- Blue tongue skinks need to eat 40-45% protein – bugs mainly, and some meat, dog/cat food. Please remember that live bugs have to be gut-loaded (read below).
- 50% – veggies and greens
- 5-10% fruit
- For baby and juvenile blue tongue skinks of up to 5 months old – offer 50% protein, 40-45% veggies and greens, and 5-10% fruit
- Shingleback skinks ( Tiliqua rugosa) – will need to eat less protein – around 30%. They also tend to be hungrier, so feed adults 2 times a week.
What do Blue Tongue Lizards eat?
Blue-tongued lizards are omnivores. Garden snails are their ideal food, but they will also enjoy most varieties of fruits and veggies. For a treat, feed them crickets and mice which you can buy at your local Petbarn store. Blue-tongues usually eat from late morning through to midday after getting some sun.
How much to feed a blue tongue skink?
Blue tongue skinks don’t need to eat much at all, but offer babies (under 3 months old) as much as they can eat, 2-3 times a day, 6 days a week. In general, adult blue tongue skink’s portion size should be 1-2 tablespoons of food. What is the best time to feed a blue tongue skink?
How to get a blue tongue lizard licence?
You can then apply for your licence online or call the provided number. Blue-tongued lizards are omnivores. Garden snails are their ideal food, but they will also enjoy most varieties of fruits and veggies. For a treat, feed them crickets and mice which you can buy at your local Petbarn store.
What to do when baby blue tongue skinks are born?
Once baby blue tongue skinks are born, you need to house them separately from their mother and let her start eating properly again and gain any weight that she has lost over the months. She also needs to replenish her nutrients, so make sure to continue feeding nutritious foods.
See more
What can I feed my baby blue tongue skink?
Blue-tongue skinks are omnivores. Their diet should consist of 50% fresh vegetables, 40% protein, and 10% fresh fruit. Feed green leafy produce, legumes and other vegetables, an animal protein source, and a small amount of fruit enhancement to their salads.
How much do you feed a baby blue tongue skink?
Blue tongue skinks don't need to eat much at all, but offer babies (under 3 months old) as much as they can eat, 2-3 times a day, 6 days a week. In general, adult blue tongue skink's portion size should be 1-2 tablespoons of food.
How often should you feed a baby blue tongue skink?
Baby skinks under 5 months old will need to eat every day with one day of fasting. Offer as much food as a baby will eat two to three times per day to encourage proper growth and nutrition.
Can blue tongue skinks have baby food?
Yes, your blue tongue skink can eat cat food, but dog food is more suitable. Cat foods are often higher in protein than dog foods. You can offer cat food to baby skinks under 5 months, sick and skinny skinks.
How do you raise a baby blue tongue skink?
0:433:51BABY BLUE TONGUE SKINK DIET - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd what I do with this is I chop it up a little dish for them I give it to them every second orMoreAnd what I do with this is I chop it up a little dish for them I give it to them every second or third day. This helps them really put on the mass. And get growing real quick.
How do you take care of a baby blue tongue lizard?
Blue Tongue Care Blue-tongues require a basking spot maintained between 30-35˚C. They should have access to an elevated piece of flat timber or rock ornament to allow them to bask closer to the heat source. The cool end of the enclosure should be maintained between 24-26˚C and should not drop below 18-21˚C at night.
What vegetables can a blue tongue skink eat?
Items such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, bell-pepper, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, parsnips, sweet potato, spring greens, pumpkin and turnip are also good for occasional feeding, to help keep a picky vegetable dodger happy.
Can blue tongue skinks eat apples?
Bluetongues are omnivores and should be offered a variety of foods such as insects e.g. crickets, worms, snails and slugs. They will eat a range of chopped fruits and vegetables including dandelion, milk thistle, watercress, banana, apple, pawpaw, pear, green beans, carrots, alfafa sprouts, parsley and tomato.
How long can blue-tongues go without food?
A blue tongue skink can go weeks without eating – blue tongue skinks during brumation can go up to 3 months without food. However, this is not recommended outside brumation – babies will not survive for too long because they don't have as much internal fat storage as adults.
