They're lower maintenance but they're generally pretty chill. A team of pet enthusiasts and I created this website to help other reptile keepers take care of their pets! [Answered]. So thats why we made this guide. Its often bright yellow, so its one of the easier Skins to identify. In it, youll learn everything you need to know about blue tongue skink care so you can help your pet live a happy and healthy life! Overall, blue tongue skinks are quite docile with humans. Make sure that you have a proper UVB lamp like the Reptisun 10.0 and that you dust the feeder insects with calcium. You might see specimens that have dark brown and black stripes, those with light-colored skin, and those with large spots. If a blue tongue has peed or pooped on you, don't panic or throw the skink. Blueys love burrows. Sometimes, lizards dont eat for weeks, which can trigger weight loss. Expert Tip: You can also choose a reptile enclosure with swinging front doors. 10 Signs That Show That Your Snake is Happy! The white mussy tip on their poop is Urate/ uric acid (pee). But should anything irritate or scare them, they hiss and puff themselves up. Those UVB rays are necessary for metabolizing calcium. In all, if your blue tongue skink is sleeping a lot during the brumating period, theres nothing to worry about as its natural. Theyre quite stubby and easily tuck under the body. Some species can be as long as 24 inches,including their tails. Northern blue tongue skinks are native to northern parts of Australia. They will perform necropsy that will help determine the cause. If it does, the first thing is to not panic. Blue tongue skink lizards generally do not like to be handled or held in laps and most of the people do not even know how exactly to hold the reptile to make it comfortable. Hello Im new to blue tongue skinks and am wondering how much pee us too much pee for a baby BTS. Instead of moving about in the tank, they would remain stationary for hours. Either way, this box should be big enough for the lizard to get into when theyre feeling a bit overwhelmed. The Indonesian, and Australian species are found in their respective namesakes, Indonesia and Australia. Your Blue-tongued skink can eat all available cricket species, calcium worms (Black Soldier Fly larvae) morios, locust, silkworms, dendrobaena (earth worms), varied roach species and snails. BHB $700 The number of young produced also varies. They also use burrows and crevices to escape from potential predators or hazardous weather. Ackies monitors are definitely one of our favorite lizards, and many other owners agree. Some Skink varieties are smaller, but most will require a larger tank at least four feet long, two feet wide, and at least one foot deep to provide your reptile with enough space t move around. For instance, the tail where they store the most fat starts thinning. Its usually brown, orange, black, and grey, but can be found in other colors too, including light blue. When hes not writing, Ed is usually performing DIY projects around the house or working in the garden. Stay calm and slowly remove the lizard from your lap, place it gently in its cage and then go to clean yourself. Blotched Blue Tongue Skink The Blotched Blue Tongued Skink is usually a lighter color with darker spots, but the pattern can reverse, causing the body to be dark with light spots. All blue tongue skinks are members of the genus Tiliqua, and are named for their characteristic blue tongues. How to Handle a Blue Tongue Skink - Care Guides For Pet Lizards Rather than climb, these skinks will burrow into the sand and root around in search of prey. The video below shows you how a form of breathing problems in blue tongue skinks looks like. If caught early, they can live with it but the curved bones will stay that way. However, due to its fascinating biodiversity, the world's largest tropical rainforest also has its fair share of The Australian Blue Tongued Skink can grow to reach 15 inches. This is perfectly normal. Eastern Blue-Tongued Skink Facts and Information - SeaWorld A blue tongue skink is likely to pee or poop on you if you are not holding it correctly or if it's scared. Blue-tongued skinks[2] comprise the Australasian genus Tiliqua, which contains some of the largest members of the skink family (Scincidae). Blue Tongue Skink for Sale - Reptiles for Sale All the skinks species are active in this form. The Northern blue tongue skink is one of the largest available. You can use glass or wood, as both will work well. Blue tongue skinks are largely terrestrial which means they dont spend too much time climbing in the trees. Respiratory infections and skin issues are common, too. The variation within the species has put the blue tongue skink in a very unique position. On the other hand, if the vet says that the mortality chances are low, it is always better to euthanize them. It can also give you closure around the sudden death of your pet. They do very well with 30%-50% relative humidity. Reptile Direct is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Fun Blue Tongue Skink Facts For Kids | Kidadl Although they are not aggressive, they have strong jaws and teeth, meaning that a bite from a skink can be painful. Its usually dark brown or black, but you can find them in various colors, and its usually a little over seven inches long. Blue Tongue Skinks are awesome if you can find one! You might even see it if you accidentally do something to make them make uncomfortable! Blue-Tongue Skinks can be located in both New Guinea and in Australia. A slight weight drop is never an issue, but a significant weight drop causes a huge problem. If you do things right, you may get to the point where the lizard wants you to hold them! Whereas, for abnormal Blue tongue skink poop keep an eye for any of the following: Runny poop Green or yellow poop Bloody poop All White Excretes Excess uric acid Strong unpleasant smell Chalky and hard urate You should consider feeding legumes, leafy greens, and other vegetables with a small amount of protein in moderation as an enhancement. There are a lot of different varieties of these lizards that are available as pets, but the two most common are the northern blue-tongued skink and the Indonesian blue-tongued skink. It can grow to 15 or 20 inches and is slow-moving. We hope this article helps you analyze the signs and know your pet a bit better. Identifying a lizard poop outdoors can be quite tricky because they have close resemblance with the poop of bats. It stops eating and becomes lethargic. Stay calm and don't make any sudden movements, or it will stress out your skink. These reptiles should be housed separately from