- 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.
How much should I Feed my blue tongue skink?
What Vegetables can Blue Tongue Skinks Eat?
- Vegetables to feed your skink frequently
- Name
- To feed in moderation.
- To feed in occasionally
- Never feed. What Insects Can Blue Tongue Skinks Eat? Insects and meat should constitute at least 40% of your blue tongue skink’s diet.
How often to feed my blue tongue skink?
How long does it take for a blue tongue skink to finish shedding?
- Should I help my blue tongue skink with shedding? Trouble shedding. ...
- Blue tongue skink shedding signs. Rubbing against various surfaces, digging more to get the skin off. ...
- Blue tongue skink shedding and humidity. For your blue tongue skink to shed properly, its tank needs to set at ideal humidity levels. ...
- More blue tongue skink shedding tips. ...
Why does your blue tongue skink not eat?
Why does your blue tongue skink not eat? Internal stress factors (illnesses or infections) can make your blue tongue skink refuse to eat. One of the reasons that can lead to poor appetite is an internal parasitic infection. Other reasons can include vitamin or mineral deficiencies, Metabolic bone disease, intestinal infections and more.
When should I Feed my blue tongue skink?
How Often Should I Feed My Blue Tongue Skink?
- Baby Blue Tongue Skinks – babies should be fed 6 days a week and fast the remaining day
- Adolescents – 2 or 3 times a week, once a day
- Adults – 1 or 2 times a week, once a day
See more
When should I feed my blue tongue skink?
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.
What do you feed a blue tongue lizard?
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.
What are blue tongue skinks favorite food?
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.
What meats can blue tongue skinks eat?
It is better to use the recommended foods for them, such as gut-loaded insects like dubia roaches and superworms, you can also offer them canned dog food as a treat once every couple of weeks. Instead of raw meat, you can use cooked meats such as lean beef, ground turkey, chicken, duck, or venison.
Do blue tongue lizards eat lettuce?
Can blue tongue 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.
Can bluetongue lizards eat celery?
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.
Do blue tongue skinks need live food?
Varied, appropriately-sized, live insects should be provided, such as crickets (e.g. brown house crickets), 'calciworms', 'waxmoth larvae', fruit beetle grubs, dubia cockroaches, silkworms and locusts. Any uneaten crickets or locusts should be removed as they can bite the skink.
Can blue tongue skinks eat raw chicken?
While skinks are in their natural habitat in the wild, they do eat raw meat.
Can blue tongues eat peas?
Blue tongue skinks are omnivores, and in the wild they eat plants, vegetables, fruits, berries, blossoms, dead animals, bugs....Best safe and non-toxic greens and vegetable list for blue tongue skinks.StapleFeed occasionallyFeed rarelySummer squashSnap peas – pods and peasRadicchio23 more rows
Do blue tongue lizards 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.
How often should a blue tongue skink poop?
Most blue tongue skinks poop once a day, but some will poop once 2-3 days. However, sometimes it can be normal if your blue tongue has pooped once a week. If your blue tongue has not pooped for over 7-10 days, it could be impacted or constipated.
What to feed a blue tongue skink?
So what are the best foods to give your BTS in order to provide a healthy and balanced diet? Here’s our recommendation: 1 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. Avoid onion, avocado, rhubarb, and tomato greens! 2 Protein: Lean meat like chicken and rabbit are great, as are many types of bugs: crickets, silkworms, hissing roaches, and locusts. Avoid seafood! 3 Reptilinks: If you’re not able to find some of these foods or you want to save some time and money, we offer special Omnivore Blends of our links that are perfect for blue tongue skinks. Check out our 50/50 Links and 25/25/50 Links for more info.
What do blue tongue skinks eat?
As for specific foods, blue tongue skinks are omnivores; they can eat fruits, vegetables, and a few different forms of protein. However, you’re going to want to prioritize protein and veggies over fruit, since they offer more nutritional benefits.
What is the nutritional need of a blue tongue skink?
What are the nutritional needs of a blue tongue skink? For starters, everything they eat should have a Calcium to Phosphorus ratio of 2 to 1. This way, your BTS’s body can properly absorb the nutrients from their food. Additionally, foods high in Vitamin D are helpful for the same reason— although a properly lit enclosure will also provide some of this nutrient.
Can you feed skink watermelon to a BTS?
First, it has a meager amount of Calcium content in comparison to its Phosphorus. Second, feeding too much watermelon to your BTS in one sitting can cause it to have diarrhea!
Can blue tongue skinks eat cherries?
Blue tongue skinks can safely eat cherries. Additionally, they have a mostly even ratio of Calcium to Phosphorus— not ideal, but not exactly harmful. However, they do contain large amounts of goitrogens, so feeding too many of them to your BTS can lead to thyroid issues.
Can skinks eat chicken 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.
