Their name describes their large, flat, cobalt blue, notched tongue. Bluetongued bt skinks are mild mannered, social lizards native to the semidesert and open woodland regions of australia, new guinea, and tasmania. A single adult blue tongue should be kept in, at a minimum, an enclosure measuring 3 feet long by 18 inches wide a common size available at pet stores. Eastern blue tongue lizards do not have well developed teeth but can bite very well, and have a habit of biting and not letting go. The blue tongued skink is a large, diurnal lizard, whose appetite for slugs and snails makes it a favorite pet among gardeners in australia. Herpetologists, though, are now concerned that blue tongue numbers in some locations may be in decline. Habitat, diet, common myths, diseases and where to buy skinks all included paperback. So reptifiles did the research for you check out our blue tongue skink care sheet here. Some things you can do to keep tabs on your blue tongue skink s health. Blue tongue skinks are live bearing and babies will be just a few inches long, but grow up to 18 to 24 inches including tail. They are commonly called blue tongued lizards or simply blue tongues or blueys in australia. Intelligence and interactivity hello all, ive been interested in owning a bts for years now, and i have some questions about what its like to have one as a pet.
Due to extremely strict regulations prohibiting the export of native australian wildlife, most blue tongue skinks available in the united states are either wildcaught indonesian or captivebred northern australian imported before the ban. Individual skinks color patterns are extremely variable and individuals may be. I will stress to read, ask questions, and research as much as possible before purchasing your first skink. The blue tongued skink is an interesting animal to own, and is not too difficult to care for. The blue tongued skink was a former pet, donated to curiodyssey in feb. Our articles are free for you to copy and distribute.
We take pride in our quality blue tongued skinks and amazing customer service. As pets, they rank high on the list as a result of their gentile demeanor, appearance, and ease of care. The blue tongue skinks characteristic blue tongue is a defense mechanism. Skinks are easyto care for, lowmaintenance lizards, and make good pets for children and beginners, as long as owners are prepared for their relatively large size compared to other pet lizards. We are the most comprehensive group of sites on the web with the largest collective knowledgebase in the world. Again there are many different methods of succesfully housing blue tongue skinks this is just the way that i do it and recommend. The blue eastern blue tongue skink grows to 4045cm long 442 sexual dimorphism ways to tell if its a male or female. Considering the size of its body, the blue tongue skink has very tiny feet and legs. As such they require a warm basking area of 100 o f during the day. A complete guide to owning and caring for the blue tongued skink.
Provide hiding areas consisting of branches andor hide box. Thanks for watching and please rate, comment and subscribe for more awesome videos. Care of the blue tongued skink the blue tongued skink tiliqua spp. The eastern blue tongue was the first australian reptile to be described. This care sheet applies specifically to the northern bluetongued skink, but most species and subspecies of bluetongued skinks can be kept using these. Create a dense leafy area for hiding and another area for basking. The blue skink reptiles do have a specific personality of their own involving individual habits and preferences for food and drink. We try to provide this heat over of the enclosure while letting the rest of the enclosure cool to 80 o f on the opposite side.
Bt skinks can reach lengths of up to 27 inches and with proper care these lizards can live for 20 years or more. Not finding the particular blue tongued skink for sale that you are interested in or have questions about the blue tongued skink morphs available. Bluetongued skinks require a large enclosure, such as a 40 to 55gallon tank, with a secure lid. Maintain night temperature range between 1820c 6568f.
Handling breeding care for young adult care determining gender. Handling most will become tame with regular handling. We have captive bred pink tongue skinks for sale that are captive bred beauties. Blue tongue skinks are native to australia, new guinea and islands of. Give your pet a few days to adjust to the changed surroundings and get accustomed to you before you handle them.
Australian blue tongued skink lizard care sheet australian blue tongue skinks or lizards are a not only a great pet but also a good choice of lizard for the beginner. They display their tongue to frighten off predators. Care should be taken that they do not ingest this substrate when they eat. As suggested by these common names, a prominent characteristic of the genus is a large blue tongue that can be bared as a bluffwarning to potential enemies.
They are commonly called bluetongued lizards or simply bluetongues or blueys in australia. Hi does anyone know what type of australian cat or dog food i should feed my eastern blue tongue skink. The vivarium must be secure to prevent escape and free from hazards. Care and diet information general caresheet bts species descriptions from speciesspecific caresheet additions eastern tiliqua scincoides scincoides diet chart. Blue tongued skinks also require uvb lighting to thrive and be healthy. The bluetongued skink is an interesting animal to own, and is not too difficult to care for. Pdf environmental enrichment for captive eastern bluetongue. The most common in captivity is the northern blue tongue skink, but this caresheet can apply to most species and subspecies of blue tongued skink. Average lifespan is 1520 years, although individuals as old as 35 and potentially beyond are becoming more common as captive care standards improve. A day temperature should range between 2535c 77 to 95 f. As juveniles half of their diet comes from insects, whereas adults should eat proportionately more plant matter. Its hard to find good info on caring for blue tongue skinks. Not finding the particular bluetongued skink for sale that you are interested in or have questions about the. If you do this, you will soon have a very lazy, tame and friendly skink.
