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 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.
Do Baby Blue Tongue Lizards need to be saved?
Baby blue-tongues don’t need rescuing. They are born independent. Like the French, blue-tongues see snails as a delicacy. So don’t use snail pellets around your yard. If a poisoned snail is eaten by a blue-tongue, the lizard could die. Be careful when you use lawn mowers and whipper snippers. Lots of lizards are killed or injured by them.
What should I do if there's a blue-tongue lizard in my backyard?
There’s a blue-tongue lizard in my backyard, what should I do? The first thing to do is, relax! Blue-tongue lizards are not poisonous and do not pose any threat to people or their pets.
Will rodent bait kill Blue Tongue Lizards?
Rodent baits are unlikely to impact on blue-tongue lizards, but they may affect owls or any other animals if they eat the lizards. Q: I use weed killers in my backyard.
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How do you save a blue tongue lizard?
The best option is to remove the danger to the lizard, such as by securing your pets (if they might be threatening the lizard), or letting the lizard move on of its own accord. However, if you feel the lizard is in immediate danger in your yard, you can relocate it as a last resort.
What human food can blue tongue lizards eat?
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. In addition, small amounts of moistened dog kibble and canned dog food may be given occasionally.
What do I do if my blue tongue lizard isn't eating?
If your blue tongue skink is refusing to eat, then it could be due to low temperatures in the tank. Blue tongue skinks need high temperatures in a basking spot to digest their food.
Can you feed blue tongue lizards?
Adult, Blue-tongued skinks can be fed every one to two days, while juveniles can be fed daily.
Can blue tongues eat raw mince?
While skinks are in their natural habitat in the wild, they do eat raw meat.
Can blue tongue skinks eat raw mince?
Can blue tongue skinks eat raw meat? No, blue tongue skinks should not eat raw meat such as chicken, turkey etc. This is because raw meat poses a big risk of contamination.
How do you make a blue tongue eat?
The Best Food for Blue Tongue Skinks, Hands-Down Fruit and Veggies: Remember to keep fruit to a minimum and stick mostly to veggies. The best vegetables for blue tongue skinks are collard greens, dandelion greens, green beans, arugula, mustard greens, and endive. The best fruits are berries, squash, apple, and papaya.
Do lizards eat raw meat?
Yes, they can. Some beardies will eat raw meat such as minced beef, lean turkey, or chicken breast.
How can you tell if a blue tongue lizard is dehydrated?
Dehydration Blue tongue skinks have wide alert eyes to notice all the small movements. But when they are dehydrated, their eyes will seem droopy and have slight haziness.
Does Blue Tongue drink water?
Juvenile blue-tongues should be fed daily and adults can be offered food every second day. Fresh water should be available to the lizard at all times and changed daily.
What dog food can blue tongue skinks eat?
What dog food should you get for your blue tongue skink?as much of whole animal as possible (not just meat but bones, tissues, cartilage)meat including poultry, rabbit, lamb, bison, and even kangaroo.good calcium-phosphorus ratio (2:1)
Can blue tongue skinks eat eggs?
Can blue tongue skinks eat eggs? Yes! Skinks commonly eat eggs out of nests in the wild, so you can safely feed your pet skink eggs every once in a while. Whether cooked or raw, you can safely feed BTS chicken or quail eggs.
What can blue tongue skinks eat?
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.
Can blue tongue skinks eat hard boiled eggs?
Yes, you can offer your blue tongue skink eggs as a treat every once per month or so. However, eggs are very high in fat and cholesterol, which can contribute to obesity and other related health problems.
Can blue tongue skinks eat cucumbers?
Peas, green beans, corn, squash, carrots, sweet potato, cucumber, zucchini, green peppers and parsley can also be added. Adult skinks prefer their salad coarsely chopped, while juveniles prefer finely chopped greens. Fruit should make up no more then 5-10% of the diet.
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 are some foods that can be eaten by blue tongues?
Live foods include; snails, crickets, woodies, mealworms (in moderation) and silkworms. All live foods should be dusted with a calcium and multivitamin powder before being offered to the blue-tongue. Blue-tongues are relatively slow-moving and may have trouble catching faster insects such as crickets and woodies.
How often should I feed a lizard?
Commercially available lizard pellets can also be mixed through the chopped fruits and vegetables to provide extra nutrition to the lizard. Juvenile blue-tongues should be fed daily and adults can be offered food every second day. Fresh water should be available to the lizard at all times and changed daily.
What is a blue tongue?
