Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi
i am new to the forum and thinking about getting a bts.i would appreciate it if some one would post some info like cage requirements food requirements and the skins total lenth.also how are they to be handled ??or any links to care sheets would be really awesome.thanks inadvanced!!
sincerely
tyler
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1.3 bearded dragons. 2.3 leaporde geckos.1.1. veiled chameleons

Blue-tongued Beauties
By James Wilson
Photos by Dan Kennedy unless otherwise noted

Blue-tongued Skinks of the genus Tiliqua have been in the reptile hobby for many years, and until recently they have managed to remain underrated, or unknown to most reptile hobbyists. Blue-tongues are starting to see the popularity that they have long since deserved, and this is not without good reason. These large skinks have simple caging requirements, easy going personalities, and a willingness to eat almost anything, which makes them a truly great pet lizard for any reptile enthusiasts. I have kept these fascinating lizards for many years, and I am still amazed by their curiosity and their ability to learn and adapt. Blue-tongued Skinks are hearty long-lived lizards that are, in my opinion, the ultimate lizard pet.
Blue-tongued Skinks get their common name from their bright blue tongue, which they display when startled or threatened in an effort to frighten off a perceived threat. The genus Tiliqua is composed of six different species, all of which, with the exception of the Pygmy Blue-tongue, are very similar in appearance. Blue-tongues are medium-large (14-27 inches), heavy-bodied lizards. They have long sausage-like bodies, large triangular heads, and relatively short stocky tails. Their short limbs and tiny feet seem too small for their bodies, giving them an awkward and sometimes comical appearance.
Blue-tongues can be found throughout Australia, and many of its surrounding islands, including: Tazmania, New Guinea, and a large number of Indonesian islands. Blue-tongues have adapted to survive in a wide range of habitats, from semi-arid scrub-lands to montane forests; and from arid deserts to sub-humid tropical forests. Blue-tongues are diurnal (day active) lizards that have adapted to a terrestrial (ground dwelling) lifestyle, often sheltering in animal burrows, log hollows, and under discarded sheets of metal. All six species are viviparous (live bearing).
These are relatively long lived lizards, and it is not unusual for a Blue-tongued Skink to live 15-20 years, and even possibly well into its 30's. I know of a Blue-tongue named Rosie that was 28 years old the last time that I saw her, and she is now 33, assuming she is still with us.
Custom enclosures: I house my skinks separately in custom built 3'L x 16"D x 15"H melamine enclosures that are comparable in price, more functional, and visually more pleasing than the common glass aquarium style reptile cage. Melamine is an easy to clean surface that also provides good insulation from extreme temperatures. I use 1/4-inch sliding glass bypass doors for easy access, and 1/4-inch pegboard, which provides my skinks with adequate ventilation while maintaining constant temperatures.
Blue-tongues like to hide on occasion, so it is important to provide them with some kind of shelter. I like to use hide logs because the skinks have the opportunity to bask on them when they want to warm up, or hide in them when they want to feel secure or sleep. Aside from their water bowl, they will not need any other furnishings.
Newspaper, Care-fresh, and artificial turf have all proven to suitable substrates for me in the past. I have also heard good things about cypress mulch and coconut husk from other hobbyists.
Blue-tongues will often burrow in their substrate if given the opportunity (especially when kept in a glass tank). They do this simply out of convenience, in an effort to get under something and out of sight from potential dangers. Blue-tongues are not burrowing lizards by nature, rather they are opportunistic shelter seekers that do not need a substrate to burrow in if given appropriate hides and an enclosure that provides them with some sense of security. I avoid orchid bark, sand, crushed walnut shell, and aspen bedding because of the many health risks that they pose, including: skin and respiratory problems, accidental ingestion and impaction, and unwanted foreign invasion into the eyes and nostrils. Many of these, but not all, are also messy and quite impractical. Never use cedar chips due to the toxic oils that they secrete.