Reptilinks offers a 5050 omnivore blend made with whole rabbit, green beans, collard greens, dandelion greens, and. Displaying a gentle personality, the bluetongued skink is one of the most fascinating reptiles and a docile creature in wildlife. The ultimate guide to blue tongue skink care reptifiles. Bluetongued skink tiliqua scincoides intermedia this care sheet applies specifically to the northern bluetongued skink, but most species and subspecies of bluetongued skinks can be kept using these guidelines.
This sheet is 100% devoted to the beginner bts owner, and its contents are intended for the care of captive bred bts kept in indoor terraria. Pink tongue skink buddy by anzenix thu apr 02, 2020 4. Bluetongued skinks are omnivorous reptiles that eat a wide variety of vegetables and animal protein. This will allow time for any faults to develop and be fixed and for you to learn how to maintain the system before the animal arrives. Like their bluetongue friends, pink tongues can be beneficial to the garden, choosing a semiomnivorous diet including slugs, snails and other insects. To ensure the blue tongue skink can thermo regulate effectively there should be a thermal gradient provided by using a basking light at one end of the vivarium. The blue tongued skinks are represented by a variety of species, subspecies and races native to australia, new guinea and indonesia. The eastern bluetongued skink is a large, docile lizard with a thick tail and short but sturdy limbs. We take pride in our quality bluetongued skinks and amazing customer service.
They are very intelligent and can learn to recognise sounds as well as people and can even be house trained with persistent lessons. They are common residents in home gardens and will. These skinks are extremely hardy and do very well in the terrarium. Blue tongued skinks comprise the australasian genus tiliqua, which contains some of the largest members of the skink family scincidae. Join requests must answer the questions before approval can be granted. I hope you guys enjoy this video of me teaching you how to properly take care of a blue tongue skink, if you have any questions feel free to ask me in. In your first handling, do not exceed ten minutes, and during the process, hold the blue tongue skink near to the floor or on a bed, so that you do not drop it. Naturally, bluetongued skinks spend a long time basking in the full heat of the sun. Skinks are easytocarefor, lowmaintenance lizards, and make good pets for children and beginners, as long as owners are prepared for their relatively large size compared to other pet lizards. Wildscreens arkive project was launched in 2003 and grew to become the worlds biggest encyclopaedia of life on earth.
Blue tongued skink care caring for reptile pet blue tongue skinks. The eastern blue tongue skink or the common blue tongue skink as it is known in australia is anything but common outside of its native home land. Care of the blue tongued skink the bluetongued skink tiliqua spp. Blue tongue skink care guide exotic animal care paperback.
They tame easily and are able to be handled by careful small children. Australian cities are the only major cities in the world that have resident lizards this size adults can grow up to 60 cms in length. Bluetongued skinks are ideal for beginners, as they have loads of personality and great dispositions. Part of a family that contains more than 600 species of lizards, the australia native large blue tongued skinks can be found lingering in coastal or forested zones in interior parts of australia. They are thriving on wet cat food, crickets and waxworms. Bluetongue skinks are very docile, curious lizards. These grounddwelling diurnal skinks have tiny legs and feet, heavy bodies, and a large, blue tongue that can be bared. Jun 25, 20 this is how to care for a blue tongue skink. Blue tongue skink care sheet and information on habitat, tank setup, handling, food feeding, health, breeding, blue tongue skink pet care tips.
Apr 10, 2012 blue tongued skink tiliqua scincoides intermedia this care sheet applies specifically to the northern blue tongued skink, but most species and subspecies of blue tongued skinks can be kept using these guidelines. Provide a basking area on the warm side around 9095f. Naturally, blue tongued skinks spend a long time basking in the full heat of the sun. They are common residents in home gardens and will help control the snail population in a garden. What they have in common is a striking deep blue tongue that looks as if theyve been eating. A complete guide to owning and caring for the bluetongued skink. They dont require much maintenance and can live for up to 30 years in captivity. To achieve this we attach a strong basking lamp to the ceiling of the enclosure on one side. This species is generally gray or graybrown with narrow dark bands of irregular shape across the back. Blue tailed skink care sheet caging needed appropriate size habitat for adult skink to exercise and roam. Blue tongued bt skinks are mild mannered, social lizards native to the semidesert and open woodland regions of australia, new guinea, and tasmania. The substrate bedding can consist of aspen wood shavings, cypress mulch, or even newspaper.
