Emerald Tree Skink

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The emerald tree skink is a bright green, fast moving lizard. It spends nearly all its time off the ground, clinging to bark and branches instead of burrowing or basking on rocks. Its scientific name, Lamprolepis smaragdina, comes from Greek for “shining scale” and Latin for emerald, a fair description of its polished back.

Among skinks it stands out as one of the few truly arboreal species commonly kept as pets. This is not a lizard bred for handling.

Emerald tree skinks are quick, alert, and easily startled. Most keepers treat them as an active display animal rather than a lap pet.

That reputation, plus modest cost and striking color, has made the emerald skink a steady favorite among skink keepers. Many want something different from the usual blue tongue skink or fire skink. It rewards patience more than it rewards handling.

What Is an Emerald Tree Skink

Lamprolepis smaragdina belongs to the family Scincidae, the skinks, within the genus Lamprolepis. The Reptile Database recognizes six subspecies across its range. These include the nominate form and the Philippine subspecies philippinica, which differs slightly in color and pattern from island to island.

The species carries the common names emerald skink and green tree skink. Hobbyists sometimes call it the emerald green tree skink. All of these names describe the same animal, so a listing using any of those terms is almost always Lamprolepis smaragdina.

Origin and Range

Emerald tree skinks come from a huge stretch of the Indo Pacific. This includes islands in Indonesia, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, and the Admiralty Islands.

It also includes the Marshall Islands, where the type specimen was collected on Ebon Atoll. Some populations also occur in New Guinea and nearby archipelagos.

The species is unusually good at reaching new islands on its own, likely by rafting on floating debris. The Reptile Database describes it as highly dispersive with a clear history of over water dispersal. In the wild it favors bare tree trunks, palm plantations, and disturbed coastal forest edges over deep, unbroken jungle.

Appearance

The signature feature is color: a smooth, glossy lime to emerald green covering the head, back, and upper limbs. Many individuals show brown or speckled lower limbs and tails. The shade of green can vary from pale yellow green to a deep, almost teal tone.

Scales are smooth rather than keeled, and the body has a slim build suited to moving quickly across vertical bark. Like many skinks, this species can drop its tail if grabbed by a predator. The regrown tail is usually shorter and duller than the original.

Emerald Tree Skink Care Basics

Emerald tree skink care differs from most popular pet skinks. This species lives in the trees, not on the ground.

A good setup mimics a humid forest canopy: tall rather than wide, planted with climbing surfaces, and kept warm with a clear gradient. That gradient should run from a basking branch down to a cooler, shaded zone.

Because the species is quick and easily stressed, a densely planted enclosure with plenty of hiding spots helps. It does not crowd the animal.

It settles it. Keepers commonly report that skinks in bare, minimal setups stay noticeably more skittish than skinks in a heavily planted tank.

Daily care revolves around checking temperatures, misting or refilling a humidifier, and feeding on a schedule. Watch for the normal signs of a healthy skink: an active, alert animal with clear eyes, smooth shed skin, and a good appetite.

Enclosure Size and Setup

A single adult emerald tree skink does best in an enclosure at least 18 by 18 by 36 inches. Height matters more than floor space, since this is a climbing species.

Larger and taller is always better. A pair or small group needs more vertical surfaces to reduce competition for basking spots.

Cork bark rounds, sturdy branches, and vines set at angles give the skinks routes from the cool floor to the warm canopy. A loose, moisture retentive substrate, such as a coconut fiber and soil blend, supports live plants and holds humidity. Leaf litter adds cover for shed skins and shy animals.

The general setup principles in this guide to lizard enclosures apply well here, adapted for a taller, more humid build.

• Minimum footprint: 18 inches by 18 inches for one adult, more for a pair or trio.
• Minimum height: 36 inches, since the skinks spend most of their time well off the ground.
• Furnishings: cork bark, branches at varied angles, sturdy live or artificial plants, leaf litter.
• Ventilation: a screen top or side vents are essential. Stagnant, overly damp air is a common cause of skin and respiratory problems.

Strong airflow through the enclosure matters as much as humidity itself. A wet, stagnant tank with no cross ventilation causes far more trouble than one that dries out slightly between mistings.

Heating, Lighting, and Humidity

Sources and experienced keepers generally agree on a basking spot of roughly 90 to 95 F (32 to 35 C). The cooler side of the enclosure should stay in the mid 70s to mid 80s F (24 to 29 C). Nighttime temperatures can drop into the upper 60s to low 70s F (20 to 25 C) without added heat.

A full spectrum UVB bulb suited to a shaded, forest dwelling species, such as the Arcadia ProT5 Kit Forest 6%, works best. These skinks bask in dappled light rather than open sun.

Keepers commonly aim for a low to moderate UV index in the basking zone. That is well below the intense output used for full sun desert species.

Humidity should run high, commonly cited around 60 to 70 percent during the day with a nightly spike from misting. Ventilation has to keep pace with that moisture.

The species handles humidity well as long as air keeps moving and surfaces dry between mistings. A permanently soggy tank invites illness.

What Emerald Tree Skinks Eat

Emerald tree skink diet in the wild leans heavily on insects and other small invertebrates. Wild individuals have also been recorded eating fruit, nectar, and opportunistic scraps near disturbed habitats. That flexible, mostly insect based diet carries over well to captivity.

Gut loaded crickets and roaches make a solid staple feeder. Dust prey with a calcium supplement, such as Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3, at most feedings and a vitamin supplement on a lighter schedule.

Occasional soft fruit or a small amount of prepared gecko diet adds variety. Insects should remain the bulk of the meal.