Lights and heat: There are many opinions in regards to Lizards and full spectrum lighting. While it hasn't been proven that it is absolutely necessary for the proper development of a Blue-tongued Skink. I would much rather play it safe than sorry, and I still believe that the potential psychological and physiological benefits of full spectrum lighting make it well worth the effort. A 12/12 photo-period can be maintained with the use of a household appliance timer. I maintain this photo-period for the entire year, with the exception of when I am cycling my skinks for breeding. A thermogradiant should be established in the cage by providing a basking site of 90-95 degrees at one end of the enclosure while maintaining temperatures of 80-85 degrees at the cool end. This can be accomplished by using a spotlight of appropriate wattage or under tank heating pad, and it will allow the skink to control its body temperature by means of thermoregulation. Night-time temperatures normally should not drop below 75 degrees.
Water: Clean water should always be available in a container that is heavy and stable enough to prevent the skink from tipping it over.
Food: In the wild, Blue-tongues are opportunistic feeders. This adaptation suits their omnivorous tastes well, enabling them to eat almost anything that they come across. In the wild they will eat arthropods, snails, baby rodents, and other small animals. Blue-tongues also take advantage of the native fruits, flowers, and grasses, readily consuming them when available. In captivity, I do my best to duplicate the Blue-tongue's natural diet. I have devised a skink mix that makes up for the majority of their diet. This mix is easy to freeze and store in individual zip lock bags. I try to maintain a ratio of 50-60% animal matter to 40-50% Plant matter in their mix. I always try to include new ingredients, when making the mix, so that it is never exactly the same. These are some of the items that I frequently use in my mix.
Animal matter: Canned premium cat or dog food (I usually use chicken flavored cat food), moistened monkey chow, ground turkey, dry premium dog or cat food (moistened), hard boiled eggs (sparingly), lean cuts of meat, boiled chicken, caned reptile diets.
Plant matter: Chopped mustard, collard, beet, and turnip greens. Dandelion greens and flowers, hibiscus flowers (take care that no pesticides or herbicides are present). Chopped kale (sparingly), fresh, canned, and thawed frozen fruits. Canned or frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, and green beans). Grated squash, carrots, apples, and potatoes. Moistened iguana diet, and cooked pasta.
Most insects are readily accepted by Blue-tongues. You can purchase crickets at most pet stores, and they are available in bulk through a large number of mail order companies that advertise in reptile related magazines. Also available are mealworms, superworms, waxworms, and earthworms. Snails are also relished with delight by most Blue-tongues. If you are feeding insects or snails, that you have collected, to your skink, it is important to make sure that there is no chance of them being contaminated with pesticides. Rat-pups are great for skinks that are a bit thin and need to put on some weight, while young adult mice make an excellent weekly supplement for gravid females.
Supplementation: A quality calcium supplement with vitamin D3 is an important factor in maintaining most lizards, including Blue-tongued Skinks. Make sure it is phosphorous free, and do not over supplement. Sprinkle a small amount on the food every other feeding for babies and gravid females, and every third feeding for all other adults. If given a varied diet, Blue-tongues will not need any other vitamin or mineral supplements.
Breeding: Before breeding Blue-tongued Skinks, it is necessary to have a sexed pair of sexually mature Skinks. This task is easier said than done, as Blue-tongues are quite difficult to sex for most hobbyists. There are many ideas on how to accurately sex Blue-tongues, with most of them being only semi-accurately at best. In the past people have used such indicators as eye color, head and body morphology, hemipenile swelling, and popping (hemipenile eversion). Very often, it is necessary to employ more than one of these methods to accurately determine the sex of a Blue-tongue.
The presence of, or lack of, seminal plugs is a reliable indicator that I have utilized in determining the sex of my Blue-tongues. Most Hobbyists overlook this dead give away because they keep their skinks on dirt, bark, gravel, or aspen bedding, and the seminal plugs simply get lost in the substrate. I have found that when I keep my skinks on artificial turf, that these plugs become quite obvious. Males will often "drop" these small clearish-white little blobs in pairs on a daily basis, and they should not be confused with the urate portion of the skinks waste matter.
Probing has proven to be inconclusive and inconsistent with Blue-tongued Skinks. It is also not recommended due to the risk of damage to the skink's reproductive organs. Many Blue-tongues are inadvertently sterilized during this unnecessary procedure. Please, do not attempt to probe your Blue-tongues, it offers nothing to gain and a lot to loose.
