BTS Caresheet
The Care of the Blue Tongued Skinks, Genus Tiliqua
By Troy Quick
Intro
To start with, blue tongues are my favorite lizards. They are medium sized, good tempered and pretty nice looking. They are long lived, easy to feed and keep, and like handling. With that said, let's see how to care for these beasts, shall we?
Housing
BTS like a little space to roam- i'd say a fish tank about 33Long gallons in size or larger for one adult. They like it fairly warm also- about 90 degrees under the basking light with 70-80 degree temperatures everywhere else. For substrate, I use Bed-a-Beast. You can also use newspaper and that calcium sand(Though i think calcium sand is overpriced crap anyway). I personally don't think these guys need UVB lighting, but provide it anyway just to be safe. Always have fresh water, and keep it clean please.
Feeding
The best part! These guys eat anything! They are ominivorous, so I will list what my BTS have eaten, starting with meats, then vegis.
Meats- Crickets, mealworms, waxworms, superworms, earthworms, hissing cockroaches, canned cat food(low fat), squid, fish(chopped), live fish, small mice, cooked ground beef and turkey, snails, smaller lizards, and occasionally a hard boiled egg out of the shell.
Vegis/fruits-Collard and mustard greens, turnip and dandelion greens, corn, carrots, potatoes(mashed), green beans, pineapple, apple, orange, banana, grapes, papaya, and cherry.
Feed young ones daily and adults every other day. Also don't forget to supplement with a good vitamin/mineral supplement, such as nekton-rep.
Selecting a BTS
Look for health-plump, but not fat. Clear eyes that are not sunk in, eating, regularity(you know what i mean). Also, only get an animal from a place that has clean sorroundings for you and the animal, and all the animals on display are healthy and well taken after. Don't support large chain pet stores like Petsmart or Petco either....it's wholesale slaughter of herps.
Breeding
It can be tricky, but BTS will breed. When they are full grown, have a cooling from between November to January. Then carefully place the male in the females cage....and watch. If she looks upset to see him, get him out ASAP. She will mess him up. Just try again later. Eventually they will breed. The male may leave bites on the female's neck, treat these with Hydrogen Peroxide. BTS are livebearers, giving birth to about 5-20 fully developed little guys about 4-6 months after mating. Treat babies and adults the same 'cept babies eat more often.
Conclusion
Well that should cover the basics. Though there are several varieties of BTS to choose from, pick what you like..they are all similar in care.
Main Page
