Overall Diet
- Insects. Insects are vital prey for most blue-tailed skinks that live in the wild, and usually form the bulk of their diet.
- Arachnids. Arachnids, such as spiders, scorpions, and daddy longlegs, are also frequent meals of the blue-tailed skink.
- Lizards. ...
- Veggies and fruits. ...
- Soft-Bodied Prey. ...
- Rodents. ...
Are blue tailed lizards and skinks the same thing?
Throughout this article we may refer to this lizard as the Blue Tailed Skink or the Five Lined Skink. These are simply two different common names for the same species. The Blue Tailed Skink belongs to the Scincidae family of lizards. This is simply the scientific name for the Skink family.
What can blue tongue skinks eat and not eat?
What Can You Not Feed A Blue Tongue Lizard? The Best Foods For Blue Tongue Skinks are the best vegetables, like collards, dandelion greens, nal greens, green beans, arugula, mustard greens, and endive. The best fruits are berries, squash, apple, and papaya. Eat onion, avocado, rhubarb, and tomatoes only to the best of your abilities.
Can blue tails skinks eat fruit or vegetables?
Some blue-tailed skinks have a diet that consists of up to 70 percent of green leafy vegetables and fruits. While they prefer insects, they can survive and thrive on a mostly vegetarian diet. If you plan on feeding your skink fruits and veggies, these types are your best bet: Kale.
How long can a blue tongue skink go without food?
How Long Can A Blue Tongue Skink Go Without Food? A blue tongue skink can survive for another 7-21 days without eating in the summer season. In the winter season, they can even go up to three months without food during brumation. Lizards bred in captivity can only go upto a few days without food.
What do I feed a skink?
Pet skinks typically eat a mix of insects, fruits, and commercial foods. Skinks are popular pets like many other lizards....Consider the following foods that pet skinks eat when they're being kept as pets:Crickets.Leafy greens.Strawberries.Pinkie mice.Cockroaches.Grasshoppers.Carrots.Mealworms.More items...•
What vegetables do blue-tailed skinks eat?
Fruits and Veggies Feed your adult Blue Tailed Skink kale, collard greens, red-tipped apple slices, figs, berries, and the occasional apple slices to keep them happy and healthy.
What do blue-tailed skinks need to survive?
Create a dense leafy area for hiding and another area for basking. Provide clean, chlorine-free water in a shallow bowl that cannot be tipped over. Provide 12-14 hrs of light daily. Use a UVB flourescent bulb with full spectrum.
Can you keep a wild blue tailed skink as a pet?
Blue tailed skinks are eye-catching, short-limbed lizards that are easy to keep. There are a few different species known as blue-tailed skinks that people keep as pets. You can recognize Pacific blue-tailed skinks by their bright blue tails.
Can skinks eat fruit?
Field research has shown fruit is a large part of a Blue-tongued skink's natural diet. But it is mostly that of the berry variety. Therefore keeping to the berry theme is ideal, with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries being great options for this part of the diet.
Do skinks eat lettuce?
Yes, your blue tongue skink can eat lettuce, but only small amounts mixed in a salad, and mainly for water. Lettuce of all types is low in nutrition, and too much can also cause diarrhea. Romaine lettuce is the most nutritious of all lettuces.
Do skinks drink water?
lean a small stick in any water bowl – skinks may drink there and be unable to climb out.
What do skinks eat and drink?
This makes many skinks extremely efficient pest controllers in their garden, enjoying meals of crickets, beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, moths and cockroaches.
Can you keep a wild skink as a pet?
Skinks are medium-sized reptiles many enjoy keeping as pets. A skink can be an excellent pet with proper care. Make sure your skink has a comfortable tank with plenty of space to roam and hide. Provide a diet rich in the nutrients a skink needs to thrive.
How can you tell if a blue-tailed lizard is a boy or a girl?
Tail – males have hemipenes (reproductive organs) at the base of the tail. This often creates a bulk at the base of the tail. There might be a bulk to the left and right side, where the hemipenes lay. But the female can have a fat tail, which might make you think it's a male.
Is the blue-tailed skink rare?
The critically endangered blue-tailed skink became virtually extinct back in 2009, but a breeding program run by Parks Australia and Taronga Zoo has seen their numbers swell to about 1,500 in captivity.
Do skinks like to be held?
Blue-tongued skinks are easily tamed and often like to be handled. Although many people don't know what a skink is, they actually make great reptile pets and have become increasingly popular in the past few years.
How do you take care of a wild skink?
Provide your skink with fresh water daily and feed it every two days or so. Keep a shallow water dish in the "cool" side of the tank for your skink to drink from and soak in. Offer live crickets and meal worms to your skink and supplement this diet once in a while with reptile pellets or canned reptile food.
Can I own a skink?
Legality. It is completely legal to own a blue-tongued skink as a personal pet, though they do require special permits to sell.