What do baby skinks like to eat?
Skinks love: Eating insects – crickets, moths and cockroaches are favourites.
What can you feed baby skinks?
As juveniles, half of their diet should come from insects, whereas adults should eat proportionately more plant matter. Adult, Blue-tongued skinks can be fed every one to two days, while juveniles can be fed daily. The bulk of the diet (45-60%) should consist of greens.
What do baby lizards eat?
Baby garden lizards usually eat insects and only a few fruits and vegetables. Flightless fruit flies, pinhead crickets, and bottle fly spikes are the best insects for baby lizards. Baby lizards are growing faster than adults and need to eat more often.
Should I Feed My skink everyday?
Don't overdo the greens though. 6-12 months: If deemed healthy by a herp vet, your Blue-tongued skink can now be fed with insects, greens and vegetables but every other day. 12 months +: Again, if deemed healthy, feeding three times a week is plenty following the insect, greens and vegetable diet.
How often do you feed a skink?
For each feeding, a ratio of 50 percent vegetables/greens, 40 percent protein and 10 percent fruit is ideal. Adult blue-tongued skinks should be fed every two to three days. Young blue-tongues do best when fed every other day. Feed them as much as they will eat in one sitting.
How often do blue tongue lizards eat?
Feeding. Feed your adult bluetongue every two days in warm weather, in colder weather every three days. Remember — if the enclosure temperature is not right your bluetongue may refuse to eat. Bluetongues are omnivores and should be offered a variety of foods such as insects e.g. crickets, worms, snails and slugs.
How many gallons does a blue tongue skink need?
The minimum would be 30 gallons, that is 24 inches (46cm) long, 18 inches (46cm) wide, and 15 inches (38cm) high. The bare minimum for an adult blue tongue skink is 40 gallons, that is at least 36 inches (91.5cm) long, 18 inches (46cm) wide and 15-18 inches (38-46cm) high.
What do blue tongue lizards drink?
Blue tongue lizards drink water from a bowl and will also get in to soak. The best type of a water dish for your blue tongue skink is a large water dish that your blue tongue can fit in at least partially. So, choose an extra large water dish like this, that will be big in size and sturdy.
What to feed blue tongue skink?
Please feed your blue tongue skink mainly live feeder bugs for protein. Gut-loaded bugs will provide correct nutrition and allow your skink to exercise. On top of insects, you can sometimes feed cat or dog food, some cooked lean meat and raw or cooked eggs (treat). If cooking eggs, don’t use any oil or seasonings.
What supplements can I take for blue tongue skink?
Best supplements that you can get for your blue tongue skink are: Repti-Calcium like this – pure calcium without vitamin D3. Multivitamin by Rep-Cal like this – balanced Ca:P ratio, no vitamin D3. Repashy calcium like this – no vitamin D3. Repashy multivitamins like this.
How to maintain calcium levels in skink lizards?
To maintain optimal levels of calcium in your skink lizard’s body, you should make sure that it doesn’t eat foods with high phosphorus levels. Ideal Ca:P ratio in the diet is 2:1. This is because too much phosphorus will bind calcium and remove it from the body. Over time, this will lead to deficiencies.
What do blue tongue skinks eat?
Blue tongue skinks are omnivores, and in the wild they eat plants, vegetables, fruits, berries, blossoms, dead animals, bugs. As pets, blue tongue skinks can enjoy a big variety of foods, such as live bugs, meat, veggies, greens, dog or cat food, fruits and plants.
Can you buy commercial food for blue tongue skinks?
You can also buy commercial food for your blue tongue skink, to offer on some days for variety or to use when you don’t have time to prepare other food. Few of the best commercial foods that you can find for sale are: Repashy Bluey Buffet like this – a gel premix, omnivore diet.
Can a blue tongue skink eat dog food?
Yes, your blue tongue skink can eat cat or dog food, but there are a lot of rules when choosing right ones. However, only offer dog or cat food occasionally, once a week for young blue tongues and once in 2 weeks for adults. Cat foods tend to be higher in protein than dog food. So, it’s better to stick to dog food.
