Odd-Chinned Skink (Eugonggylus mentovarius)

Common Name: Mentawai Forest Skink
Scientific Name: Eugongylus mentovarius
Source: WC

Native Range: Mentawai Islands, Indonesia

Enclosure: Tropical forest terrarium; minimum around 60 × 45 × 45 cm with deep substrate, leaf litter, bark and dense cover

Heating: Basking area around 30-32 °C; ambient 24-28 °C; night drop around 20-22 °C

Humidity: 70–90 % with regular misting and good airflow

UVB: Low–moderate UVB 

Diet: Insectivorous; crickets, roaches, worms and other small invertebrates offered regularly

Water: Fresh water dish available; enclosure lightly misted to provide drinking droplets

ABOUT THIS SPECIES

Eugongylus mentovarius is a little-known tropical skink native to the Mentawai Islands off the western coast of Sumatra. Like other members of the genus Eugongylus, it is associated with humid forest habitats where it moves through leaf litter, fallen wood and low vegetation.

This species typically has a slender body with smooth, glossy scales and earthy brown or bronze tones that blend into forest floor debris. Such colouration provides effective camouflage among leaves, bark and soil, helping the skink remain hidden from predators.

Mentawai Forest Skinks are thought to be primarily insectivorous, feeding on small invertebrates encountered while moving through the forest floor. In captivity, setups that replicate a humid forest environment with deep substrate, leaf litter and shaded hiding areas help reflect the conditions these skinks naturally use.