# blue tonge skink



## AL CAPONE (Jul 29, 2004)

title says it all any info is helpfull


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## Death in #'s (Apr 29, 2003)

:laugh: im was thinking of telling you cause i wouldent be sure if u take my advice and not ask someone else and try to go agianst me
but i have and had more herps then u will ever see in your life

so im only doing this cause i think every reptile should be kept happy and long lived









Housing
Hatchlings can be kept in 10 gal. Adults require at least 40-55 gal tanks. Substrate can be pine (not cedar) shavings, aspen shavings or cypress mulch. They need a hide box. They are ground dwellers and so do not need tall branches or rocks for climbing. They can climb, however, so top-opening tanks do need to be securely fastened. One area of slightly damp substrate should be kept, or a humidity retreat box (into which they can freely climb in and out, filled with damp sphagnum moss, for use during shed periods).

Water
They should have a bowl of water available at all times. They may defecate in it so it should be checked regularly. Bowl should be big enough for them to climb easily in and out of if it is to be used for bathing.

Light
Regular exposure to UVB wavelengths are strongly recommended. This can be furnished by close proximity to a Vita-Lite or Zoo Med Iguana fluorescent light or direct sunlight. If using the latter, be sure that there is a cooler retreat for the skink to go to. They do not tolerate very high temperatures and can easily become prostrate by the buildup of heat in their enclosure.

Temperature
The overall gradient should range from the mid 70s on the cool side to the mid 80s on the warm side. A slightly warmer basking area, with temps into the low 90s, may also be provided during the day. A people heating pad under the tank at one end, and a radiant heat source overhead at the same end, will generally be all that is required to establish the gradient. Cold winter weather may require additional heating or a stronger bulb. Temps should not be allowed to fall below 70 F at night on the cool side.

Diet 
Blue-tongues are omnivores, consuming both plant and animal matter. Their diet should be about 60% plant and 40% animal. A basic mixed vegetable salad can be prepared similar to that fed to green iguanas. Along with the salad, thinly sliced greens (collards, dandelion, escarole) can be mixed into the mixed vegetables.

Frozen vegetable mixes are either mostly corn and carrots, or mostly cauliflower and broccoli. Neither are particularly good for skinks and other animals. Corn and carrots convert quickly to sugars, and carrots have oxalates, which bind calcium, preventing its uptake. Cauliflower and broccoli contain goitrogens which bind iodine, leading to impaired thyroid function. In additional, the thiaminase in frozen green vegetables and greens destroys the thiamin (B1) in the plant; when fed regularly, this leads to a thiamin deficiency. If you use frozen vegetables or freeze your own fresh salad.

Many skinks seem to relish berries and juicy fruits, so think about keeping a supply of frozen blueberries and cherries around, as well as fresh berries, peaches, nectarines, and pears during the season. A bite or two of banana is generally not refused, either.

Hatchling skinks can be started on mealworms, redworms, small crickets, and pinkie mice. As they grow, increase the size of the prey (small earthworms, Zoophoba larvae and pupae, fuzzies and crews).

Feed the skinks ad lib, that is, however much they want to eat, when they want to eat. Feeding frequency will taper off as they grow, so you may find that you are offering food 2-4 times a week. Blue-tongues are pretty eloquent when they are hungry (they clearly fixate on your hands and any other perceived movement, often with their mouth open and body ready to charge or pounce), so they are unlikely to go hungry for long so long as you keep an eye on them.

Fresh drinking water should always be available for them.

Handling
Blue-tongue skinks are very docile, curious lizards. They tame easily and are handleable by small children. They do develop claws, and while they don't particularly scratch, it can be startling and scary to someone who is nervous holding them, so always supervise people closely when first handing the lizard to them. Like many omnivorous and carnivorous lizards, blue-tongues find that wriggling human fingers look an awful lot like small wriggling mice...and may try to eat one if they are hungry. As with all such reptiles, it is best to wash your hands before handling them if you have been handling anything they normally eat.


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## AL CAPONE (Jul 29, 2004)

awesome thanks so exactly how many do you have


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## AL CAPONE (Jul 29, 2004)

awesome thanks so exactly how many do you have

sorry about double posting


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## Death in #'s (Apr 29, 2003)

AL CAPONE said:


> awesome thanks so exactly how many do you have










right now

4 dragons
10 turtles (4 species)
4 geckos (diffrent species)
2 armidillo lizards
1 corn snake

in my room that im looking at right now
i cut down alot and gonna cut down some more
till i buy a house and dedicate 1 full room to herps
plus whatever i can fit around the house


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## AL CAPONE (Jul 29, 2004)

well im catching up 1 beardie,1 leo,1 box turtle,3 tokays,soon to come 3 *bts,and svanna monitor

*blue tonge skink


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## AL CAPONE (Jul 29, 2004)

well im catching up 1 beardie,1 leo,1 box turtle,3 tokays,soon to come 3 *bts,and svanna monitor

*blue tonge skink


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