How long do blue-tailed skinks live?
Blue-tailed skinks usually mate during the spring after they emerge from a period of winter stasis, and lay their eggs under loose soil during June or July when temperatures are ideal. They usually reach sexual maturity around three years of age, and can live as long as 10 years.
Can you keep a wild five lined skink?
Wild skinks should NOT be kept as pets. Those sold in pet stores should NOT be released to the wild as they can introduce diseases to wild and genetically distinct populations.
What do blue tail skinks eat?
Summary. Blue-tailed skinks eat insects, small animals, and plants. While you can technically feed them a wide variety of foods that fit one of these three categories, there are a few options that are safer and healthier than the rest: Crickets. Silkworms.
What is the best food for a blue tail skink?
Crickets are a tasty and healthy meal for blue-tailed skinks. If you plan on using crickets in your lizard’s diet, I recommend Fluker’s Freeze Dried Crickets (available on Amazon). Crickets are one of the primary food sources for blue-tailed skinks in the wild.
What to feed skinks?
If you plan on feeding your skink fruits and veggies, these types are your best bet: 1 Kale 2 Red-tipped lettuce 3 Collard greens 4 Apple slices 5 Berries 6 Figs
What do lizards eat?
Soft-Bodied Prey. A majority of lizards, including blue-tailed skinks, will eat earthworms when the opportunity presents itself. They will also consume small snails and slugs whenever possible. As a rule of thumb, only provide your pet with snails that are the size of their eye or smaller.
How many live larvae are in a Black Soldier pack?
This pack comes with a 500 count of live larvae, so you can expect to have sufficient food to last a couple of weeks.
Do skinks eat insects?
Skinks will even eat the larval forms of these insects, if they can find them. Because of their insectivorous nature, feeding insects to your blue-tailed skink in captivity will mimic its diet in the wild.
Can you feed a blue tail skink spiders?
Some adventurous keepers drop small arachnids into their blue-tailed skink’s tank from time to time. I don’t recommend this . While your skink might have fun catching and eating it, you should generally avoid feeding it spiders or scorpions .
Where do blue tail skinks live?
The Blue-tailed Skink, also known as the ‘Shinning-skink’ or the ‘Christmas Island Blue-tailed’, is a species of skink that is indigenous to the Christmas Island of Australia. Historical data have revealed that, these humble, non-poisonous reptiles were once feral and widespread throughout the island. Though, from around the late 1980s, these creatures started to decline in numbers across the Christmas Island.
Why are skinks' tails blue?
The skink can regenerate its tail. The bright blue pigmentation on the tail is to direct the attention of the predator towards it, instead of the vulnerable body of the skink.
What is the difference between a blue tailed skink and a five-lined skink?
The main physical difference between the blue-tailed skink ( Cryptoblepharus egeriae) with the five-lined skink ( Plestiodon fasciatus) is that, unlike the five-lined skinks, the former is relatively smaller, with a black body having yellow stripes that run down to a bright blue tail.
What is the color of a skink's tail?
Like people often mistake, these skinks are not closely related to the Plestiodon skinks of North America, the juveniles of which are known for their blue tails. A regenerated tail of these skinks are often the color as the body (and not blue), and is also slightly shorter than the original tail.
How long does it take for blue tail skinks to hatch?
They are oviparous and generally lay two eggs at a time. Their hatching period is approximately 75 days.
How much does a skink weigh?
Weight: Average weight of the skinks is about 10-18 ounces. Skin/Coat Color: The baby skinks exhibit a dark black complexion with bright yellow stripes on the back of their necks that run down to the juncture of the tail. Adults begin losing their yellow stripes with age. The black back takes to the brownish side.
What color is the black back of a squid?
The black back takes to the brownish side. During mating season, the neck starts growing a reddish color. Females continue to keep their blue tail throughout their life. Feet: Their feet are fairly long and are almost rectangular in shape with five claws in each foot adapted to grip branches properly.
Background Information
The Pacific blue-tailed skink and American blue-tailed skink are different species of skink, but overlap in many ways.
Physical Description
You can recognize a blue-tailed skink by its bright blue tail and light stripes.
Blue Tailed Skink Buying Tips
When you’re buying a blue-tailed skink, look for reputable reptile breeders in your area.
What Do Blue-Tailed Skinks Eat?
Blue-tailed skinks feed on a wide variety of insects but they also consume other arthropods and even small vertebrates.
Blue-Tailed Skink Habitat and Tank Setup
In the wild, blue-tailed skinks live in hardwood forests, on the edges of thick bush, and in rocky places. You can find them on:
Breeding
Male skinks use courtship behavior, chemical cues and vision to locate females.
Blue-Tailed Skink Behavior
These skinks have diurnal habits so you won’t find them active at night. They avoid predators by running away and hiding.
How to care for blue tail skinks?
