Taking ownership of any pet can sometimes seem daunting, especially if you know little or nothing about taking care of them. Exotic pets such as lizards are no exception. One of the more popular pet lizards, the Blue Tongued Skink, is relatively easy to care for, making it a great first-time lizard for beginners.
The docile, gentle Blue Tongued Lizard is native to Australia. Although its upkeep is not riddled with complications, there are certain things you’ll need to know if you have just taken one into your home or are considering doing so.
Maybe you’re unsure of the Skinks dietary needs. Or perhaps you have questions concerning their heating and lighting requirements. Knowing the answer to these and other questions in advance can save you a lot of time and worry in the future, as well as ensuring your pet Skink remains in good health and lives a long and happy life.
Behavior and Temperament of a Blue Tongued Skink.
As a whole, Blue Tongued Skinks are friendly, intelligent animals and will generally settle into a life of captivity quickly and easily. Although rarely aggressive, your pet Skink has strong jaws and teeth used for crushing food, which could cause a certain amount of pain should they bite you.
When you begin to recognize particular behavioral patterns, you’ll get to understand your pet Skink a lot better and be able to react accordingly. Whether it’s hissing, sneezing, peeing on you, or aggressive behavior, the one thing they all have in common is they usually have a valid reason behind them.
Hissing
Just as snakes do, a Blue Tongued Skink will hiss if he is agitated or feels threatened in any way. This is a defense mechanism that a Skink will use in the wild to deter any predators it may come across.
Although Blue Tongued Skins are not poisonous, predators wouldn’t know this. This is where the blue tongue, which the Skinks’ name originates from, is put to good use.
Not only will a wild Skink hiss when it feels threatened, but it’s likely to open its mouth and display its tongue to trick its predator into thinking it’s venomous. So if you notice Skink hissing at home, don’t be surprised if it coincides with an open mouth and a blue tongue on display.
The hissing could occur because your skink has not yet settled into its new environment or is not yet tame, in which case, it’s advisable to leave it for a couple of weeks before attempting to handle it. It could take a little longer if your Skink is wild-caught. Pain could also be causing your Skink to hiss, so always check for any obvious problems.
Sneezing
Just like you and me, when something blocks our nasal passages, a good whole sneeze is often the best solution to free it. Blue Tongued Skins are no different in this respect. Sneezing is a natural way for a Skink to rid its nose of any dust or particles it has in its nostrils.
Although generally not anything to worry about, on its own, when sneezing is accompanied by wheezing, open-mouthed breathing, mucous secretions, and lethargic behavior, it could be that your pet is suffering from an infection that would need the attention of a vet.
Peeing
Like many animals, the Blue Tonged Skink is able to hide emotions such as nervousness and anxiety. By doing so, they’re masking their vulnerability to potential predators. So if you pet lizard pees on you, or poops, although it may not be evident to you, they could be doing it because they’re nervous or tense.
If it happens, so be it. You can easily clean your clothes. What you shouldn’t do is put your Skink back in its enclosure if you want him to get used to being out with you. If you do, he is likely to continue with this behavior to avoid being handled. The behavior will soon pass. Be patient and gradually build up the amount of time he spends out of his cage with you.
How Long do Blue Tongued Skinks Live?
It’s vital to know the lifespan of any animal before taking one on. These intelligent creatures can live up to between fifteen and twenty years and even longer in some cases.
Of course, as they age, they also grow. Measuring between 130-140mm at birth, Blue Tongued Lizards can grow up to anything between thirty and fifty centimeters in length. It will take around three to four years before they reach this fully grown size.
Housing a Blue Tongued Skink
To avoid any dominance or aggression issues, it’s always advisable to house your pet Skink independently rather than with a mate. Due to the Skinks warm natural habitat, it’s best to accommodate your pet in a wooden vivarium, especially if you live in a cold climate. The wood will help with insulation.
As for size, really, you would be looking at an enclosure that measures 4x2x2 feet or as close to that as possible. It would also require large vents to ensure the heat is lost from one side of the vivarium to the opposite side while maintaining the same heat in the basking area. Lockable sliding glass doors are another feature of an ideal enclosure for your pet Skink.
Have a look at the fuller guide to housing a Blue Tongue Skink
Heating and Lighting Needs
To ensure your Skink can move from a hot area to a cooler one, you should always make certain your enclosure has a warm end and a cooler end. You can do this by placing all the lighting and heating at one end of the vivarium. To monitor temperatures inside the housing, it’s recommended you place a thermometer at each end.
Temperatures inside the enclosure should be between seventy-five and eighty-two degrees Fahrenheit on the cool side. On the warm side, which should include a basking area, temperatures should read between ninety and a hundred degrees.
These temperatures can be achieved either using an under-tank heating device such as a heat mat and/or an overhead basking light or emitter. If you choose to use both, make sure you turn off the overhead device at night.
As for lighting, daylight bulbs should be on for a maximum of twelve hours a day, and it’s recommended that you have UVB lighting inside your pet Skinks enclosure as they also provide UVA, which will benefit your pet lizard. You can leave these types of lights on for between eight to twelve hours per day.
Substrate
Safe options for the substrate include recycled paper substrates, aspen, Cyprus mulch (make sure it’s kept dry), and fir bark. Whichever substrate you use, ensure it’s well maintained and cleaned regularly.
To avoid your Skink becoming ill, never use clay cat litter, cedar chips, sand, orchard bark, or walnut shells as a substrate as they could lead to respiratory problems and toxicity.
Blue Tongued Skinks are burrowing lizards, so you’ll need to ensure whichever substrate you use, make sure it’s soft, loose, and around four to six inches in depth. To avoid your Skink ingesting any substrate, it’s best to offer a feeding dish.
Tank Decoration
Ensure that any logs or rocks that you put in your Skinks vivarium are not stacked too high, as although they do enjoy climbing, they are not that accomplished at it. This will prevent them from falling from heights and injuring themselves.
The things you could include in your enclosure are logs, large rocks, cork bark, hide boxes, and other shelters to provide them with a place to shed. It’s easy to get carried away and clutter up your pet Skinks enclosure with unnecessary accessories. Try to avoid doing this, as your lizard will enjoy the open space a lot more.
Food and Diet
Blue Tongued Skinks are omnivorous, so will require a combination of fruit, vegetables, and proteins. They get most of their protein from insects such as mealworms, superworms, live crickets, and locusts. Remember to remove any uneaten crickets from the enclosure as they may bite your skink.
Besides insects, protein can also be obtained from eating boiled chicken, cooked ground turkey, lean ground beef, hard-boiled eggs, canned dog or cat food, and the occasional pinky mice. It’s preferable to give younger Skinks cat food up to the age of one and then revert to dog food.
Fruit and vegetables should be chopped to ensure your lizard can easily handle them. Fruits that your pet Skink will enjoy include raspberries, mango, figs, papaya, strawberries, and blueberries.
Your Blue Tongued Skink will happily eat a variety of vegetables, including collard and turnip greens, mustard greens, peas, Brussel sprouts, carrots, pesticide-free dandelions, and squash.
Find out more about what Blue Tongued Skinks eat and drink.
Is A Blue Tongued Skink Good For Beginners?
Low maintenance, easy to care for, and ideal pets. As long as you are prepared for their relatively large size compared to other pet lizards, then the Blue Tongued Lizard is ideal for children and beginners alike.