Blue-tongues are active, diurnal reptiles that spend considerable time basking and foraging for food during the day. Blue-tongues are solitary animals and should generally be housed on their own. Having more than one blue-tongue in an enclosure may lead to dominance and aggression issues.
What are the health issues of blue tongues?
Common health issues in Blue-tongues. Intestinal Parasites (worms): Blue-tongue s are susceptible to worms, including the potentially fatal coccidiosis organism. Faecal checks and worming can be carried out by an experienced reptile veterinarian.
What is the best source of heat for blue tongues?
Recommended sources of heat include the use of incandescent, halogen and ceramic (night time) globes along with a heat mat as a secondary source of heating. Ultraviolet light (UV) plays an important role in a blue-tongues growth and development. A 5.0 UVB tube or compact globe must be used as a source of artificial UV lighting in ...
How often should I light blue tongue?
Blue-tongue ’s should also have access to unfiltered, natural light at least once or twice a week. They also require a ‘day and night’ cycle with heat and UV lights running for approximately 10-12 hours each day, set on a timer.
Is a blue tongue lizard poisonous?
First off - don't panic, they are not poisonous and they greatest defence is bluff! Blue-tongue lizards are an asset in the garden as they keep the numbers of snails, caterpillars and other pests down. It's not hard to make your garden blue-tongue lizard friendly. They just need is plenty of shelter and food.
Australian Blue tongue lizard,please help he was injured
The other day I found a bluey inside my veranda and I found my dogs trying to attack him, there was a lot of blood on the ground.
Re: Australian Blue tongue lizard,please help he was injured
Okay just take a deep breath. Because blue tongue skinks are a native australian animal, the best thing you can do is either contact your local wildlife rescue or you can actually take him straight to a vet and they will either treat him or take him to a rescue with a reptile vet and you won't be charged.
Re: Australian Blue tongue lizard,please help he was injured
First off, Aussie Blue tongues are usually larger than American ones. American importing from Australia was banned, so they have a limited stock. My Eastie is almost 2ft long, weighs about 700 grams. with her tail on my foot she comes up to my knee. Also has a POWERFUL bite.
RobRoySyd Member
This guys been around our area for while, seems to have found himself enough snails and gets the odd tidbit from us. Couple of days ago I saw him again and most of his tail is gone, looks like its been bitten off. I know he wanders into a neighbours place and they have two pugs who might have been the culprits.
bboredd Member
I've tried stomach tubing one BTL that lost its tail with hills A/D slurry but that fella died from infection/septicaemia eventually. Cut him open to find him all black around the area where the tail had been lost. Hope your fella fares better.
millhouse Chief Tiger Dentist
Take him to your local vet and discuss the situation, let them know you are happy to (if you are) to take care of him. They may be able to suggest some experienced carers in your area that could help. You may be able to buy some meds off them that could help.
RobRoySyd Member
After my original post I went looking for the BT in the pipe he'd been using as a home and he was gone. I had pretty mixed feelings about that, at least I didn't know he was dead but if I couldn't find him there was nothing much more I could do.
TERRA Operative Member
We used to get blue tounges at my old place in Adelaide (we backed onto a reserve). They used to go wild for banana. If there was banana around they they wouldn't care if you were near or not, as long as they got that banana.
What do blue tongue lizards eat?
Blue-tongue lizards are omnivores and eat insects as well as fruits and vegetables. They like hide under vegetation, in hollow logs, under debris and even in drain pipes.
When do blue tongue lizards come out of hibernation?
Spring is when you might spot one of Australia’s most iconic reptiles – the blue-tongue lizard. This is when they start to come out of brumation – the lizard equivalent of hibernation – to warm up their cold blooded bodies, so it’s not uncommon to spot one sunning itself on your pavers at this time of year.
How to keep lizards out of my yard?
To keep lizards safe in your yard, provide them with hiding spots. For example, try putting pieces of PVC pipe into rockeries or garden beds for them to crawl into.
What to do if a lizard is in a tank?
The best thing to do would be to put the lizard back where it came from, in your backyard. Keeping it in a tank could be stressful for the lizard, and it may be unintentionally making things worse. In its own territory, the lizard knows where to find food and shelter.
How to get a blue tongue to move away?
To encourage it to move away, you can leave a clear path from where it's residing to the door, and make sure any pets are out of the room too. If the blue-tongue won't leave it's current residence under yourwashing machine on its own accord, you may need to pick it up and relocate it to a nicer place in your backyard.
Do blue tongues have a home range?
Blue-tongues have a home range. This means that if the lizard lives in your backyard, the front yard will be totally foreign to it, so it won’t know where to find food, shelter, and water, and will be more prone to predators. For this reason, it’s best to avoid moving them.
