Blue Tongued Skink
Tiliqua scincoides

Blue Tongued Skinks are native to Australia and New Guinea. They are well known for their namesake bright blue tongue.

They are omnivores, enjoying a wide variety of insects, meat, fruit, and vegetables. This makes them quite easy to feed and keep happy.

These Skinks don’t often move far from their nests, and when they do they like to hide – so provide plenty of hollow logs and caves for them to make use of.

They are very sturdy looking lizards, with stubby legs and thick tails, moving quite slowly but with purpose.

Latin Name: Tiliqua scincoides

Difficulty Level: Beginner

Temperament: Docile

Life Span: 10 – 15 Years

Size: 30cm – 61cm ¦ 500g

Habitat: Australia & New Guinea – Desert, Grassland and Forest.

Diet: Crickets, Pinky Mice, Poultry, Fruit, Vegetables.
(Insects and rodents must be alive).
Feed Mealworms as a treat.

Avoid Dead or Frozen Meat.

Supplements: Vitamin D3.

Hours of Activity: Diurnal – Blue Tongued Skinks are most active during the daytime.

Handling: You should handle your Blue-Tongued Skink regularly. It can be trained to become very friendly with frequent handling. If you don’t handle often, it can become shy and skittish.

When handling, you should be careful of its tail. Like many lizards, Blue-Tongued Skinks have the ability to detach their tail when they feel threatened. The tail will regenerate after a while, but it will never be as long.

Temperature:
22°C – 25°C Ambient day time temperature,

30°C – 32°C Basking temperature.
20°C – 22°C Ambient night time temperature.

Humidity: 40% – 60%

Vivarium Size: 48″ x 24″ x 24″ (Minimum).

Substrate Type: Sand, Soil, Rocks – Add Live Plants.

Equipment Necessary: Vivarium, UV Lighting, Heat Lamp, Thermostat, Themometers.

Cleaning Instructions: Spot clean daily to remove any waste and uneaten food. Deep clean the tank every few weeks, and replace all the substrate.

Healthy Behaviours: Slow but fluid movements, Solid and elongated feces, Coming out during the day to bask, Feeding well.

Sick Behaviour: Not accepting food, rigid movements or not moving at all, constantly hiding.

Provide a large, flat rock for them to bask on, and logs to hide in.

Common Problems:
Metabolic Bone Disease – Obvious signs of this are if the Skink looks lethargic and is dragging its body, instead of standing proud on its limbs.

Obesity – Don’t overfeed your Skink.

Respiratory Infections – This is usually from a lack of cleanliness in the Vivarium as a result of poor husbandry. Seek veterinary advice.

Mites – Seek veterinary advice.