Blue-Tongue Skink Care Guide

Blue-tongue skinks (Tiliqua species) are heavy, short-legged lizards from Australia, Indonesia and New Guinea that grow to about 20–24 in (50–60 cm) and spend their days burrowing, foraging and basking. They are calm, sturdy and easy to handle once settled, but they need a large vivarium, a deep layer of substrate and an omnivorous diet that is easy to get wrong in the direction of obesity. Several species and subspecies are sold, and the RSPCA stresses that you must know exactly which one you have, because humidity needs differ by origin.

Care requirements

Need	What to provide
Enclosure	Minimum 48 × 30 × 30 in (120 × 75 × 75 cm) for one skink, made from solid, sealed material (RSPCA)
Temperature	Basking zone 86–90°F (30–32°C), up to 95°F (35°C) for young skinks; cool end 72–77°F (22–25°C); night 68–72°F (20–22°C). Thermostat on all heat sources (RSPCA)
Humidity	Depends on the species and where it comes from. Measure at the cool end and match your skink’s origin (RSPCA)
Lighting	6% UVB tube about half the vivarium length in a 24 in (60 cm) tall setup. UVI 3.0–5.0 at the basking spot down to 0 in shade, max 3.0 for albinos (RSPCA)
Diet	Adults about 50–60% animal matter, 40–50% vegetables, fruit no more than 10%. Snails are a key food (RSPCA)
Lifespan	Longer than 10 years (RSPCA); ADW gives an average of about 14 years in captivity (RSPCA; ADW)
Social needs	Alone. Territorial skinks bite each other’s feet and can kill one another (RSPCA)
Legal notes	Australia bans commercial export of most native wildlife, so pets should be captive bred (ADW)

Space to burrow and bask

Skinks are forest-floor lizards. They like to bask half-buried, and they burrow to feel secure and to find the humidity they need. The RSPCA asks for about 4 in (10 cm) of organic soil or a soil and sand mix. That depth gives enrichment, reduces stress and lets the skink regulate its own humidity. Add hides at both the hot and cool ends, a damp moss hide for shedding, and stones and low branches to climb.

For basking, use a guarded halogen lamp or a ceramic heater pointed down at one end, on a thermostat with the probe above the substrate. Place a wide, flat stone about 12 in (30 cm) across under it, and keep the skink’s back at least 10 in (25 cm) from the heat source (RSPCA). The MSD Veterinary Manual’s guideline for terrestrial lizards, 0.2 m² of floor per 0.1 m of total length, gives about 1.2 m² (13 sq ft) for a 60 cm skink. The RSPCA’s 48 × 30 in minimum is just under 1 m² (10 sq ft), so treat it as a true minimum.

Feeding without overfeeding

The RSPCA’s adult diet is about half to three-fifths animal matter and the rest vegetables, with fruit kept to 10% or less. Good animal foods include:

• gut-loaded insects: crickets, calciworms, waxworm larvae, fruit beetle grubs, dubia roaches, silkworms and locusts
• live or tinned snails from reptile suppliers, never from your garden, because wild snails can carry pesticides or parasites
• eggs, cracked quail eggs, and lean meat such as ground turkey, chicken or lean beef
• a suitable brand of canned dog food (ADW also notes captive skinks do well on high-quality dog food)
• thawed pinky rats or fuzzy mice, as an occasional treat only

A formulated omnivore powder with the right animal-to-plant ratio is an acceptable alternative. Dust food lightly with supplements and follow the label, because vitamins can be overdosed. Remove uneaten greens daily and uneaten crickets or locusts, which can bite. Young skinks grow fast and do best on small, frequent meals (RSPCA).

Obesity is common in captive skinks: high-protein diets combined with too little exercise (RSPCA). Weigh the skink once a month and cut back on protein if the weight keeps rising.

Gotchas

• Guessing the species. Indonesian, New Guinea and Australian skinks come from different climates. Without knowing which you have, you can’t set the right humidity (RSPCA).
• Too much spinach or kale. Spinach interferes with calcium absorption, and too much kale affects hormone production (RSPCA).
• A wavy spine. A wave or dip in the spine, followed by changes to the jaw shape, is how skinks show nutritional deficiency. It usually means the UVB or calcium is wrong (RSPCA).
• Swollen eyes or lips. These can mean vitamin A deficiency and secondary infection. Eggs help supply vitamin A (RSPCA).
• Nails in fabric. Their nails are sharp and can catch in carpet or clothing during handling (RSPCA).

Avoid

• Calci-sand, beech chips, corn cob granules and crushed walnut shells, which cause impaction (RSPCA)
• Heat lamps or ceramic heaters without a thermostat, and unguarded bulbs
• Snails or insects collected outdoors
• Pinkies and fuzzies as a staple, and a high-protein diet generally
• Housing two skinks together
• Handling sessions longer than 10–15 minutes, which let core temperature drop (RSPCA)

Signs to see a vet

See a reptile vet for a sudden stop in eating or heavy weight loss during a winter slowdown, constipation, diarrhoea, a wavy spine or changing jaw shape, swelling around the eyes or lips, or long periods sitting in the water bowl, which can mean mites or a skin problem (RSPCA).