one another rather than in groups. The mating ritual can appear violent, and the male can claw and bite the female to help get into position. Blue-tongue lizards have developed a resistance to the venom of the red-bellied black snake, according to new research. This is a large species of terrestrial blue tongue measuring upwards of 60 centimetres in length and over 1 kilogram in mass. Blue-tongue lizards in your backyard: Your questions answered - Good Living Blue-tongue lizards are resistant to red-bellied black snake venom Lizard Feces Pictures | LoveToKnow Pets A healthy stool looks brown and has no odor at all. Humidity will need to stay between 40% and 60%. Juvenile blue-tongue lizards face many dangers during . It's always best to keep track of their weight weekly and if you see a drop, then inform the vet. They can be nervous and unpredictable, and do bite. It may be possible to keep two females together or a bonded male and female pair. Your one stop for everything regarding BTS. Blue tongue skinks, also known as blue-tongued skinks, are an Australian genus of reptiles that are members of the skink (Scincidae) family. At this point, you also need to check if their shedding period, brumation, or breeding period is at its peak. Younger and still developing Blue Tongued Skinks should eat plenty of insects to build strong muscle, but once they are fully grown, you can feed them a diet that consists of as much as 40% fruits and vegetables. Blue tongue skinks are large and heavy. Too much humidity can cause respiratory infections and skin issues. Birds, reptiles and many invertebrates can see frequencies of light invisible to us, such as UV. If your blue tongue skink is sneezing a lot, it can mean that the substrate is dusty or too fine, and is getting in the nose. This is the place! A stocky and robust head and body gives way to a short, stout tail, supported a few millimeters off the substrate by small, nub-like arms. Of course, we cant forget about the blue mouths! As a bare minimum, the enclosure should measure at least 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 10 inches tall. Most of the time, the issues lie in the vivarium temperature and humidity levels which may cause your skink to die suddenly. 4, Why is the tongue of blue-tongued skinks blue? They are commonly called blue-tongued lizards or simply blue-tongues or blueys in Australia. Blue Tongue Skink Care Sheet: A New Owner & Beginner MUST Read! You can expect to pay between $150 and $2,000 for your Blue Tongued Skink, depending on the breed you choose. Being the largest member of the skink family, the blue-tongued skink appears as a long lizard with short and stubby legs. If you detect any issue early, it is still treatable. They will prey on a wide variety of small invertebrates and creatures, including worms, snails, beetles, spiders, and various insects. In addition, it gets quite large and has a long lifespan. Kei Island Blue Tongue Skink (Tiliqua gigas keyensis) This subspecies is known for having a personality that is pretty similar to the Tanimbar. The diet of a blue tongue skink can have a big impact on the appearance of their poop. They might hiss, huff, or sneeze occasionally but nothing more. They would move about their tank, eat regularly, and always be alert and responsive to a slight movement. Normal Blue tongue skink poop is firm, elongated, light to dark brown and odor-free. They like scratches on their head or under their chin. It can lead to a swollen abdomen, blood in feces, and a lack of droppings. Its best to keep blue tongue skinks in solitary tanks. New skink started peeing on me - BLUE TONGUE SKINKS The ecology of an Australian reptile icon: how do blue-tongued lizards (Tiliqua scincoides) survive in suburbia? Some species, the Australian blue-tongued skink in particular, are popular as pets. A water dish will allow your pet to submerge itself for even more relief. These skinks come from Indonesia and usually cost about $375. Expert Tip: You must ensure that ambient temperatures do not get lower than that! Fun Blue-tongued Skink Facts For Kids | Kidadl If you are wondering if your BTS is acting normally or might be sick, this is where you can get help with that. What initially started as curiosity quickly turned into a deep passion for herpetology, and a connection with the reptile community as a whole. Plus, if you move closer to them, they will become startled. Because Skink's body absorbs 90% of the liquid, their poop is not runny or liquid. There are separate cremating spaces for animals where you can get the ashes in return too. They should be fed a wide variety of protein sources, fruits, and vegetables. Capture for the pet trade has some impact on species, but they will reproduce readily in captivity, which decreases the pressure on wild specimens. If the humidity and temperature in the tank are not optimal, then the blue tongue skink can suffer from dysecdysis. Blue Tongue Skink Subspecies | ReptiFiles They are not very good climbers, as they have short legs and stout bodies. It's called a urea cap or urea smear. So, if you find any such sign, you should first check the humidity and temperature of the tank and then give them water. As a bare minimum, the enclosure should measure at least 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 10 inches tall. Its also low maintenance once you have the habitat set up, and it will only require food and heat lamp replacements to live a long life. Turner, G. 2001. Blue Tongued Skink: The Dragon With A Blue Tongue - YouTube Some skinks such as the Tanimbar Island Blue-tongue (Tiliqua scincoides chimaera), or the Indonesian Blue tongue (Tiliqua gigas) do not generally appreciate handling, and males will often evert their henipenes right before they defecate and/or urinate on you. We know a care guide cant cover everything! The breathing becomes labored and rapid with crackling sounds. 10 Month Old Female Northern Blue-Tongued Skink GGRF $399 10 Month Old Northern Blue-Tongued Skink GGRF $399 PROVEN Female Northern Blue-Tongued Skink Mike's Exotics $400 Hypo Male Northern Blue-Tongued Skink '16 Bucknercrest $500 Adult Hypo Eastern Blue Tongue Skink- #03 Northern Blue-Tongued Skink ? Blotched blue-tongued skinks can grow to a length of 23.5 inches (60 cm). If you notice your pet rubbing on branches or rough surfaces, its likely about ready to start shedding. Moreover, a discharge from the nose and eyes will also accompany it. some species give birth to only a single or handful of offspring, like the Adelaide pygmy, while others can produce as many as 24 babies. Why Northern Bluetongue Skinks Have Ultraviolet Tongues - Animals