Can you feed broccoli to a BTS?
You can feed broccoli to your BTS but it shouldn’t be a large part of their veggie content. That’s because it has too much Phosphorus for your skink to synthesize its Calcium content. It’s also 90% water, so it would fill up your pet’s stomach without providing any nutrition!
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:
What do blue tongue skinks eat?
Blue tongue skinks are omnivorous, meaning that they need to eat both plant and animal matter to get the right nutrition. In this section we’ll discuss options for protein, vegetables, and fruit that are safe to feed your pet. Just like humans, skinks’ nutritional needs change as they grow.
What is the best multivitamin for blue tongue skinks?
Best multivitamins for blue tongue skinks: Herptivite. Arcadia Earthpro A. Repashy Supervite. Use each supplement as directed by the label, but keep in mind that dog food, cat food, and other prepared diets are already fortified with vitamins and do not need the addition of a multivitamin.
What do shingleback skinks eat?
rugosa) are more herbivorous than other species of blue tongue skink! Although in the wild they occasionally scavenge and eat insects, the vast majority of their diet is flowers and leafy greens. An adult shingleback’s diet should be only 20-30% protein.
How long should I gutload feeder insects?
Note: All feeder insects should be gutloaded for at least 24 hours before feeding. Ideally, they should come pre-gutloaded from the breeder. If they weren’t, or you buy your feeder insects in bulk, the easiest way to keep them fed and gut-loaded is with a rotation of Lugarti Dubia Diet and Repashy Grassland Grazer. Note that if you give your insects a dry gutload, they will need a source of water. Gel water crystals work perfectly for this purpose.
What is repashy's dog food?
If you’re looking for a more reptile-specific prepared food, Repashy ’s Grub Pie, Meat Pie, Veggie Burger, and fruit powders make great mix-ins to add to dog food for variety. They even have a blue tongue skink-specific formula: Bluey Buffet.
How to keep skinks strong?
Keep your skink’s bones nice and strong with a pinch of calcium powder: 1x/week for adults, 2x/week for anything younger . If you’re not using UVB lighting, be sure to use a supplement that includes particularly high quantities of vitamin D3.
What fruits should skinks eat?
Fruits should comprise no more than 10% of a skink’s diet. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries. Peaches, cherries, pears, apples, bananas, nectarines. Do not feed: Citrus, rhubarb, seeds, pits. Information about other fruits can be found in the abovementioned nutrition chart.
What insects are good for blue tongue skinks?
Insects such as hornworms, Phoenix worms, crickets, silkworms and others should be the main source of protein for blue tongue skinks. All insects must be bought for reptile consumption and gut-loaded for 24 hours (apart from Phoenix worms) before feeding to your skink.
What foods bind iodine?
Before starting, let’s discuss few terms: Goitrogenic: foods high in goitrogens will bind iodine and cause thyroid issue long-term. Oxalic foods: foods high in oxalates that bind calcium and remove it from the body, long-term causing calcium deficiencies. Foods high in phosphorus also bind calcium, leading to deficiencies long-term.
Can you skink blue tongue hay?
It would not be advisable to offer blue tongue skink any hay (orchard, timothy etc.). Alfalfa hay is actually a legume. While hay is high in protein, it’s also dehydrated. This can cause issues with digestion, and might expand in guts or mouth and cause impaction.
Can blue tongue skinks eat butternut squash?
Yes , blue tongue skinks can eat butternut squash. Butternut squash is actually on of the staple foods for blue tongue skinks. Offer raw and grated or chopped into small pieces.
Can skinks eat blueberries?
Yes, blue tongue skinks can eat blueberries, but only occasionally. This is because blueberries are high in oxalates.
Can you feed a blue tongue skink?
Yes, you can feed your blue tongue skink peeled grapes, but very rarely. Grapes and raisins are however believed to cause organ damage in reptiles, so you might avoid them altogether.
Can you dip your blue tongue in applesauce?
A little bit of applesauce can also be used to dip meat if your blue tongue is not interested in it. Make sure that applesauce is free of preservatives, corn syrup, sweeteners or even added sugar. Choose only unsweetened applesauce or make your own.
How Much Should I Feed My Blue Tongue Skink?
In one sitting, you should offer 1 to 2 tablespoons of food. However, you should feed your skink as much as they want and will. Once your blue tongue skink stops eating, remove all uneaten foods because they can rot and create a foul smell.
What Do I Do If My Blue Tongue Skink Isn’t Eating?
If blue skink isn’t eating, get them checked by the nearest veterinarian. The first thing you need to do is to check the root cause of why skink is not eating. You should do some things to prevent if there is something wrong causing them not to eat. Here are a few reasons why a blue tongue skink is not eating.
Do Blue Tongue Skinks Need To Eat Bugs?
