Captive Care for your Blue Tongue Skinks

  Blue tongue skinks are one of the best pet reptiles you can own! Given the proper care and commitment these little dinosaurs can keep you company the next 30 + years!

There are 11 different subspecies of blue tongue skinks. 

Northern Blue Tongue Skink
 (Tiliqua scincoides intermedia)
 ALL USA CBB

Blotched Blue Tongue Skink - RARE
 (Tiliqua nigrolutea)

Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
 (Tiliqua gigas evanescens)
 Some CBB, most imports

Eastern Blue Tongue Skink - RARE
 (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides)

Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink
 (Tiliqua sp.)
 Some CBB, most imports

Western Blue Tongue Skink -RARE
 (Tiliqua occipitalis)

Tanimbar Blue Tongue Skink
 (Tiliqua scincoides chimaerea)
 Some CBB most imports

Centralian Blue Tongue Skink -RARE
 (Tiliqua multifasciata)

Kei Island Blue Tongue Skink
 (Tiliqua gigas keyensis)
 ALL Imports

Shinglebacks - RARE
 (Tiliqua rugosa)

Halmahera or Classic Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink (*Both Similar just come from different islands in the same region*)
 (Tiliqua gigas)
 ALL Imports

Each blue tongue skink has their own set of requirements. Identifying which blue tongue skink suits your habitat is important. The blue tongue skinks labelled RARE are not usually available in the USA.  Northern blue tongue skinks are the most captive born and bred blue tongue skink available in the USA. However, the most common blue tongue skink for sale at shops and show are Halmahera, Classic Indonesian, Merauke and Irian Jaya. Most of these are all either captive born on a farm overseas or wild caught. Some breeders do produce Merauke and Irian Jayas but not many in the USA.
 

If you purchase a captive born or wild caught animal it is suggested that quarantine and immediately see a licensed veterinarian for a wellness exam. They will need to be checked for mites and internal parasite. They will also check for any other underlying issues so they can be addressed. Purchasing a captive born and bred animal from a USA breeder, like us, will ensure your receiving a healthy, quality animal. 

Before purchasing or receiving your animal it is vital to have your terrarium set up and running!

Enclosure: You will want to provide an Exo Terra large low or a minimum 40-gallon breeder. 

Substrate: We recommend pure organic cypress mulch! please make sure to avoid any color, blended or treated mulch. Cypress mulch is easy to spot clean and doesn’t make a dusty mess out of your water bowl. You will need at least 4” depth of substrate in your terrarium.

 

Temperature: The cool end temperature should be between 70°-75°f, while the warm end should be 90°-95°f. You should have a nice basking surface that consist of a piece of tile or slate with a surface temperature of 102°-105°. 

 Heat Bulbs:  To provide heat, you should use incandescent fixtures from your local hardware store. Depending on your terrarium you will need to figure out which one to best suit your needs. You could use 60, 80 or 100 watts. If you are having trouble getting your temperature up, you can also try flood lights. You need to measure the temperature in your enclosure using an infrared temperature gun. This gives you an accurate spot temperature! They have these available at your local hardware store or online. Also make sure the light fixture you are using is ceramic core and not plastic core. Ceramic core fixtures can be heated without melting, plastic core fixtures can be a hazard for melting and fires when using heat bulbs.
 

UVB: You will need to use a 10.0 UVB linear strip bulb. UVB produces Vitamin D3 which is important for calcium absorption that keeps your animals bones healthy, hard and strong. Be aware that UVB bulbs do eventually lose power, so you will want to make sure to read the instructions on the back of the brand you purchase so you can make sure you replace your bulb when the time comes.  Some only last for 6 months and some last for up to 1 year.  Avoid UVB coil bulbs!

Humidity:  Northern blue tongue skinks like 40-60% humidity while Indonesian species like 60%+. It is vital to make sure you do not keep them on wet mulch as it can create a lot of bacterial health issues. If you are having issues keeping your humidity up, you can install a reptile humidifier on a timer to come on once or twice a day depending on your needs. To measure the humidity, you will need to install a digital hygrometer. This give you an accurate humidity level reading. You can find ones for reptiles or you can visit your local hardware store or online.  

Hides: Blue tongue skinks like to hide and burrow. Make sure to provide a few hides, one in the cool end and one in the warm end so they can pick and choose. You can use fake plants, prefabricated reptile hides or cork bark. Make sure to select a hide big enough for your skink.
 

Feeding:  You will want to make sure your feeding your blue tongue skink the best of the best. There is a few blue tongue skink diets available on the market such as repashy bluey buffet. However they will also eat canned cat and dog food. You will want to read the ingredient labels and avoid any brands that use grain or potato as a filler. You will also want to avoid any seafood flavors and stick solely to poultry pate flavors. You will want to feed a serving size equivalent to their head. You can also choose a variety of vegetables and fruits to give them occasionally as treats. Please research which vegetables and fruits are safe to feed and you can offer them throughout the year depending on what is available which season.
 

Supplements:  It is important to give your skinks a multivitamin once a week such as herptivite. You will also need to dust each feeding with calcium. If you are using UVB you DO NOT need to feed calcium with VITd3. If you are NOT using UVB, you will need to feed calcium WITH VITd3 each feeding. 

Feeding Chart:
Serving size if equivalent to their heads. Some also have better appetites then others. 

Newborn to 3 Months old (Canned cat food
 daily)

3 Months – 6 Months (Canned cat food
 Every other day)

6 Months – 1 Year (Canned Cat Food
 Twice a Week)

1 Year + (Canned Dog Food
 Once a week)