Zebra skink (Trachylepis dichroma)

Short answers

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

100×50×50 cm for one adult animal; correspondingly larger and longer for groups.

Zebra skink: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–28 °C (ambient/background ~22–25 °C, warm zone up to ~30 °C), basking spot 35–40 °C (basking spot; some care sheets give 32–35 °C — choose the safe middle range), at night 18–21 °C (not below 15 °C).

Zebra skink: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB needed (Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4; a T5 HO 5.0/6 % or a metal-halide lamp).

Zebra skink: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: approx. 15 years in captivity.

Zebra skink: Is it suitable for beginners?

Yes – it is considered suitable for beginners (difficulty: Beginner).

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–28 °C (ambient/background ~22–25 °C, warm zone up to ~30 °C)

Night temperature

18–21 °C (not below 15 °C)

Basking spot

35–40 °C (basking spot; some care sheets give 32–35 °C — choose the safe middle range)

Humidity

40–60 % (adapted to dry conditions, at the lower end during the day; briefly higher at night)

UVB

UVB needed (Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4; a T5 HO 5.0/6 % or a metal-halide lamp)

Enclosure

Minimum size

100×50×50 cm for one adult animal; correspondingly larger and longer for groups

Substrate

A sand-loam mix they can dig in (sandy soil), with stones, cork bark and several hides

Feeding

Food

Omnivorous with an insect focus: house crickets, crickets, roaches, locusts, occasionally mealworms; supplemented with a little fruit and vegetables, rarely egg or a commercial omnivore or gecko diet

Feeding interval

adults 2–3×/week, juveniles (almost) daily; dust insects with calcium and vitamin D3

Key facts

Adult size

25–30 cm total length (including the tail; ~10–12 inches)

Life expectancy

approx. 15 years in captivity

Origin

East Africa — Kenya and Tanzania (partly Uganda); dry savannah and steppe, semi-arid grassland

Protection status

Not protected — not listed under CITES, the EU Species Protection Regulation or German nature conservation law; no registration duty. Even so, prefer captive breeding and proof of origin.

Brumation

No true brumation is required; a slight winter cooling (they usually retreat from November) is optional and helps put them in breeding condition

Cohabitation

Group keeping is possible — one of the few social skink species with pronounced parental care (the parents protect the young). Recommended: one male plus several females (a harem, 1.2 or 1.3 for example) or groups of females alone. Do NOT keep several adult males together (territorial fights, especially in the mating season). The conditions: plenty of space, visual barriers, several basking spots and hides per animal, and watching for biting.

Notes

Strong sexual dimorphism: the males have a red-orange throat and chest (especially in the mating season), while the females keep the zebra striping. Egg-laying (about 4–8 eggs, incubation at about 26–28 °C, 60–90 days). Common keeping mistakes: conditions that are too damp (the species is adapted to dry), too small or too cool a basking spot, and missing UVB. A robust, reliably feeding beginner's species that becomes quite tame with calm handling. Note: the basking-spot figures scatter by source (32–40 °C); one retailer wrongly gave a South African origin — the consensus and the Reptile Database document East Africa (Kenya/Tanzania).

Do you keep this species?

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

Look for Zebra skink (Trachylepis dichroma) in the marketplace →

Related species

• African five-lined skink (Trachylepis quinquetaeniata) – Intermediate
• Variable skink (Trachylepis varia) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Speckle-lipped skink (Trachylepis maculilabris) – Beginner with some knowledge
• African striped skink (Trachylepis striata) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Cape skink (Trachylepis capensis) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Rainbow skink (Trachylepis margaritifera) – Beginner
• Teita skink (Trachylepis perrotetii) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Algerian skink (Eumeces algeriensis) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Zebra skink (Trachylepis dichroma) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100×50×50 cm for one adult animal; correspondingly larger and longer for groups), substrate (A sand-loam mix they can dig in (sandy soil), with stones, cork bark and several 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.