Can you leave lizards alone?
Hi there, thanks for your question. While it's always best to leave lizards alone, if you feel that it's in immediate danger you can move it. A good way to go about this is by getting an open cardboard box and putting it on its side next to the lizard.
How to care for a blue tongue skink?
Some things you can do to keep tabs on your blue tongue skink’s health: 1 Weigh them weekly – sudden weight loss often indicates illness. 2 Keep a weekly record of weight, feeding habits, behavior, shedding, etc. 3 Prepare a reptile first-aid kit so you won’t be left scrambling if your skink becomes sick or injured
How to keep blue tongue skinks healthy?
Some things you can do to keep tabs on your blue tongue skink’s health: Weigh them weekly – sudden weight loss often indicates illness. Keep a weekly record of weight, feeding habits, behavior, shedding, etc. Prepare a reptile first-aid kit so you won’t be left scrambling if your skink becomes sick or injured.
What should I do if I see a blue tongue lizard in my backyard?
There’s a blue-tongue lizard in my backyard, what should I do? The first thing to do is, relax! Blue-tongue lizards are not poisonous and do not pose any threat to people or their pets.
Why do blue tongue lizards come out?
Blue-tongue lizards are slow moving and are not aggressive. They live under rocks or in crevices and come out during the day to sunbake and look for prey . If they are threatened or cornered they open their mouth wide and stick out their tongue to frighten off potential predators.
How to keep blue tongue lizards away from pets?
A: A great way to provide blue-tongue lizards with some shelter away from your pets is to place pieces of PVC pipe around your yard for it to crawl into should it feel it's in danger.
What is a blue tongue lizard?
Here are the answers to some of your most frequently asked questions. Blue-tongue lizards are one of Australia’s most familiar reptiles, and provide a valuable pest control service to your home, snacking on snails, caterpillars, insects and other garden pests. As the weather warms up, blue-tongue lizards come out of brumation ...
How long does a lizard's brumation last?
The length of brumation varies between lizards, and can last up to 12 weeks. On warm winter days you may see them basking in the sun, but by late September/early October, the brumation period ends and you’ll see them emerging and back in their usual location.
How to pick up a lizard?
Then, when picking it up, make it feel as safe as possible. Start by gently holding, then lifting, the lizard from behind its head. Supporting its legs – so it still feels connected to something solid – will help to make it feel more comfortable.
Where do lizards hide?
They may hide under vegetation, in hollow logs, under debris and even in drain pipes. If, during brumation, the lizard is finding that the spot it has chosen to stay is not suitable – it may be too warm or too cold, or if they feel in danger – they will seek out a new place to stay.
Do lizards have a licence?
If you suspect the person selling the lizards doesn’t have a licence, or is taking them from the wild, you can ask them about their licence.
Can you kiss a lizard?
A: Like any animal, lizards can carry pathogens, particularly salmonella (which every animal has in its faeces) so normal hygiene practices should be followed. It’s not recommend that you kiss a wild lizard (or any other wild animals for that matter), because you don’ t know what diseases it might be carrying.
Blue-Tongue Feeding
Blue-Tongue Licensing
- All native reptiles are protected in NSW and a Reptile Keeper's licence must be obtained from the Office of Environment and Heritage to own one as a pet. You can apply for a licence online through the OEH website or alternatively, our specialist reptile staff would be more than happy to assist you in applying for your licence in-store.
Blue-Tongues in Your Garden
- What do you do if you find a Blue-tonguein your garden? First off - don't panic, they are not poisonous and they greatest defence is bluff! Blue-tongue lizards are an asset in the garden as they keep the numbers of snails, caterpillars and other pests down. It's not hard to make your garden blue-tongue lizard friendly. They just need is plenty of shelter and food. Lots of rocks an…
Common Health Issues in Blue-Tongues
- Intestinal Parasites (worms): Blue-tongues are susceptible to worms, including the potentially fatal coccidiosis organism. Faecal checks and worming can be carried out by an experienced reptile veterinarian. Dysecdysis (Abnormal Shedding): Low humidity levels can sometimes result in a dragon having an ‘incomplete’ shed. Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD): Calcium or vitamin D3 …
Red Flags
- Is your Blue-tongueshowing any of the signs of disease or illness? If yes, please consult your reptile vet. At Kellyville Pets, we encourage responsible pet ownership. CARE GUIDE © Copyright 2016 Kellyville Pets - All information found in this care guide is based upon our own experience. The information provided is not the only information available. In any medical situations, you sh…