o Tank – 40-120 Gallon
o Substrate – 36qt+
o Digital Thermometer
o Heat Lamp and Bulb
o UVB Lighting – linear tube
o Shallow Dish for Vegetables
o Ceramic Bowl for Insects
o Minimum 3 Hides
o Basking Perch – large
branch, rock or a combination
of décor items to allow the
skink to get closer to its
basking light
o Calcium SupplementBlue-tongued skinks will reach 18-24 inches within their first year of life. Babies are best started in a 40 gallon terrarium, while a 75 gallon is suitable for most juveniles. As adults a 48x24x12/18 is a more ideal size since they prefer a lot of floor space to explore, rather than height.
Substrate should be moisture retentive, loose, and be 3-4 inches deep to allow for digging. A Soil base, Sphagnum Moss, and leaf litter work as a great blend for these reptiles. Mix options include forest floor, biodude terra firma, reptisoil, and jungle mix.
A basking spot of 90-95 degrees should be established in the enclosure. With the cool side at 75-80 degrees. Linear tube uvb should be provided for all blue tongues. An Indonesian species requires 5.0/6% while an Australian blue tongue does best with 10.0/12% (in caging over 12” tall)
If the cage drops under 68 at night a supplemental night heat source may be required.Humidity requirements vary depending on which species you obtain, but generally 50-60% is preferred.
While these lizards may have a large appetite, it is important not to overfeed your skink. They can eat a variety of live insects (see feeder brochure). It is also important to provide fresh vegetables daily to your skink. Other food can be added into their diet such as Repashy Bluey Buffet. Supplemental food items such as eggs, lean ground turkey, chicken hearts and livers, and small whole poultry can be rotated into their diet to provide variety.
Blue-tongued Skinks prefer hiding under bark, logs, and leaf litter rather than climbing on branches. Some artificial foliage can also go a long way in providing attractive cover for your lizard.
• Feeding Blue Tongue Skinks require fresh food daily. They will eat both insects and vegetables. Feed insects 3-4 times a week, 15-20 live insects each feeding. Skinks should be given fresh veggies daily. Other food can be added into their diet such as Repashy Bluey Buffet. Supplemental food items such as eggs, lean ground turkey, chicken hearts and livers, and small whole poultry can be rotated into their diet to provide variety.
Remove any uneaten food each night from your pet’s enclosure.
Calcium supplements should be added to the live insects 2-3 times a week.
• Cleaning Spot clean your skink’s habitat daily to remove any feces, urates, shed skin, or uneaten food.
Substrate should be fully changed every 6 months unless a bioactive setup is being used.When picking up your skink, do not approach it from above as this can cause them to be nervous since this elicits a predatory response. Scoop your lizard up under the belly with the palm of your hand and support their whole body. If handling a younger skink, handle them over a low surface such as a coffee table or the floor in the event that they try to make a break for it. Do not handle your skink around places that they can burrow in and get trapped, such as couch cushions.
Blue Tongue Skink
There are actually several species and subspecies of blue-tongued skinks, including the Northern, Western, Eastern, Merauke, Tanimbar, Irian Jaya, Centralian, Indonesian, Shingleback, Kei Island, Blotched, and Pygmy. These skinks are widespread in many different habitats throughout Australia and Indonesia and may inhabit tropical or desert habitats depending on the species. These large, slow moving lizards are true omnivores, and will eat a wide variety of plant and animal matter in the wild. Their flat, blunt teeth are adapted to crushing snails, a favorite food item. However, they may also feed on eggs, insects, flowers, fruits, vegetation, berries, and small vertebrates. These lizards are often fossorial in nature, meaning that they will dig and bury themselves beneath the ground layer. When exposed and threatened, they will puff up and inflate their bodies and display their vibrant tongues to appear larger and more threatening. If their bluff fails, they may also drop their tail to escape danger.
Size: 18-24 inches
Lifespan: 15-30 years
Diet: Omnivorous
Activity: Diurnal
Dfw Reptarium reserves the right to refuse sale of any animal that we do not believe will receive proper care.