Yes, Skinks diet should consist of 40% protein in which the primary source should be insects & bugs. Blue tongue skinks can eat many bugs, but gut loading the feeder insects is essential for their diet.
Do Skinks Eat Every Day?
They are diurnal reptiles and can be fed every day, but it is not recommended . Adult blue tongue skink only needs to eat twice a week, whereas Juveniles can eat every day. Juvenile blue tongue skink needs to eat every day to support their growth. Bluetongue skinks 0-6 months old can be fed daily, whereas 6-12 old skinks every other day.
How to keep a blue tongue skink healthy?
The best way to keep your Blue Tongue Skink healthy is to provide a wide variety in their diet, rotating produce and animal protein sources to ensure complete nutrition.
What does a blue tongue skink do?
Ah, that gorgeous, long blue tongue! Did you know? A Blue Tongue Skink’s tongue can actually reflect UV radiation and be used to scare away predators? It’s one of their natural defense mechanisms they rely on in the wild to stay alive.
What is the best skink for beginners?
Blue Tongue Skink Cost. When searching for a Blue Tongued Skink, it is important you first decide why you want a skink. If you’re simply looking for a pet, a Northern skink will work well, as they are hardy, docile, and great for beginners, plus they are on the cheaper end of the spectrum.
How long do skinks live?
Under good care, these reptiles can live at least 10 to 15 years, with some exceptionally healthy skinks living to 20 years old or more. After reaching adult size, a skink can measure between 18 and 24 inches long, especially if it’s a Northern variety.
Why is it important to monitor humidity in blue tongue skinks?
As with essentially any other reptile, monitoring the humidity levels in your Blue Tongue Skink’s enclosure is VITAL to ensure they stay healthy. Humidity levels that are too high can lead to multiple health concerns, such as respiratory infections (see below).
What to do if your skink tank is dirty?
If the tank is dirty and the skink appears to be in poor health while the seller is pushing you to purchase, move along to a healthy lizard with a seller who will answer any of your questions.
How much does it cost to care for a blue tongue skink?
Although it should be noted a complete setup may run you close to $1000.
What is the best substrate for blue tongue skinks?
Cypress Mulch – Cypress mulch is perhaps the most popular substrate choice among blue-tongued skink keepers, and it is easy to see why. Not only does cypress mulch look quite attractive, but it is also affordable and allows some burrowing or tunneling behaviors.
What is a blue tongue skink?
Blue Tongue Skink Care: The Complete Guide. Named for their distinctive blue tongues, blue-tongued skinks are medium-sized lizards who are very popular pets among reptile enthusiasts. In fact, because these lizards are both interesting and easy to care for, they can make excellent pets for keepers of all experience levels – even first-time keepers, ...
How many hiding boxes do blue tongued skinks need?
You’ll need to provide your blue-tongued skink with at least one hiding box, but it is preferable to provide two. This way, you can place one at each end of the habitat. This means your lizard will not have to choose between his preferred body temperature and security – he can enjoy both simultaneously.
How to keep humidity level in blue tongue skink enclosure?
The best way to keep the humidity level in a blue-tongued skink enclosure is by misting the tank with room-temperature water.
How many different forms of blue tongued skinks are there?
Although scientists debate some of the details regarding the blue-tongued skink family tree, most recognize seven different forms that occur across their wild range. These include:
How to handle a skink?
Be sure to handle your skink in a quiet room that is free of rowdy children or other pets. It’s also important to return your pet to his enclosure if he exhibits any signs of stress.
Where are blue tongued skinks native to?
The western blue-tongued skink is found along the southern and western portions of the continent, and the Pygmy blue-tongued skink is native to the area surrounding Adelaide. The common blue-tongued skink is primarily found along the eastern coast, but it is also native to Tanimbar and a few other islands of the region.
Why do blue skinks have a bright tongue?
This bright tongue is employed to keep off predators when the skink is threatened and is one among the explanations why reptile owners love them!
What is the best enclosure for a blue tongue skink?
The best type of enclosure for a blue tongue skink is a glass reptile tank with a screened lid. The screened lid will promote ventilation, which helps to manage humidity levels a bit.
What is a bluetongue skink?
Bluetongue skinks are large and heavy. Blue skinks are covered in scales and have a smooth shape that resembles snakes. In fact, it is easy to mistake skinks for snakes when they are buried or partially hidden!
Why are blue tongued skinks so shy?
Blue-tongued skinks are also sold as house pets. They are relatively shy in comparison with other lizards, and slower because of their short legs.
What is a skink?
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae.
Can blue tongue skinks eat substrate?
Avoid using anything too hard. Bluetongue skinks may attempt to eat the substrate, which could lead to impaction issues.
Do blue tongue skinks live in the wild?
These animals live in distinct habitats in the wild that cater to their biological needs and lifestyle.