / registration required" – according to CITES and the Reptile Database this is not the case

Brumation

A winter rest of ~2–3 months (cooler, ~12–18 °C) encourages reproduction; important for breeding

Cohabitation

Keeping them singly is the least stressful and safest choice. A group of one male with several females (1,x) is possible but needs a lot of space and many hides; males never get on with each other and typically show bite marks on the tail. Juveniles must be separated from adults due to documented cannibalism.

Notes

Live-bearing (ovoviviparous, about 2–10 and rarely up to 20 young); the tail is readily autotomised; shy, burrowing, and a robust generalist. Common mistakes: substrate that is too shallow, too tall a terrarium, males kept together, and leaving the young with the adults. The humidity is set conservatively at 40–60 % (one vendor source gives 60–90 %, which is too high as a permanent value).

Do you keep this species?

Add your animal to Reptoria – Reptoria reminds you about feeding and shedding. Add your animal for free →

Look for Ocellated skink (Chalcides ocellatus) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Italian three-toed skink (Chalcides chalcides) – Beginner
• Gran Canaria skink (Chalcides sexlineatus) – Intermediate
• African five-lined skink (Trachylepis quinquetaeniata) – Intermediate
• Algerian skink (Eumeces algeriensis) – Intermediate
• Berber skink (Eumeces schneideri) – Beginner to intermediate
• Berdmore's water skink (Tropidophorus berdmorei) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Mountain skink (Plestiodon callicephalus) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Pacific blue-tailed skink (Emoia caeruleocauda) – Beginner with some knowledge

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Ocellated skink (Chalcides ocellatus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (from 80×40×40 cm for one animal; for a pair from 90×40×40 cm (15 % more floor space per additional animal, as in the 1997 expert report)), substrate (Substrate they can dig in (sand-loam or sand and coco), ~10 cm deep, plus cork, leaf litter and 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.