When considering a blue tongued skink as a pet, its important to be aware of a few. This was done by hunter in 1790 scincoides means skink like. While the adult size of these animals will vary based on species and sex, most adult blue tongue skins are between 14 and 18 inches in total length. Bluetongued skinks comprise the australasian genus tiliqua, which contains some of the largest members of the skink family scincidae. Therefore, if you are looking for ways to bond with your blue tongue lizard, you must determine the things that it likes and dislikes.
Depending on species, blue tongue skinks generally measure between 15. Diet bluetongued skinks are omnivorous reptiles that eat a wide variety of vegetables and animal protein. Apr 22, 2014 the newest edition the highly regarded advanced vivarium systems series, blue tongued skinks is an essential guide to keeping these eyecatching reptiles. Schneiders skink, berber skink, dotted skink latin name. Blue tongue skink name derives from the cobalt blue tongue. It is your responsibility as a reptile owner to prevent illness, and be able to tell when your skink gets sick or injured. Look at the toes and soles of the feet a skink with a shedding problem will gather skin on toes and eyelids or have stunted toes and no eyelids. Can be anywhere from seven to 24 inches in length depending on specific species of blue tongue skink.
As juveniles half of their diet comes from insects, whereas. My first pet was a leopard gecko that i owned many years ago. Two of the more common varieties in the pet trade are the northern, tiliqua scincoides intermedia, and irian jaya, an undescribed t. A healthy blue tongue skink will be active, flicking out its tongue and looking inquisitive. Can be anywhere from seven to 24 inches in length depending on specific species of bluetongue skink. Even for a juvenile we recommend a 36x18x18 diurnal setup. They come from new guinea and australia, and can get over a foot long. Baby bluetongues should be housed singly in plastic reptile enclosures, terrariums or 20gallon aquariums with full screen tops. With the help of over 7,000 of the worlds best wildlife filmmakers and photographers, conservationists and scientists, arkive. The newest edition the highly regarded advanced vivarium systems series, bluetongued skinks is an essential guide to keeping these eyecatching reptiles. The schneiders skink is a long tubular skink with sandy coloration. Arcadias omni gold blue tongue skink diet is also really good if you can get your hands on it, and herpavet lizard food by vetafarm is popular in australia. They even have a blue tongue skinkspecific formula.
The bluetongued skinks are represented by a variety of species, subspecies and races native to australia, new guinea and indonesia. If you do your blue tongue skink wil thrive under your care and be an amazing pet for many years to come. The bluetongued skink is a large, diurnal lizard, whose appetite for slugs and snails makes it a favorite pet among gardeners in australia. Part of a family that contains more than 600 species of lizards, the australia native large bluetongued skinks can be found lingering in coastal or forested zones in interior parts of australia. They are gentle, and have a spectacular appearance. Bluetongue skink care sheet bringing your lizard home set up the vivarium and run it for a minimum of one week prior to introducing your skink. Hi omar, try reptiles shows if the stores in your area dont have them or online at sites like or. Kept properly, bluetongued skinks can live for 15 to 20 years, and possibly longer. When frightened, the bluetongued skink opens its mouth and sticks out its tongue as a warning. Bluetongued skinks are from australia, new guinea, tasmania, and indonesia and have. Detailed blue tongue skink caresheet bluetongueskinks. Typically found in southern australia and tasmania. The irian jaya has yet to be scientifically classified, but is arguably a different species from the other recognized members of the genus.
Nov 16, 2017 i hope you guys enjoy this video of me teaching you how to properly take care of a blue tongue skink, if you have any questions feel free to ask me in the comments blue tongue skink food chart. Appearance as their name suggests, bluetongued skinks have a blue tongue that they use to catch prey, and keep their eyes clean. It has a colorful cobalt blue tongue it uses in a dramatic fashion to startle, distract, and ward off predators. This is a brief guide to preventing, recognizing, and treating some of the most common illnesses and conditions seen in captive blue tongue skinks. Lets start off by saying if youre considering a reptile as a pet, the blue tongue skink is a terrific choice. If you need information on blue tongue skinks, or if you have questions about them.
Tiliqua scincoides scindoides does not get as big as northerns however they are still considered a large skink. Lets start off by saying if youre considering a reptile as. The bluetongued skink was a former pet, donated to curiodyssey in feb. Blue tongued skinks are ideal for beginners, as they have loads of personality and great dispositions. Displaying a gentle personality, the blue tongued skink is one of the most fascinating reptiles and a docile creature in wildlife. Whatever you choose, make sure your skink is not eating it or your lizard could get an intestinal blockage. Pdf eastern bluetongue lizards tiliqua scincoides are kept in zoos and. They average 1820 inches in length and are found throughout eastern australia.
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