There are a number of closely related sub-species that are commonly referred to as the Blue Tongue Skink. While these sub-species are closely related, their care requirements can vary greatly.
The most popular Blue Tongue Skinks in the pet trade are the Northern and Eastern Blue Tongue Skinks. These two lizards have similar care requirements so we will focus on these two species in this care sheet.
The biggest difference between Blue Tongue Skink care among different species is probably humidity. Australian species require lower humidity than the more tropical species from Indonesia and New Guinea. Make sure you research the species before setting up an enclosure for one of these lizards.
Blue Tongue Skink Description
The Blue Tongue Skink is a medium sized lizard. They are heavy bodied and have short stubby legs. Their neck and heads are not very distinctive from the rest of their body.
The Northern Blue Tongue Skink is the largest and heaviest of these lizards, growing to about 60cm in length. The Eastern Blue Tongue Skink is slightly smaller, growing to around 50cm in length.
The Pygmy Blue Tongue Skink is the smallest of these lizards and only grows to around 10cm in length. However, they are very rare in the pet trade.
The Northern Blue Tongue Skink is light brown in colour with darker brown bands running horizontally along its body. They have large heads with cavities on either side. These cavities are the lizard’s ears.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Blue Tongue Skink is native to Australia where it is found in the Northern parts of the country. Other Skinks such as the Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink can be found in Indonesia and New Guinea.
The Northern Blue Tongue Skink can be found throughout much of the Northern Territory while the Eastern Blue Tongue Skink can be found throughout much of Queensland.
They share much of their geographical range with other common Australian species such as the Ackie Monitor, Olive Python and Black Headed Python.
The Australian Skinks generally live in arid to semi-arid habitats such as semi-deserts, scrubland and woodlands. The Indonesian Blue Tongue Skinks can often be found in more humid environments.
In New Guinea, they live in a part of the world that has a huge diversity of different reptile species. They share part of their geographic distribution with a wide range of other reptiles such as the Bismarck Ringed Python, Blue Tailed Monitor, Amethystine Python, Boelen’s Python, Crocodile Monitor, Emerald Tree Monitor, Mangrove Monitor, Mourning Gecko, Peach Throat Monitor and the Pink Bellied Side Neck Turtle. However, some of these reptiles may have different habitat niches.
Blue Tongue Skink Behaviour
These lizards are generally considered to be quite docile and rarely show aggression. However, they may bite if they feel threatened and they tend to ‘latch on’ when biting.
The Blue Tongue Skink will sometimes open their mouth and display their blue tongue while hissing loudly. While it may seem aggressive, this is actually a defensive strategy to confuse or scare a potential threat.
Like many species of lizards such as the Crested Gecko, these Skinks have the ability to drop their tail. However, this lizards tail will then regrow over time. They have even been observed biting off their own tail in an attempt to ward off predators.
They are a solitary species and are generally only found together when breeding. They are known to show aggression to other Skinks who trespass on their territory. They are a diurnal species meaning they are mostly active during the day.
Blue Tongue Skinks as Pets
These lizards make great pets as they are fairly docile and can generally be tamed quite easily. However, as there are several different species of Blue Tongue Skink it is important to be familiar with the particular species before taking one home.
These lizards have a long life expectancy which needs to be taken into consideration with specimens often reaching 20+ years. They are also a relatively large lizard meaning you will need a large enclosure to house them in.
Feeding a Blue Tongue Skink
An important aspect of Blue Tongue Skink care is diet. These lizards are omnivorous which means their diet consists of a mixture of insects and vegetables. This varied diet should be replicated in captivity.
You should feed your Blue Tongue Skink a variety of insects such as Brown Crickets, Black Crickets, Locusts and Mealworms. This can be supplemented with the occasional feeding of Waxworms. Waxworms should only be given occasionally as they have a high fat content.
These lizards require a high protein diet, so it is a good idea to supplement their diet with the occasional pinkie mouse. This can be fed every week or two to add much needed protein and minerals to your Skinks diet.
The vegetable portion of your Skinks diet can consist of dark leafy veg such as lettuce and kale. You can add other vegetables such as carrot and parsnip for added nutrients.
A small water dish should also be present in the enclosure to allow the Skink a drink. This bowl should be relatively small and placed at the cool end of the enclosure to prevent it from increasing the humidity in the enclosure.
Housing
These lizards do well in a wooden Vivarium. Wood is a great insulator which helps keep the temperature high in the enclosure. These lizards do well in a 4x2x2 enclosure.
