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Hey Dakka,

I'm considering purchasing another reptile soon. Specifically, a Blue Tongue Skink. I've really been caught by what people generally say; how intelligent they are, how they show recognition of their owners, and how inquisitive and pleasant they are generally.

I've read quite a bit online, and wanted to know if anybody on Dakka had any opinions about them. I know the viv size, the food, etc, but any info is useful.

Thanks in advance,

Blap

Out of experience from an apprenticeship at a reptile zoo.

They think fingers look like crickets.

On a seperate note, Tegu's are arseholes.

Blue Tongues are a good choice and i'd highly recommend one. Do you know what species of Blue Tongue you're after?

 Soladrin wrote:


They think fingers look like crickets.

Yeah they can be a bit vicious, but so can most animals, and I guess that it'll be living in one of those glass reptile boxes as opposed to roaming the house making a mess.

I love skinks.

We have five lined skinks(Plestiodon fasciatus) here in NC and I used to catch them at the start of the summer and release swarms of them at the end of the summer when I was a teenager.

By and large they are pretty intelligent for reptiles and do seem to actually distinguish between different humans.

If the Blue Tongues you're looking at are similar to P. fasciatus, you're going to need a decent sized terrarium and some ground cover with basking rocks for them.

Amen, my tegu is plain viscious. He'll bite you and then death roll like an alligator. Skinks are great pets.

Hilariously vicious. One of my first batch of skinks liked to fight my Golden Retriever.

Hopelessly outmatched but he didn't care, and Rusty would just sit there with his doggy grin on.

 Snrub wrote:
Blue Tongues are a good choice and i'd highly recommend one. Do you know what species of Blue Tongue you're after?

Not specifically, no. If I'm so lucky to have the choice, probably an Aussie, because they're almost always captive bred.

To the best of my knowledge the Blue Tongue is a lizard unqiue to Australia. So the chance of you getting and Aussie Blue Tongue is pretty damn good me thinks.

The two most common types are the Southern Blue Tongue (Tiliqua nigrolutea) and the Eastern Blue Tongue (Tiliqua scincodies). Also known as the "Blotched" and "Common" Blue Tongue respectively.

This is a Blotched Blue Tongue. So named because it has blotchy spots covering it's back. (Bet'cha wouldn't have figured that out eh? )

Grows upto 250mm (10 inches)
Omnivorous
Can birth upto 12 live young

This is a Common Blue Tongue. It has destinct banding rather then blotches that typically run from it's neck to the tip of the tail.

Grows upto 300mm (12 inches)
Omnivorous
Can birth upto 12 live young.


Both these lizards are quite robust little critters and a standard reptile setup should see them set for life. A mixed diet of organic matter like veggies or fruit and insects such as crickets or snails should not only be cheap but should be more then easy to come by and will meet all thier food related needs.

 Snrub wrote:
To the best of my knowledge the Blue Tongue is a lizard unqiue to Australia. So the chance of you getting and Aussie Blue Tongue is pretty damn good me thinks.

The two most common types are the Southern Blue Tongue (Tiliqua nigrolutea) and the Eastern Blue Tongue (Tiliqua scincodies). Also known as the "Blotched" and "Common" Blue Tongue respectively.

This is a Blotched Blue Tongue. So named because it has blotchy spots covering it's back. (Bet'cha wouldn't have figured that out eh? )

Grows upto 250mm (10 inches)
Omnivorous
Can birth upto 12 live young

This is a Common Blue Tongue. It has destinct banding rather then blotches that typically run from it's neck to the tip of the tail.

Grows upto 300mm (12 inches)
Omnivorous
Can birth upto 12 live young.


Both these lizards are quite robust little critters and a standard reptile setup should see them set for life. A mixed diet of organic matter like veggies or fruit and insects such as crickets or snails should not only be cheap but should be more then easy to come by and will meet all thier food related needs.

No, there are Indonesian ones as well, but because of lax standards most are wild caught. What I've read online says you can feed them cooked chicken, pork and beef send through a food processor instead of insects, which will go better in my house (my family aren't huge on the insects thing).

Out of the Aussies, I don't have much of a preference. In the UK they don't often distinguish that greatly other than the region (Aussie or Indonesian).

