Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought my BTS last month at the ohio state show, and she (at least I am assuming she is a female. The pair was for sale, but the male did not look so good,so I didn't buy him, and she had a narrow head and a wider body compared to him, so I am assuming she is the female in the pair) has been doing great accept I can't get her to eat anything but canned cat food. She has touched banna once or twice, but thats it. Other than that,she seems like a carnivore for that an omnivore. Also I think she may be gravid, she was kept with the male, and she seems to be getting larger. Also, I am not sure what subspecies she is. Sorry I cant get any pictues because my digital camera is acting up. but she is a light tan, with black all along her sides and a little on her back, brown stripes across her back, and very faint black stripes behind her eyes (I know its not the best decription, but I tried.) I have looked all over the internet, but still cant quite determine exactly what she is. Any advice on what to feed her and what subspecies she may possible be and if there is any sure way to determine if she is gravid? Thanks in advance.

I can help w/ the feeding. Try mixing veggies into the cat food, so they're well coated. This will trick her into eating a more varied diet. Once you determine whether she's preggers or not, you can try witholding food for a few days (if she's not preg.), then feed her something different like cooked chicken mixed w/ veggies, or some other protien source, mixed w/ veggies. Sometimes we feed them so often they can afford to be picky. Making sure she's hungry will help ensure she eats what's offered.
I make up packets once a month & freeze them. Each has a slightly varied menu w/ various veggies, limited fruits & varied protien sources so if my guy rejects one combo, it's quite different the next time. Plus I'm only feeding him every other day during the winter.
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1.0 Reverse Okeetee Corn snake Fuzzy
1.3.0 leos, Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo (Indy)
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
1.1.4 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton, Olivia Newton John & Helmut Newton
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

http://members.shaw.ca/cloose/species.htm
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Edward
Carpe diem

You are correct in that your description is not quite detailed enough to tell what species or subspecies of BTS you have. Do you happen to have a digital camaera? If so, feel free to send a couple pics to my e-mail address (tiliquaman@aol.com), and I will be able to tell you what you have. As for feeding and gestation, here is a little more mindless dribble that may help.

In their natural environment Blue-tongued Skinks are opportunistic feeders. This is an adaptation that suits their omnivorous tastes perfectly, making it possible for them to eat almost anything that comes their way, or anything they happen to stumble onto. In the wild they are known to eat arthropods, snails, baby rodents, and other small animals. Blue-tongues also take advantage of the native fruits, berries, flowers, and grasses, readily consuming them when available. By not being specialized hunters with prey specific needs, Blue-tongued Skinks have gained an edge over their reptilian competition, which explains their strong presence in so many different Australian habitats, including urban backyards and gardens.

Skink Mix
In captivity, I do my best to duplicate the blue-tongue's natural diet. If there were only one word that I could give as advice to a new blue-tongue owner, in regard to proper Blue-tongue nutrition, it would have to be variety. For the Blue-tongued Skink, variety is not only the spice of life; it is a way of life. My skinks relish my cooking, and 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. I have listed some of the items that I frequently use in my mix below.

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, lean cuts of meat, boiled chicken, imitation crab meat (sparingly), caned reptile diets, moistened turtle pellets, and moistened koi pellets (sparingly)

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

Supplemental Food Items
Most insects are taken readily by Blue-tongued skinks. If you are feeding insects, that you have collected, to your skink, it is important to make sure that there is no chance of them being contaminated with pesticides. 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 (Tenebrio molitor), superworms (Zophobas atrauts), waxworms, and sometimes earthworms. Snails are relished with delight by most blue-tongues, but again, you should be certain that no pesticides are present. Rat-pups are great for skinks that are a bit thin and need to put on some weight, and young adult mice make an excellent weekly supplement for gravid females. I also like to offer my skinks an occasional fruit meal consisting of ripe strawberries, peaches, mangos, or canned fruit cocktail.

Vitamin and Mineral 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.

Gestation
Blue-tongued Skinks are ovoviviparous (bearing live young), and 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). A young a mouse of appropriate size, once a week, is also a welcome supplement to her diet. It is very hard to over-feed a gravid blue-tongue, so keep that food coming during this period. Some gravid females balloon to enormous sizes, appearing quite uncomfortable, and it is very obvious that they are gravid, while others hide their pregnancy well, pleasantly 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 restless. At this time it is recommended that some sort of nesting material be provided to 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, as it poses no risk of impaction due to accidental ingestion when the babies consume their sticky afterbirths.