This size enclosure will give the Skink plenty of space. Placing the heat source at one end of the enclosure will also provide a thermal gradient along the enclosure which is vital for Thermoregulation.
It is a good idea to have a hide at either end of the enclosure. This will allow the Skink to feel secure at all times. A stressed lizard will often choose security over their need to thermoregulate.
Adding a few plants, branches and rocks will add decoration to the enclosure. This will also provide enrichment for the Skink as they will have more thinks to explore and interact with.
It is becoming more and more common to house these lizards in rack systems. If you go down this route, ensure all the fundamental aspects of Blue Tongue Skink care are met such as heat, space and hides.
Light and Heat
Being from Australia, these lizards require a lot of heat and low humidity. This is one of the most challenging aspects of Blue Tongue Skink care.
They require a basking spot of 100F while the ambient temperature of the enclosure can be kept around 80F. This can be achieved using a basking lamp or a heat pad.
An overhead heat lamp is probably better for a Blue Tongue Skink as they can mimic their behaviour in the wild. You will also notice them climbing branches to get closer to the heat source for added heat. An additional benefit of heat lamps is they tend to reduce humidity levels in the enclosure which is good for these lizards.
Lights should be left on for 10-12 hours per day and must be turned off at night. This is the drawback to using this type of heat source. If the ambient temperature of the room drops below 80F at night you will need to provide an additional heat source at night.
Good options here include a ceramic bulb as they emmit heat but do not give off light. Another option is to use a heat mat at night which can be placed under their hide. All heat sources must be controlled by a good quality thermostat.
All these heat sources and thermostats will cost money and many people come to the conclusion that they can meet their Blue Tongue Skink care requirements with a single heat mat. If you go down this route, ensure that the mat covers one third of the surface area of the tank and the temperatures at both ends of the enclosure are correct.
If you can achieve this with a heat mat alone, there is no reason why you can’t use one. Just ensure to use a thermostat with a day/night setting so you can drop the temperatures a bit at night.
Another important aspect of Blue Tongue Skink care is their need for UV light. A 10% UV tube that covers at least half the enclosure is suitable for a Blue Tongue Skink.
The T8 or T5 tubes can be used for this. The T8’s have an effective range of about 1 foot and have a tube diameter of 1 inch. The T5’s have a tube diameter of around half an inch and have an effective range of up to 2 feet.
Substrate
A Blue Tongue Skink will do well on a wide range of substrates. Commonly used substrates for these lizards include Aspen Bedding, Reptile Bark and Coconut Husk. Whatever substrate you choose should be easy to spot clean and a complete substrate change should be done every month or so.
You can also use paper towel as substrate. This makes Blue Tongue Skink care that bit easier as the paper towel can simply be taken out and replaced.
Handling a Blue Tongue Skink
These lizards are naturally curious animals. Once tame, they enjoy a lot of time out of the enclosure to explore their surroundings. With regular handling, the Northern Blue Tongue Skink can become very tame.
As these lizards are quite bulky, it is important to ensure they are fully supported while handling. Allow the Skink to lie along the length of your forearm while using your other hand to ensure the lizard doesn’t fall.
To tame a young Skink, begin by placing your hand into its enclosure and gently pet its neck, chin or back. Do this for a couple of seconds each day until the lizard doesn’t appear agitated.
You can then begin to take it out and place it on your lap. Ensure there is no way for the lizard to escape if they do make a run for it. Handling should only last for a minute or two at first and as the Skink settles, slowly increase the duration.
Breeding Blue Tongue Skinks
Breeding Blue Tongue Skinks begins with a cooling period. This involves reducing the temperature in their enclosure. You can also decrease the hours of daylight from 12 hours down to 8 hours. This process is intended to bring on brumation. In the Northern Hemisphere, this usually takes place between November and February while it usually begins around June in Australia.
No food should be offered to the lizard during brumation as their internal body temperature will be too low for digestion. Once the brumation period is over and the temperatures have been restored you can introduce your male into the female’s enclosure.
After a couple of months, the female Blue Tongue Skink will give birth to a litter of live babies. These little lizards will be independent from birth and should be removed from the mother’s enclosure immediately. A Blue Tongue Skink can have as many as 20 babies, but the average litter size is around 10.
It is recommended to do as much research as possible before purchasing your reptile. If you are planning to purchase one of these lizards, read as many Blue Tongue Skink Care Sheets as you can in advance.