Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a couple questions:

1) Is it ok to give Blue tongue skink only one type of vegetable and one type of meat (ie: "green giant" frozen lettuce&carrots and crix as prtein) or are you best to mix it up.

2) What exactly is meant by the percentages given. (ie: 60% vegies and 40% meats) How do i reglate it , by giving to them like 3 dasy of week- vegies and 1 day week meat?

thats it thank you.

Question 1: Is it ok to give Blue tongue skink only one type of vegetable and one type of meat (ie: "green giant" frozen lettuce&carrots and crix as prtein) or are you best to mix it up?

James: No, in my opinion it is not ok to feed a diet that is not varied. And, yes, you should mix it up. There is just too much available to us not to.

Question 2: What exactly is meant by the percentages given. (ie: 60% vegies and 40% meats) How do i reglate it , by giving to them like 3 dasy of week- vegies and 1 day week meat?

James: I prefer a ratio not so high in veg matter for bts, unless yours happens to be a Shingle-back Skink. That is just my opinion; it is not going to kill your skink or anything. However, I suspect it will not be a very good eater on such a high vegi diet. As for calculating your ratio, it is simple math. You have two things to consider. Freequency of items that are considered animal protien and the same for items that can be considered plant matter. Then you need to consider how much of each is actually used. Some people like to weigh the food items, or mesure them by volume. It does not have to be an exact science. 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.