One of the advantages of keeping Blue-tongued Skinks is that they have very simple caging requirements. They need a surprisingly small amount of cage space for as large a lizard that they are. The average adult Blue-tongue can be kept adequately in a 40-gallon glass aquarium with a screen top. While this standard reptile terrarium does the basic job, I have found them to possess a few flaws in their design.
The first problem is the all glass design. Most reptiles like to have some kind of refuge or cover to retreat to when they feel threatened. It is when they are completely covered and out of site from would-be predators that they feel the safest and most secure. Reptiles do not understand the concept of glass, and why they cannot get through it. They also do not understand that predators cannot come through the glass to eat them. As a result many reptiles take flight, head-on into the glass, at the first sign of a perceived threat or danger. It is needless to say that this can be very detrimental to the reptile's snout and general well being. These threats can be anything that moves in the reptile's field of vision; including you, your family and friends, and your dog or cat. Fortunately, most Blue-tongued Skinks are not easily frightened, but they still feel a need for security that is hard to provide with a glass tank.
I have also seen blue-tongues that walk up the corner of a glass tank about half way, putting their bodies into an L shape. This is an example of a skink that simply wants out, for whatever the reason, but can not figure out why it is not getting through. Being extremely persistent animals, these skinks will sometimes stay in this unnatural position for days, weeks, or even months, often causing permanent deformities to their spines. I also do not like the all-glass tanks because they are unnecessarily heavy, very easy to damage, hard to fasten lights and accessories to, and awkward when you need access to maintain your skink. If you have ever placed your tank on a dresser, at a height (about 4 ft.) that makes a great display, then you know what I am talking about!
Custom Enclosures:: I have found an option to the glass tank that is comparable in price, more functional, and visually more pleasing. Since I keep and breed a large amount of Blue-tongues, space is a valuable commodity. As a result I house my skink separately in 3'L x 16"D x 15"H stackable melamine enclosures. The melamine is an easy to clean surface that also provides good insulation from extreme temperatures. For easy access, I use 1/4 inch sliding glass bypass doors, on plastic track, for the front of the cage. Most of the Blue-tongued Skinks available to hobbyists in the U.S. prefer a relatively dry environment, so it is important to provide them with plenty of ventilation. The back walls of my enclosures are made from 1/4-inch pegboard, which provides my skinks with adequate ventilation while still helping to maintain constant temperatures. Light fixtures are easily mounted to the ceiling of the enclosure.
Note: If you are keeping just one or two skinks, I recommend the same type of enclosure, but if space permits, it may be a good idea to go with a slightly larger set-up. An enclosure that is 4'L x 2'D x 20"H makes a great display that gives your skink a lot of extra space, which is always a big plus!
Free ranging skinks: Many people feel that it is wrong to keep their reptiles in an enclosure. They often say it is cruel or inhumane. I have often been asked, by these individuals, questions like; "How would you like to be locked up in a cage all day?" While they may have good intentions, these people must realize that reptiles are NOT people, and we should not place human emotions on them. But, if these people must have an answer, I would say that I would much rather be locked in my room at comfortable temperatures than to be set free in 45 degree temperatures with no way for me to warm myself, which is exactly what letting your skink roam free in your house is like. They are not cats or dogs; they are ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals that require an ambient temperature of 80-85 degrees, and basking temperatures of 95-100 degrees. These temperatures are needed for proper digestion, and other key body functions, and there is no way that you can maintain these temps in your home. In addition, free ranging skinks as well as other reptiles will readily eat a multitude of harmful objects that are available to them when wondering in your home. These objects include dead or live poisoned insects, small toy parts, jewellery, pennies and other small metal objects. Skinks may tip over lamps, causing house fires, and may damage valuables and house furnishings. They are also very good escape artists, finding and exploiting any potential ways out of your house. Skinks have a knack for finding ways to get into dead spaces in cabinetry and large appliances which can often result in the death of the skink, and a very bad odor for the grieving home owner. Free ranging reptiles in your home can also potentially pose a health risk to you and your family through possible Salmonella contamination throughout your house. Reptiles are still considered to be wild animals that have very specific needs that must be met in order for them to thrive in our captive care. If you want to allow your skink more freedom, then build a larger enclosure, or maybe, a good outdoor enclosure. It is simply irresponsible to let your skink go in your home where it will be forced to fend for itself in an environment that is totally foreign to it and one that its evolution has not prepared it for. To do this is an injustice to the skink, and if a person is not willing to be responsible enough to put their skink in the proper enclosure where the environment can be monitored, then that person should seriously reconsider their decision to purchase the skink. The same would hold true for any other reptile species
Cage Furnishings: Blue-tongues like to hide on occasion, so it is important to provide them with some sort of means to accomplish this. While three solid walls and roof help, additional shelter is recommended. 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.
Substrate: There are many different opinions on the subject of substrate. I have personally tried many of them myself, and I have found that newspaper, Care-fresh, and artificial-turf have all proven to be effective substrates for me. Cypress mulch is also frequently used and recommended by many keepers. Aspen Bedding has been used by many hobbyists, but it contains long sharp slivers can work their way into the skinks nostrils, eyes, or vent, causing serious injury. It is also hard to keep it out of the skinks food, and can cause very serious problems when ingested. I also avoid orchid bark for the same reasons and because of the possibility of respiratory and skin problems as a result from the red dust that it produces. Note: Never use cedar chips due to the toxic oils that they secrete.
