Roach crocodile
| Roach crocodile | ||||||||||||
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Roach crocodile ( Tribolonotus gracilis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Tribolonotus gracilis | ||||||||||||
| De Rooij , 1909 |
The roach crocodile ( Tribolonotus gracilis ) does not belong to the crocodiles , but to the genus of the helmet skink ( Tribolonotus ). It is therefore also called red-eye helmet skink or orange-eye helmet skink .
This helmet skink is native to New Guinea.
features
Due to its crocodile-like appearance, the roach crocodile got its name in German and also in English ( Crocodile Skink ). It is (observed in the terrarium) up to approx. 10 years old and reaches a size of approx. 17–20 cm, body length 9–11 cm. Tribolonotus gracilis differs from other Tribolonotus species in that it has four rows of large scales on its back, other species only have one or two such rows. In addition to Tribolonotus gracilis , there are also four dorsal rows in Tribolonotus novaeguineae , also native to New Guinea.
The male skinks become sexually mature at around three years of age. In the males there are almost white pores between the third and fourth toes of the hind legs. The dark tail color on the belly side slowly changes into a lighter color. The female skinks become sexually mature at around four to five years of age. In the females there is an abrupt color change on the belly side. Sexual maturity can be recognized as the animals have a noticeable yellow-orange spot on their chin.
The female lays one egg every 9-10 weeks, up to ten eggs a year. The laying of individual eggs is a characteristic of the genus Tribolonotus . One species, Tribolonotus schmidti, is viviparous , but even with this species only individual young are born. The left side of the ovary and fallopian tubes of the female are stunted, also a peculiarity of the entire genus. The egg weighs between two and four grams and is 8-20 mm in size. Hatched young animals are about 4.0–7.5 cm tall and differ from the parent animals.
Way of life
The skink is naturally very shy, active at twilight and nocturnal, lives on streams, rivers or waterfalls. He's an excellent swimmer, but he also climbs rocks and branches.
The bush crocodile feeds on insects. Little is known about the ecology in the field.
Temperature of the living space: during the day max. 25 ° C, sunny spot approx. 28 ° C, at night 20 ° C
Protection status: EC regulation 318/2008 Appendix D. Some herpetologists do not recognize this species and use it as a synonym for Tribolonotus novaeguineae .
literature
- Nelly de Rooij: The Reptiles of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. I. Lacertilia, Chelonia, Emydosauria. EJ Brill, Leyden 1915, pp. 281-282
- Michael Evers: The bush crocodile - secret beauty in the terrarium. Reptilia, Issue No. 58, April / May 2006, Volume 11 (2), pages 55-60
- Jochen Meyer: Some remarks on the keeping and breeding of skullcaps of the species Tribolonotus Gracilis (De Rooij, 1909) Herpetofauna No. 139 (24th year, August 2002), pages 28–34
- P. Charlier: Keeping and breeding of the New Guinea "bush crocodile" Tribolonotus gracilis Elaphe, issue No. 3 from 1999, pages 23-24