 BlapBlapBlap wrote:

 Snrub wrote:
To the best of my knowledge the Blue Tongue is a lizard unqiue to Australia. So the chance of you getting and Aussie Blue Tongue is pretty damn good me thinks.

The two most common types are the Southern Blue Tongue (Tiliqua nigrolutea) and the Eastern Blue Tongue (Tiliqua scincodies). Also known as the "Blotched" and "Common" Blue Tongue respectively.

This is a Blotched Blue Tongue. So named because it has blotchy spots covering it's back. (Bet'cha wouldn't have figured that out eh? )

Grows upto 250mm (10 inches)
Omnivorous
Can birth upto 12 live young

This is a Common Blue Tongue. It has destinct banding rather then blotches that typically run from it's neck to the tip of the tail.

Grows upto 300mm (12 inches)
Omnivorous
Can birth upto 12 live young.


Both these lizards are quite robust little critters and a standard reptile setup should see them set for life. A mixed diet of organic matter like veggies or fruit and insects such as crickets or snails should not only be cheap but should be more then easy to come by and will meet all thier food related needs.

No, there are Indonesian ones as well, but because of lax standards most are wild caught. What I've read online says you can feed them cooked chicken, pork and beef send through a food processor instead of insects, which will go better in my house (my family aren't huge on the insects thing).

Out of the Aussies, I don't have much of a preference. In the UK they don't often distinguish that greatly other than the region (Aussie or Indonesian).

Meat doesn't have the same protein make up as insects and these are mainly insect eaters, it could cause some problems in the long run, you'd at least have to buy some supplements (powder for meat for instance).

That's entirely fine. I thought in the wild they ate stuff like carrion and small vertebrates as well?

I have never personally owned a BT Skink, but have sold and handled tons of them and they seem like pretty solid pets. I mean, they're no Bearded Dragons, but they're alright.

Also, I second the comments about Tegus. Juveniles are very attractive and affordable, but in my experience adults are powerful and ill-tempered creatures unsuitable as pets for most people.

What is the big advantage about Bearded Dragons to other lizards? Just curious.

 BlapBlapBlap wrote:
What is the big advantage about Bearded Dragons to other lizards? Just curious.

They look awesome, they get to a fair size without getting too large, they're typically very docile and enjoy handling, and as omnivores they are easy to keep fed. You can feed them crickets dusted with vitamins, or just make them a salad from the supermarket (no spinach); they're easy like Sunday morning.




They also are fond of a variety of tiny hats.

 BlapBlapBlap wrote:
What is the big advantage about Bearded Dragons to other lizards? Just curious.

THEY HAVE A BEARD MAN! THEY MAKE LAZINESS AWESOME!

Actually in my experience of owning like a dozen bearded dragons over the course of my life, they're like hardier chameleons. They don't "change colors" but they do have a "I like the sunlight" color morph and a "I'm not getting enough sunlight" color morph. The latter is usually a darker brown, and the former can be a variety of desert colors. My favorite is the "sandfire" morph, seen below. The Bearded is a hardy reptile and very easy to take care of. They require little moisture, a nice basking rock, and overhead heat and light (not under enclosure heat they tend to burn themselves). They're calm, gentle reptiles and under most circumstances they are slow creatures, but when they get warmed up (literally), they can move. Also again... beards.

So... Like a Blue Tongue?

 BlapBlapBlap wrote:
So... Like a Blue Tongue?

Yes, I just like how they look better. Because they have necks, and Skinks do not. For some reason the lack of a clear neck on a Skink is a dealbreaker for me.

These guys know how I feel:

Also, beardeds survive better when they have a clutchmate or two... a very social critter.

 Ouze wrote:
I have never personally owned a BT Skink, but have sold and handled tons of them and they seem like pretty solid pets. I mean, they're no Bearded Dragons, but they're alright.

Also, I second the comments about Tegus. Juveniles are very attractive and affordable, but in my experience adults are powerful and ill-tempered creatures unsuitable as pets for most people.

We had 3 adults in a rather large enclosure, it was built by an idiot so I had to go inside to actually feed them. I am very happy with my steel toed army boots or I'd be missing some toes.

So, a good setup as far as I can tell is:
48" x 18" x 18" vivarium
Eco-Earth Substrate
Litter Tray (big water bowl/bathing area)
A few hollowed out log hides
Slate basking plate
Heat Bulb
36" UV Tube
Thermostat for bulb

This alright?