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.
Sand is also not recommended, mainly because it is very hard to maintain. Blue-tongues can be very messy lizards, causing the sand to have a very unpleasant odor in a relatively short period of time, and it is just not practical to replace the sand as often as you will need to. It is often pointed out to me that sand is often encountered in the wild by many blue-tongue species. However, that does not change the fact that it can get into your skinks eyes, nose, and food, unnecessary causing potential health risks to your skink. The reason for this is that in the wild the skink is not forced to be in constant contact with the sand 24 hours a day, for its entire life, as it would be in captivity. Let me try to explain. Many of the lizards from the south-western United Stated come in close contact with many different Cactus species. However, cactus is not the best choice of cage décor for these lizards in captivity. The point is, just because something is encountered in the wild, does not automatically make it beneficial in captivity. In captivity we should try to duplicate the beneficial aspects of the wild while decreasing the dangerous and rigorous aspects that the wild also presents.
Lights and Heat: There are many opinions in regards to lizards and full-spectrum lighting. While it has proven to play an important role in the development and vitamin D3 synthesis of many Iguanid and Agamid species, I am not totally convinced that it is absolutely necessary for the proper growth and development of Blue-tongued Skinks. There are many reports of blue-tongues being raised without any exposure to full-spectrum lighting. However, in the wild, blue-tongues do bask in the sun. Weather this is for UV light benefits, or simply just to raise their body temp, is still in question. I personally believe it to be primarily for the purposes of thermoregulation, and the synthesis of vitamin D3, and I cannot discount the possibility of additional benefits. 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 photo-period of 12 hours on and 12 hours off can be established and controlled through the use of a household appliance timer. I maintain this 12-hour 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 an under tank heating pad or spotlight of appropriate wattage, and it will allow the skink to control its body temperature my means of thermoregulation. Night-time temperatures of 70-75 degrees are acceptable.
Water: Water should be available to your blue-tongue at all times. Be sure that the container is heavy and stable enough to prevent the skink from tipping it over. On occasion, skinks like to soak in their water bowls. They usually do this a few days before they shed. If you can provide them with a large enough bowl to accomplish this, it will aid them in the shedding process. Some Blue-tongued Skinks also have the unsavory habit of defecating in their water bowls. It is important that the water bowl be washed in soap and water whenever this occurs.
Feeding: 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.
Handling: It is important to always make your Blue-tongued Skink feels as safe and secure as possible during handling. I have found that blue-tongues like to have secure footing when being held. If this is provided for them, most skinks will remain quite calm. However, when a blue-tongue is picked up with its legs dangling in the air it can be very frightening for it, causing it to twist and turn in an effort to get into a more secure position. Some skinks may also defecate, urinate, or even bite in a last ditch effort to be liberated from the careless person's grasp. Blue-tongues have relatively blunt dull teeth, but they more than make up for this with shear jaw power. While blue-tongues are the most easy-going of lizards that are generally not prone to bite, it is still a good idea to avoid provoking them, as a bite from a Blue-tongue can be a painful experience. Over-handling is another mistake that is often made by many new reptile owners. Most blue-tongues are so placid that they seem to enjoy our love, causing us to have a tendency to smother them with it. It is important to realize that most reptiles do not appreciate the petting, stroking, holding, and kissing that their keepers subject them to. While Blue-tongued Skinks are usually extremely tolerant of it, they do not generally like excessive handling, and would almost always rather be left alone. However, it is still important to handle them on a semi-regular basis, for short periods of time, in order to maintain their trust. This is easily done during their basic daily maintenance through cage cleaning, nail trimming, occasional baths, and health checks. I have found blue-tongues to be one of the most curious reptiles that I have ever had the pleasure of keeping. I have a large skink enclosure behind my desk that often serves as a mini vacation for my skinks when I place them on top of it. After they have explored the area I can always catch them peering over the edge (inches from my head) watching intently over my shoulder as I write this book.
Maintenance: As with any pet, there is a small amount of maintenance involved in keeping your Blue-tongued Skink happy and healthy. Besides food and water, there are a few things that you can do to keep your skink in tip-top condition.
Provide nail trims when necessary. Blue tongues have very small claws that are quite sharp, and nearly impossible to trim in that respect. However, some skinks grow their nails longer and faster than others, resulting in nails that grow down and back, and then up and on around, forming a loop, and causing the toes to lay on their sides. I have received skinks that literally had "corkscrewed" toenails which is, in my opinion, a serious injustice to the animal. Their nails will need to be trimmed with standard nail trimmers whenever they look longer than normal.
Baths and soaks are an important part of my skink maintenance program. When my skinks start the shedding process I put them in a plastic container filled with 2 inches of luke warm water, and allow them to soak for up to 3 hours. This helps loosen the old skin, and it saves me from having to clean the messy shed out of the cage. When soaking your blue-tongue, it is important to soak it in a container with a lid to prevent escape, and holes to allow for ventilation. When Blue-tongues are kept too dry, they often seem to be in a continual state of shed in that before they are finished with one shed, they begin another shed. This can cause shed to build up (especially in problem areas like toes and ears) and cause potential problems.
