Comments on: A Most Unusual Lizard – the Crocodile, Armored or Casque-headed Skink

By: findiviglio

findiviglio — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:42:07 +0000

Hi Ari, Frank Indiviglio here.

Nice to hear from you, we were in touch some time ago when I was working on zoo/museum exhibits here in the NE.

Yes, some very talented folks at Dallas; actually Texas has more than its share of classic herp collections and knowledgeable keepers – Ft. Worth is especially worthwhile to see.

I’m also posting notes on Twitter, under findiviglio – herp news, conservation, updates on projects, etc.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

By: Ari Flagle

Ari Flagle — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:16:52 +0000

They are one of my all time favorites. I especially like the T.novaguniea they have a very attractive orange hue on there backs, around the eyes are solid white in some individuals very cool species. I understand Dallas zoo has very good luck with captive reproduction.

By: thatpetblog

thatpetblog — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:50:33 +0000

Hello Kat, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog and for passing along your interesting observations.

What you describe is courtship behavior…males may also inflate their throats a bit and sometimes grab females about the neck. Males mature earlier than females (usually by age 3, females at age 4), so she may not be ready – However, even in well-matched pairs it often takes quite a bit of “wooing” on the part of the male before mating takes place.

Just keep watch that the male does not harass her so much that she is unable to feed, or is otherwise stressed (the bites usually do no damage). In nature, it rains often during the warmest part of the year in the crocodile skink’s habitat, and is drier when temperatures cool a bit. Arranging this type of cycle at home, if possible, may bring them both into breeding condition.

The fact that your pair is out by day is fortunate – we know very little about these lizards, so any observations you might record should prove very interesting…please pass along your thoughts and keep me posted.

Good luck and enjoy,

Frank Indiviglio.

By: Kat

Kat — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:54:33 +0000

I have a male and female crocodile skinks that are breeding age and I noticed that the male has started to chase the female and will hold her tail in his mouth, regardless of whether she tries to get away and while he’s doing this she will bob her head at him. I’m wondering if anyone else has seen this behaviour? My skinks also seem to be unusual in that my female rarely hides and neither seem to be nocturnal.

By: findiviglio

findiviglio — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:12:12 +0000

Hi Joseph, I hope all is well.

I’ve always provided them with UVB, but have never seen them bask…not sure if the need has been established or not but, unlike as with some amphibs, UVB does them no harm. They are extremely shy…some individuals will show themselves if provided thick cover, especially low-growing Pothos plants, under which they can move.

I had a number of wild caught specimens at the Bronx Zoo; they do seem very stress-prone, and some had a bad reaction to meds. Captive born or long-term captives definitely the way to go with these guys. Action figures – perfect!

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

By: Joseph

Joseph — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:03:03 +0000

Cool article highlighting a truly unique group of skinks. I was under the impression they do need UV despite their preference for moist, cool, and dark places. Also supposedly quite shy in captivity.

Neat animals(remind me of plastic action figures the way they are built) and I’ve toyed the idea of getting them a few times. In your experience are WC hard to acclimate?

~Joseph