What Do Baby Skinks Eat In The Wild
Before looking at what do baby skinks eat, first you need to get familiar with their diet in the wild.
What Do Baby Skinks Eat As Pets
Knowing what do baby skinks eat in the wild is as important as knowing what to feed them when kept as a pet. In captivity, baby blue tongue lizard diet slightly varies from that of an adult.
How To Feed A Baby Skink?
Knowing what do baby skinks eat is as important as knowing how to feed them safely. The best way to feed your baby Blue tongue skink is until they are full and then immediately remove any leftovers.
Baby Skinks Diet – Feeding Schedule And Portions
In terms what food portions to feed a baby Blue tongue lizard, the food should be no bigger than the size of their head. Furthermore, each serving should be as big as 1-2 tablespoons of food.
Baby Skink Foods Reccomendations
The following are kitten kibble brands that are perfect for the first 3 months of your skink’s life:
Foods To Avoid Feeding To A Baby Skink
Now that you know what do baby skinks eat, it’s time to learn what foods to avoid such as:
Final Thoughts
Blue tongue skinks are omnivorous by nature. In the wild, they eat a varied diet of dead animals, live bugs, fruits, vegetables, berries and other foods that they come across.
Do Blue Tongue Lizards Eat Vegetables?
Blue tongue lizards can eat vegetables and fruit mix in captivity. They also love to eat a mix of mealworms, crickets, super worms, dubia roaches, and waxworms. It will be best to give them a mixed assortment of chopped-up fruits, vegetables, and a few insects. Vegetables like peas, collard, mustard, and beans are their favorite.
What Vegetables Can Blue Tongue Skinks Eat?
Yes. Blue Tongue lizards and skinks can eat tomatoes safely. Although tomatoes are pretty low in sugar, it supports your lizard heart health. It is also a good source of vitamin A to strengthen your skink immune system reproduction, vision, and growth.
Final Thoughts
Watercress, turnip greens, dandelion greens, endive, escarole, and beet greens can be fed frequently in a week to your blue tongue skinks. However, vegetables like green cabbage, kale, red leaf lettuce, and red cabbage-like vegetables should be fed occasionally, like once in 1-2 weeks.
How many babies do blue tongue skinks have?
Depending on species, blue tongue skinks give birth to around 5-20 babies. Australian blue tongue skinks (Northerns, Easterns, Tanimbars) often have the largest litter of 10-20 babies, also Irian Jaya – 5-15 babies, while Shinglebacks – the smallest often have the smaller litter of around 5.
How old do you have to be to have a blue tongue?
Females must be at least 2 years old, while males – 12 months old. They must also be of similar size. Once the brumation period approaches, you need to stop giving your blue tongue any food so that no food remains in the digestive system. Otherwise, it will rot at low temperatures.
How long do blue tongue skinks stay pregnant?
As mentioned in the beginning, blue tongue skinks are pregnant for about 3-4 months (less commonly 5 months) before giving birth. Make sure to feed your gravid blue tongue skink properly and supplement all her food. Sprinkle calcium on her food 2-3 times a week and multivitamin – 1-2 times a week.
How long does it take for blue tongue skinks to come out of brumation?
Let your blue tongue skinks come out of brumation for around 2-4 weeks, to start eating and warming up properly, before you decide to introduce them for breeding.
How old do blue tongue skinks have to be to breed?
Blue tongue skinks must be at least 24 months old (females) to start breeding. Male blue tongue skinks should be at least 14-15 months old to be able to start breeding.
When is blue tongue skink breeding season?
When blue tongue skink breeding season starts will depend on where you live – in Northern Hemisphere (USA, Canada, Europe etc.) it is around March-April. In Southern Hemisphere (Australia, most of South America and southern countries in Africa) – it’s around September-November.
When to let blue tongue skinks brumate?
If you truly want to succeed at blue tongue skink breeding, you need to let them brumate during winter, for around 2-3 months. In Northern Hemisphere countries such as USA, Canada and European countries – it will be within mid November-February.