For general background on feeder insects and supplementation, see this overview of what lizards eat.

Offer only what the skink clears in a few minutes. Loose insects left wandering can stress a shy animal.

Keep a shallow water dish available alongside regular misting. Many individuals prefer to drink droplets off leaves and glass rather than standing water.

Common Health Issues

The biggest recurring health risk is high moisture without airflow. Owners and care sources repeatedly flag stagnant, overly wet enclosures as a trigger for skin infections and respiratory trouble. A dry, poorly humidified tank instead brings shedding problems, with skin sticking around the toes and tail tip.

Metabolic bone disease remains a risk if lighting or supplementation lapses. This is common across reptiles kept without adequate UVB and calcium.

A skink with soft or bent limbs, tremors, or a swollen jaw needs a reptile veterinarian promptly. Bone disease worsens quickly.

Emerald tree skinks are fast and prone to stress. Rough handling or a poor hide setup can lead to chronic stress, seen as reduced appetite, constant hiding, or dull coloring. This lizard health guide covers warning signs worth watching for across species.

Behavior and Temperament

Emerald tree skinks are diurnal, active during the day and settling into a hide or dense cover at night. In the enclosure they spend most of their waking hours climbing and exploring bark and branches. They bask near the warm end rather than resting on the ground.

Handling is where this species differs most from calmer, ground dwelling skinks. They move fast and startle easily.

They will bite or drop their tail if grabbed. Most keepers limit direct handling and simply enjoy them as an active, visually striking display animal.

Males can be territorial with each other. Keepers report head bobbing between rival males kept too close together, another reason to plan enclosure space carefully.

Emerald tree skink cohabitation is possible, and this species is more social than many skinks. It is sometimes kept in a group with one male and multiple females in a large enclosure. Two males housed together tend to fight, so keepers generally avoid pairing males.

Breeding

Emerald tree skink breeding happens readily in a stable, well maintained captive setup. This requires mature animals cycled through consistent warm, humid conditions.

Females are oviparous. Keepers commonly report two eggs per clutch with repeat clutches across a season, though one zoo source lists far larger clutches, so sources differ.

Eggs are usually left in a humid substrate area or a dedicated lay box filled with moist coconut fiber. Successful incubation depends on steady warmth and humidity rather than any complicated protocol.

Marwell Zoo gives an incubation window of roughly 69 to 100 days. Because pairs can breed opportunistically inside a mixed group, keepers who do not want offspring often separate sexes.

Hatchlings are miniature versions of the adults, already bright green. They need the same warm, humid, well ventilated setup as adults, just scaled down.

Use smaller feeder insects and watch humidity closely while they are tiny. This species has no widely recognized captive morphs. Keepers curious about color variation in other lizards can browse the reptile morphs overview.

Emerald Tree Skink Size and Lifespan

Emerald tree skink size at maturity commonly falls between 8.5 and 10 inches in total length, including the tail. That makes this a compact, easy to house lizard compared with the blue tongue skink. Hatchlings are only a couple of inches long and reach adult size over the first year or two.

Lifespan is commonly reported at 7 to 12 years in captivity with consistent temperatures, humidity, diet, and UVB. Marwell Zoo puts wild lifespan at around 4 years and captive lifespan at up to 12, reflecting the higher risks of life outside a controlled enclosure.

Captive estimates, drawn from years of hobbyist and breeder experience, are the best benchmark available. Sources agree only on a broad range, not one exact number.

Emerald Tree Skink Cost

Emerald tree skink price sits toward the affordable end of the pet lizard market. The species has historically been inexpensive in the trade, partly because wild caught animals were common and cheap for years. Captive bred stock is still the better choice for the animal’s health and for wild populations.

Captive bred emerald tree skink options, while increasingly available, still tend to cost more than older wild caught imports. Ongoing costs include a tall enclosure, UVB lighting, a heat source, plants, and a steady supply of feeder insects. This reptile supplies guide is a useful starting checklist.

Anyone shopping listings should ask directly whether an animal is captive bred. Request feeding and shedding history before buying.

For a keeper who wants an active, colorful display animal and is comfortable with a hands off approach, this is a good pet.

Someone hoping for a calm, easily handled lizard may prefer the red eyed crocodile skink or the Indonesian blue tongued skink. This guide to choosing a pet lizard covers more options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are emerald tree skinks good pets for beginners?

They suit a keeper with some reptile experience more than a total beginner. Balancing humidity with strong ventilation takes attention. A first time owner willing to research setup carefully can still succeed with one.

What is the ideal emerald tree skink enclosure size?

Plan for at least 18 by 18 by 36 inches for a single adult. A pair or small group needs more floor space and height. Height matters more than footprint since this is an arboreal species.

Do emerald tree skinks like to be handled?

Not particularly. They are fast, easily stressed, and prone to biting or dropping the tail when grabbed. Most keepers treat them as a display animal rather than a pet for regular handling.

How much does an emerald tree skink cost?

Prices are generally lower than many popular pet lizards. Captive bred animals typically cost more than older wild caught imports. Budget separately for a tall, well planted enclosure, UVB lighting, and ongoing feeder insects.

Can you keep emerald tree skinks together?

Yes, this species tolerates group housing better than many skinks. It usually works best as one male with several females in a large enough enclosure. Two males together tend to fight, so avoid pairing males.

Are emerald tree skinks poisonous?

No, emerald tree skinks are not venomous or poisonous to people. They may bite in self defense if grabbed, which can pinch but is not dangerous.