These animals also like abundant places to hide such as caves or rocks they can crawl under. When setting up a habitat such as an aquarium, make sure the skink can not escape from it. Add moss or other plant material, a water source, and rocks and branches for the skinks to climb on.
What do skinks eat?
In the wild, skinks prey on a wide variety of insects, spiders, and other small bugs. You can feed them live crickets, mealworms, and waxworms. Sprinkle food with calcium daily and use a mineral supplement once or twice a week, according to Pet Depot. Pet Ponder says to feed a baby skink ants , worms, centipedes, and flies.
What are blue tail lizards called?
Some people might call a blue-tailed skink a blue-tailed lizard or a blue-tailed salamander. While lizards and salamanders look similar, they are not the same. Lizards do not have the same life cycle that skinks do. Reptile Magazine explains that lizards and skinks are reptiles and salamanders are amphibians. Amphibians have a life cycle in which they are born in water and live in water for their early life. Then, they transition to living life in both water and on land. Reptiles are born on land and live their lives on land.
Why are blue tail skinks a good pet?
Because they are reptiles, they require a warm spot in which to bask to increase their body temperature. These animals also like abundant places to hide such as caves or rocks they can crawl under.
Why is the blue tailed lizard called a skink?
It is sometimes called a five-lined skink due to the yellowish stripes on its sides and back that lead into a bright blue tail. They are common in the wild in some parts of the country and also make good pets because they are easy to care for and eat food that is easy to acquire. This blue-tailed lizard has a striking appearance.
Why are skinks called scorpions?
People call them that because they are believed to have a venomous sting. The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory says this is completely false. But the origin of this belief may have come ...
What is a blue tailed skink?
Cuteness may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. A blue-tailed skink is a black and yellow-striped lizard. It is sometimes called a five-lined skink due to the yellowish stripes on its sides and back that lead into a bright blue tail. They are common in the wild in some parts of the country and also make good pets ...
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 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.
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 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.
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.
Keeping Your Pet Reptile Healthy and Happy
The blue-tongued skink continues to be one of the most popular “beginner” pets for new reptile owners. It’s not hard to see why: Along with being colorful and fun to watch, the blue-tongued skink is easy-going and relatively low maintenance. His size will range between 18 and 24 inches as an adult.
Prepare your grocery list
These are just a few of our favorite vegetable and fruit options for blue-tongued skinks:
Overall Diet
Top Foods For Blue Tailed Skinks
- Zoo Med Silkworms
If you’re looking for affordable, nutritious food for your blue-tailed skink, Zoo Med Silkworms(available on Amazon) are a great bet. One of the main benefits of silkworms is how easy they are to eat. Their exterior is quite soft compared to those of other feeder insects. Your … - Black Soldier Fly Larvae
If you want a live food source rich in protein and calcium, go with Symton Large Feeding Grade Black Soldier Fly Larvae(available on Amazon). This pack comes with a 500 count of live larvae, so you can expect to have sufficient food to last a couple of weeks. If you’d like to choose a diff…
Additional Feeding Tips
- The amount of food that you should feed your blue-tailed skink depends on several factors, such as its size and age. However, generally speaking, you should offer babies and younger blue-tailed ski...
- Younger skinks prefer ants, worms, and centipedes – so try to find those if you’ve got a baby on your hands.
- The amount of food that you should feed your blue-tailed skink depends on several factors, such as its size and age. However, generally speaking, you should offer babies and younger blue-tailed ski...
- Younger skinks prefer ants, worms, and centipedes – so try to find those if you’ve got a baby on your hands.
- It is best to place the food in a shallow dish. When your pet is finished eating, you should always remove any leftover portions.
- Also, never make the mistake of leaving live prey in the cage or tank with your blue-tailed skink overnight. A frightened prey animal may cause injury or harm to your pet, sometimes severe enough f...
Summary
- Blue-tailed skinks eat insects, small animals, and plants. While you can technically feed them a wide variety of foods that fit one of these three categories, there are a few options that are safer and healthier than the rest: 1. Crickets 2. Silkworms 3. Fly larvae 4. Waxworms 5. Mealworms If you’d like an easy, affordable source of these healthy meals, the following recommended skink f…
Background Information
Physical Description
Blue Tailed Skink Buying Tips
What Do Blue-tailed Skinks Eat?
- Blue-tailed skinks feed on a wide variety of insects but they also consume other arthropods and even small vertebrates. They catch insects like: 1. Flies 2. Beetles 3. Locusts 4. Crickets 5. Grasshoppers They sometimes also eat isopods and millipedes. The Pacific blue-tailed skink will also eat the occasional piece offruit, but 90% of the diet cons...
Blue-tailed Skink Habitat and Tank Setup
Breeding
Blue-tailed Skink Behavior
Are Blue-tailed Skinks poisonous?
Do Blue-tailed Skinks Bite?
Blue-tailed Skink Health Information