- 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 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.
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.
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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 I feed my juvenile blue tongue skink?
Blue-tongued skinks are omnivorous reptiles that eat a wide variety of vegetables and animal protein. As juveniles half of their diet comes from insects, whereas adults should eat proportionately more plant matter. If a commercial lizard diet is offered, provide only as a supplement. Feed skinks every one to two days.
What do you feed a baby skink?
Make sure you have an omnivore species as a pet before feeding them fruits or vegetables. Safe foods for them to eat are pumpkin, carrots, collard greens, dandelion greens, cabbage, green beans, arugula, berries, squash, papaya, and more. Do not feed your pet skink citrus fruits.
How do you take care of a baby blue tongue skink?
3:597:30Baby Blue Tongue Skink Set Ups - Ep. 33 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI will feed them on the lid of those little deli cups. For the first week or so it's small it's easyMoreI will feed them on the lid of those little deli cups. For the first week or so it's small it's easy it's disposable. And they can get to it relatively easily.
How do I know if my skink is happy?
If you're not sure whether your skink likes being held, check its breathing, movements, and tongue flicks. A happy skink will breathe calmly and have smooth inquisitive movements.
How do you bond with a blue tongue skink?
One of the best ways to bond with your blue tongue skink is spending time together. Let your blue tongue skink sit with you, and handle it frequently after the first 2-3 weeks of acclimatization. What is this? By spending more time together, it will get used to you quicker.
What do newborn blue tongue lizards eat?
Blue-tongue lizards are omnivores and feed on a range of live insects and plant matter. In captivity, blue-tongues should be fed a variety of both live foods and fresh fruits and vegetables (50:50). Live foods include; snails, crickets, woodies, mealworms (in moderation) and silkworms.
How often do you feed a baby blue tongue lizard?
It's fine to leave food in their enclosure for them to eat over the course of the day, but if left unfinished it's best to throw it out after a day. Baby lizards should be fed five times a week (once to twice per day) and once a full-grown adult, only two to three times a week.
What do baby skinks eat and drink?
Skinks love: Eating insects – crickets, moths and cockroaches are favourites. A place to hide – lizards have a good chance of escaping predators if your garden includes logs, small bundles of sticks and dense ground cover.
Can blue tongue skinks eat pinkies?
Yes, your blue tongue skink may eat pinkie mice as an occasional treat. You will find that some places recommend pinkie mice to be used for if your pet skink needs a calcium boost such as if they have just laid eggs or are recovering from being sick.
Do blue tongue skinks need heat at night?
Blue tongue skinks generally do not need any kind of lighting or heating during the night. Some people prefer red or black bulbs for providing nighttime heat, but it's actually healthier for skinks to experience a nightly temperature drop.
How long can a blue tongue skink 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.
How often should blue tongue skink eat?
Neonatal skinks and young skinks should be fed daily as much as they will eat. Adult skinks do well on one to two feedings a week. Blue-tongue skinks have to have their food intake monitored or else they readily become obese.
How often should I feed my blue tongue lizard?
every two daysFeeding. 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 long can a blue tongue skink 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.
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.
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 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.
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 is the diet of a blue tongue skink?
These reptiles are omnivorous with a varied diet of animal protein, vegetables and greens; and the occasional fruit.
What do baby blue skinks eat?
What’s important to remember is that baby blue skink diet should be made of 70% protein and 20% vegetables and 10% fruit.
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.
What do skinks eat?
The list of what do baby skinks eat in terms of vegetables and greens include: dandelion, milk thistle, watercress, green beans, carrots, alfafa sprouts.
What happens if a baby blue tongue lizard is too cold?
If the tank temperature is too cold, not only will your baby blue tongue lizard not have appetite, but they will also struggle to digest their food.
What do blue tongue lizards eat?
In terms of what to baby skinks eat, their diet should be 70% protein, 20% vegetables and 10% fruit. Baby skinks need more protein than adults.
What is the best food for skinks?
There are two options for your baby skink diet – commercial cat food and then dog food or homemade diet.
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.
What do blue tongue skinks eat?
The correct diet for blue tongue skink consists of vegetables, insects, and fruits. Pet blue tongue skinks can eat different types of fruits, vegetables, and fruits. In this article, we are going to talk about what fruits can blue tongue skinks eat. All the fruits mentioned in our report are safe to eat but only in moderation. Skink being not so picky eaters seems to love fruits and berries. However, it would help if you were sure to offer a good amount as often as possible. If you don’t know then let me tell you their diet should consist of only 10% of fruits.
How Many Fruits Can Blue Tongue Skink Eat?
An adult blue tongue skink can be fed fruits once in two weeks. Give them 10% fruit-based, 40% protein-based, and 50% vegetable-based food once a week. As they have slow metabolism, they don’t need to be fed every day. Some owners can also feed their blue tongue skinks once in two or three days, depending upon their lizard personality, behavior, habit, and varying conditions.
Can Skinks Eat Citrus?
No. Citrus like lemon or Orange should be avoided as feeding it to your blue tongue skinks can upset their tummy. Citrus fruits cause stomach problems for reptiles and lizards, including skink.
Can blue tongue lizards eat strawberries?
Yes. Bluetongue lizards mostly eat berries fruits in the wild. They love berries. However, it would help if you avoided feeding strawberries mainly due to its calcium to Phosphorus ratio. Although they’re allowed to feed on strawberries, it is still best to provide good and avoid evil for your pet. Finely chopped or stem of strawberries being high in goitrogen and oxalates helps your blue tongue lizard health and well-being.
What can I feed my baby apple?
Other than apples, you can feed peaches, plums, kiwi, papaya, and figs.
Do blue tongue skinks like strawberries?
Yes, blue tongue skinks love fruits and berries. Fruits are only healthy when fed in moderation. You should know what a good amount to offer skinks. Fruits like strawberries, apples, figs, and raspberries can be fed safely. Field research in the wild and the breeding center has shown that fruits are a large part of a blue tongue skink natural diet. However, Most Of It Comes From The Berry Itself.
Can blue tail skinks eat fruits?
Yes. Blue-tailed skins diet should consist 50% of vegetables and 10% fruits while others are protein-based. Blue-tailed skink prefers insects, but mostly they survive on a vegetarian diet. You can feed fruits to your blue-tailed skink like Kale, banana, and more.
What percentage of adult diet should be greens?
Greens and veggies should make up approximately 50% of the adult diet and approximately 40% of the juvenile diet. Name: Alternate names: Feed: Ca:P. Protein (%) Fat (%) Notes. Arugula.
Do skinks need food?
Notes: They have slow metabolisms and do not need as much food as a mammal. They will not necessarily eat the recommended amounts. If a skink is healthy and not eating or only picking out favorites, it might be overfed - a picky skink is not a hungry skink.