Most breeders agree that Blue-tongued skinks need to be subjected to some kind of cooling period in order for them to breed. This cooling period is thought to stimulate courtship behaviour, and should duplicate conditions that the particular species or subspecies would experience in the wild. Before cooling your Blue-tongued Skinks, it is important to make sure that their digestive tracts are cleared of any undigested food that could putrefy in the skink's stomach. This can be accomplished simply by taking your skinks off of food 1-2 weeks prior to cooling. I usually start cooling my skinks in the beginning of November. In addition to cooling, I also shorten the photo-period to 6-8 hours depending on the species. During the cooling period the skinks should not be offered food of any kind, however water should be available at all times. These winter conditions should be continued for 2-3 months, and should cause the skinks to enter into a state of inactivity. It is important to monitor your Blue-tongues closely throughout the entire cycling process, making sure that they display no signs of respiratory disease or any other abnormalities. Only healthy sexually mature skinks with plenty of fat reserves should be considered for cooling and or breeding. Blue-tongues from the colder southern regions such as the Eastern, Blotched, and Western Blue-tongued Skinks can be cooled to 65-70 degrees in the day and 55-60 degrees at night. Tropical species such as the Irian Jaya, Tanimbar, and Indonesian Blue-tongued Skinks should not be cooled lower 70 degrees in the day and 65 degrees at night.
After my skinks have been properly cooled, the photo-period and cage temperature is gradually adjusted back to normal over the course of one week. At this point the skinks are offered small meals. 1-2 weeks after being returned to their normal temperatures, I introduce the female into the male's enclosure, (a sort of conjugal visit if you will) while I play the role of chaperone. The female will usually freeze up and wriggle her tail. If all goes well, the male will grasp the female just above the forelimb near the nape of the neck, after which he should attempt to copulate with her. Copulation does not last long (about 30 to 90 seconds) after which the male will release the female. It is at this time that there is often a turning of the tables, with the once submissive female attacking the now inoffensive male. At this time I remove the female, and treat any superficial scratches with 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. After a 1-2 day rest, they are ready to give it another go. After 3-5 successful copulations, the female will usually have a bit of a mood swing, not allowing the male the intimacy that she did just days before. At this point breeding is over, and if all goes well, babies should be expected in early summer. Blue-tongued Skinks have a gestation that lasts from 3-5 months, with the unknown date of ovulation, and the ability to store sperm being responsible for the fluctuation. During the gestation period the female should be given access to a warm basking site of at least 95 degrees, and frequent meals with increased calcium supplementation (every other meal). Some gravid females balloon to enormous sizes, and it is very obvious that they are gravid, while others hide their pregnancy well, surprising even the most experienced keepers with unexpected babies. As her term progresses the gravid female will often get grumpier and grumpier, and as the end draws near she will often refuse food and may appear to be uncomfortable. Some hobbyists like to provide nesting material for the future mother so she can feel more secure, and to give the babies some place to hide once they are born. Shredded newspaper works great. Take care not to use substrates that may stick to the new baby’s afterbirths, as they quickly consume them and the chance of impaction or death is much higher at this stage in the game.
Babies should be separated from the mother as soon as they are discovered. They can be housed together in a 20-30 (depending on the number of babies) gallon tank. They will get along fine for a few weeks, although they should be monitored closely especially during feeding time, as fights do break out. In 3-6 weeks it is a good idea to start separating the babies into their own enclosures. Skinks that are not separated will fight, causing broken legs, lost tails, and serious head wounds. These fights will often happen out of the blue and without warning, in a group of baby skinks that almost seemed to enjoy each other's company just the day before. Ten-gallon fish tanks with 1/4-inch pegboard tops make great rearing tanks for baby Blue-tongues. Baby skinks should be kept warm with basking temperatures of 90-95 degrees and ambient temperatures of 85-90 degrees. There should be little or no drop in temperature at night. I recommend that babies be kept on either newspaper or artificial turf so as to prevent them from accidentally ingesting any substrate, which could cause an impaction or even death. Baby Blue-tongues should be fed every day, or at least every other day, a diet similar to that of adults, with care being taken that there are no pieces that could be too big for baby skinks to swallow. Calcium supplementation should offered with every other feeding.