Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone know where there is a good care sheet for them?
Sonia

Hey,

Blue-tongues make awesome pets.....I would start with either an northern or an irian-jaya...Ive delt with those two plus easterns and meraukes and I found those two the easiest. Well there's not a whole lot of care with them. Pretty much keep them in a good sized cage like a big adult would rpob need sometihng like 4'L x 2'W x 2'T. Also they like a varried diet with lots of different veggies (no ice burg lettuce) but like apples, collerd greens, gradded carrot....etc. Plus they love meal worms and sueprs worm and pinkie mice. I find eventully when they reach about 14 inches long they eat less and less vegie-matter and more insects and meat. Sometimes its better to feed thme out of their cage because when they see your hand go into their cage to feed them then they think everytime you put your hands in their cage its for food and you cn get bit very easily.
tempature around 90 degrees F.

Anywyas I'm kinda in a rush so I just ghave you a breif little care list ...I probley missed a few things

Best wishes
Justin Morash

Blue-tongued Beauties (Reptiles Nov. 2001)
By James Wilson

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.

IMHO there are 3 types of BTS.The first one will bite you when you try to handle it! The second one will peep/poop on you when you try to handle it.The 3rd one will look at you with sweet eyes and lick your hand when you try to handle it.Go to the 3rd one and you will be very happy!

this is not the way a BTS should be housed, and that they should not be kept with iguanas. I say this because the poster is obviously a newcomer to BTS, and I would not want her to get the wrong idea. How many Iguanas do you have? He looks different than the big red one, which is in my opinion, quite a stunning animal.

I believe that in previous posts, Flavia has said that she no longer keeps those two together anymore. So that must be a much older picture. I'm correct, right, Flavia?

However, I still think that it should be made apparent to the original poster and BTS newcomer that keeping a BTS in a cage like that should be greatly discouraged. BTS need a solid floor area so they can walk naturally.

I realize that she is not keeping them together anymore, but chances are, the original poster does not know this. That is why I mentioned it. This person is a new to obviously new to BTS, and I would hate for them to get the wrong idea. Nothing against Flavia.

They have different requirements, so please dont try to keep both together!
Male iguanas, when they are in the breeding season, will try to mate with whatever they find in front of them including your BTS!!
Iguanas should not eat animal protein so the BTS food, like boiled eggs, tuna (with water, not oil),chicken, adult dog food (less protein than puppie food), if consumed by the iguana, can cause its death!
BTS love to eat poop (its gross but its true!) so if yout BTS start eating your iguana poop this will probably change your BTS's intestinal flora (English spelling?)and make more difficult for to BTS to digest its own food!

About the floor i think if it has some disadvantages,it has some advantages too. Its true that on the first day the skink will have difficulties to walk on it. But they will learn very fast and after the first day they will move around without problems. The advantages is that they will never crawl on their own poop! The cage's floor is always spotless!The only contact they have with their own feces is when they do their business inside their bowl of water.But of course i change the water as soon as i see it is dirty!
But i dont recommend any wood shavings for a closed or indoors cage.They have fumes that can intoxicate your pet! I use them only beacuse my cages are placed outdoors, in a very, very ventilated area(my balcony).

About my igs, James, i have 6.4 adults and 2 juvies. Some of them are rescues that i found dying (literally) in bad pet shops.
All my adults reached 1, 5 m (around 5 feet) at the age of 3!

The one you saw on my previous message is Godzilla. He is around 7/8 years old.I bought it in Indonesia, in a filthy street pet market. He was nothing but bones when i bought/rescued him. The green one you saw on the photo with the BTS is THOR. He never attacked my BTSs when they shared the same cage.Both BTSs trust him a lot and feel very confident when he is around.He is 3 years old and only his body (snout to vent) is almost 20 inches!

The one you can see below is TREX.He is 3 years old and a little bit more than 1m 5.

I am a very experienced herper so I did not think the iguana and BT lived together but it could have been confusing to a new herper. Thanks for all your input.
Also Flavia let me know how to find that 3rd one.
Do you mean the types are like that or their personalities vary greatly individually.

This is Buttercup

This is buttercup

What a truly gorgeous picture. Saved it to my 'lizard stuff' folder!
Susan

What is that? Sooooo cute! I want to kiss that little face!Well, i have Leopard Geckos and Salamanders but i admit i dont know what is that!Its a gecko? Which one?

About the BTS, their personalities vary! You have to handle them for several minutes while you are in the petshop! The bitting one will try to attack you, the peep/poop one will squirm and do their business on your hands as soon as you handle it.The sweet one --as i said before-- will do nothing! Will only look at you with the sweetest eyes you can imagine, lick your fingers and perhaps close its eyes because it likes the warmth of your hand.That is the perfect one!Dont buy the other 2 thinking their personalities will change with time!Mega, my obese female, was the poop/peep one and even after 2 years i have had her she still does her business on my hands each time i try to handle her!
Abdu, her boy friend, is the sweet type and still is very sweet.He is the perfect BTS!

It is a crested gecko. She is very sweet and they make good pets but do not like very hot temperatures. They prefer 70F - 80F and not much hotter. They require no UVB or heat lamp if your home does not get too cold. I only heat them a bit in winter. They eat crickets and fruit baby food or crested gecko diet. They are really easy to care for and only grow eight inches long. They are my favorite kind of gecko.
Sonia

What is their country of origin? (Please say Australia!)
Susan

Great Pic! I really like all of the Rhacodactylus Geckos. The 3rd one that Flavia is refering to is what 99.9% of all of the Northern BTS are like. I think that the sample population of BTS that are available in Malaysia, is different than here in the US, in that it most likely consists of many wild collected Indonesian (Tiliqua gigas gigas) specimens, and possibly the Tanimbar Island (Tiliqua scincoides chimearea) specimens, in which wild-caught specimens of both species tend to be quite nasty. They are both prone to defeacting, urinating, and biting when they are handled. Because of this I think that she might have a different Idea of what BTS personalities are like than we have over here or in Australia. In her pic she has an Irian Jaya specimen (Tiliqua ssp.) which is surely what she would consider her #3 type, as they are one Indonesian import that is very calm. Many of the Indonesian Tiliqua species are quite ill tempered, in contrast to the Australian Tiliqua species which are generally pretty calm, and somewhat workable. You will have no problem finding a good calm BTS here. I would suggest a Northern. They are all Captive bred, and they are not very hard to find. Good Luck.