Like the name suggests, these animals have a very distinctive blue tongue. They make a great pet as they are docile and tolerant to being handled. You must never pick them up by their tails as any skinks can drop their tails as a defence mechanism. Although the tail will regrow, it can cause harm to the skink, and it will not be the same as before. Fully grown Blue Tongues can grow 40-70 cm long and can live for 15-20 years in captivity.

Enclosure:

A minimum 120 cm long by 60 cm high by 60 cm deep is the recommend size terrarium for a full size Blue Tongue, as always, the bigger the better and there must be plenty of ventilation.

The enclosure needs to be separated in 2 different zones, one side hot, the other cold. A heat lamp will provide the heat needed for the Blue Tongue to bask and using a UVB light during the day imitates the sun, another crucial part to the health of any Blue Tongue and enclosure. Having a heat mat on the ‘hot’ side will provide added heat and can be turned on and off as required. The recommended temperature should be no more than 28-33 °C in the basking zone, so a thermometer is required to maintain this. Having a rock or cave for them to bask on is important and will also provide them with the option to move away from the heat if required. They should always have access to a hiding place on both the warm and cool side of their habitat.

Substrate:

We recommend a grass mat, with a mix of coconut husks and fibre.

Food:

Blue-tongue skinks are omnivorous, meaning their diet should contain both plant and animal matter. We are feeding defrosted mix vegs, quail eggs - shell included, snails, live crickets and soaked dog biscuits. They also enjoy Repashy Bluey Buffet and Hikari Dragon Delite. They always need a fresh source of water.

Brumation:

Blue Tongues can go through a process of Brumation during the colder months which is a natural energy saving process. This is similar to hibernation. During this time, Blue Tongues will usually reduce the amount that they eat and increase the time spent sleeping. It is important to monitor your Blue Tongues during this time, but this is nothing to worry about. In New Zealand, brumation is usually during June, July, and August. During this time, it is really important that you DO NO not feed your Blue Tongues, DO NOT disturb or try to play with them and have clean, fresh water readily available for them if they need it.

Recommended Products:

Reptile One RTF-1200HT Glass Hinged Door Terrarium

Reptile One Heat Lamp Holder Ceramic Screw Fitting 150W

Reptile One Heat Lamp Day Light E27 Screw Fitting 100W

Arcadia LumenIZE ProT5 Smart UVB Kit Desert 12% 24W

Reptile One Heat Mat 14W

Coconut Husks

Substrate Grass Mats

Food

Caves, hides, water bowl, food bowl, decorations

To see all products needed for your Blue-tongue skinks click here Frogs and Reptiles