Some more appearance signs may warn you about weight loss. They dont want the humans (or other animals) to spot their weakness, so this is very natural. Have a question? Incorporate a few rocks and logs into the habitat, but dont go overboard! They stay hydrated a bit differently than other animals. Skink's poop and pee from the same opening called Cloaca. Remember, within the captive diet it's vital we replicate the need for dietary variety. The video below shows you what Metabolic Bone Disease does to your skink. Learn more. It may seem cruel to some, but this will ease pain and suffering. These skinks are not dangerous, and their bite is not . Dusting the insects and other food you serve your pet with a calcium and Vitamin D3 supplement will help prevent the onset of this disease. The urine is not likely to leave any stains or marks on your shirt or dress but there are chances that you may not be able to wear the shirt because of the high, stringent smell of a blue tongue reptile. By now, you probably understand why were such a big fan of this species. Therefore, if you hold your pet lizard too hard or too loosely, chances are that it will end up peeing on you. But if you have had a blue tongue skink for a long time, then you know their routine. As mentioned above, the most fatal diseases for blue tongue skinks are metabolic bone disease and parasite infection. A poorly maintained habitat and a lackluster diet will lead to stress, disease, and a shorter lifespan. The only cause of concern should be if the blue tongue skink is breathing with their mouth open all the time. Tanimbar Island skinks are smaller, ranging in size from 15 to 17 inches (38 to 43 cm) in length. You may also want to add a hide box. Hues of orange, chestnut, and even red can be found throughout the back. They are large skinks and can grow to a length of 20 to 50 cm. They have an unmistakable shape thats very different from what youd see with other lizard species in the trade. Our Handling Advice. Tip: If your blue tongue skink is not eating at all, read our article on how to get it to eat again here! A slight weight drop is never an issue, but a significant weight drop causes a huge problem. Along with humidity, you should also keep the heat and light in check. A water dish will allow your pet to submerge itself for even more relief. - Get their common name from their bright blue . That being said, many people have had blue-tongues - or rats and mice, which are also prey species for snakes - in their garden or shed for years and have never seen a snake. These reptiles are easily bred in captivity, but have not been formally domesticated in any way. 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. Juvenile blue-tongue lizards face many dangers during . Its always good to go for a new tank because a new reptile will not feel comfortable with the smell around him. Additionally, before the brumating period, many owners take their blue tongue skinks to the vet and get them checked for parasites. Today there are breeding programs to help bring back the population. It also helps keep your Skink hydrated. [7], Blue-tongues skink species are generally docile, gentle, quiet and easily tamed, and can make a good reptile pet for beginners. It seems that the increase in centipedes is outweighed by the inprovements in lizard accommodation, which is great news for the species success! Ackies monitors are definitely one of our favorite lizards, and many other owners agree. Blue Tongued Skink Care - Caring for Reptile Pet Blue Tongue Skinks. read our article on how to get it to eat again here! When hes not writing, Ed is usually performing DIY projects around the house or working in the garden. These are their safe spaces and with a diversity of lizard shapes and sizes, a diversity of spider burrows to fit them becomes a necessity. After all, knowing the real reason for their death is important so that you can eliminate all the risks if you choose to get a new skink. Dealing with Blue Tongue Skink Metabolic Bone Disease, Symptoms and the Treatment of Mites in Skink, Tips and Suggestions on Preventing Escape, Feeding Precautions of the Blue Tongue Skink, Distinguishing Traits of Male and Female Blue Tongue Skink. This is the place! It has a light-colored body with wide bands of brown. 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. These lizards are native to Australia, new Guinea, and Tasmania, where they live in a mixture of scrubland, woodland, and semi-desert areas. Inbreeding in dense populations is a common issue, as bad genes can be combined to make unhealthy offspring. Blueys have been tracked with radio transmitters around gardens in Sydney, Australia. 3. Still, providing a large water dish is essential. On one hand, its considered a good pet for novice reptile owners. When bluetongue skinks are attacked, they don't curl up or run for cover. Its usually dark brown or black, but you can find them in various colors, and its usually a little over seven inches long. Unfortunately, curved or swollen limbs are pretty common in captive reptiles, resulting from a lack of calcium and/ or Vitamin D3. Most of the, the lizards suffer from problems of over ingestion, which if not controlled for in time can result in the blue tongue skinks health. However, if you feel like there could be an injury, its best to separate them and try again with a different mate. Unfortunately, this could also be a sign of Metabolic Bone Disease, whose primary cause is a lack of calcium or vitamin D3. It typically grows to 3.5 6 inches. If you see something like that, get your skink to the vet immediately. There are a lot of skinks in the world. BHB $700 Protein: Lean meat like chicken and rabbit are great, as are many types of bugs: crickets, silkworms, hissing . If you have the space in your home to go larger, aim for an enclosure thats closer to 48 inches long, 24 inches wide, and 24 inches tall. These lizards originally come from Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Inside that mouth, theres a vivid blue tongue, leading to the imaginative name blue-tongued skink. Depending on the particular subspecies, they may also have large red or yellow eyes. When kept as pets, theyre easy to hand-feed. Their thick bodies with short legs make them better adapted to burrowing and digging on the ground. Parasites can infect the skin and internal organs to the point that it will take only a few hours to kill your pet. Moreover, they are good at hiding any discomfort or pain, so its natural to assume that your reptile is not showing any signs of weakness. This is actually the lizard's urine. But if thats not the case and still the weight loss is happening, contact your vet. The urine of blue tongue lizards is completely transparent and harmless. In the wild, blue tongue skinks live in semi-dry environments. They may even have internal parasites such as tapeworm, roundworm, or lungworm. The interesting thing, however, is that we dont know exactly how they do it. According to Laurie Hess, UV light is good for the lizards as it benefits them. Blue tongue skinks are largely terrestrial which means they dont spend too much time climbing in the trees. Blue-Tongued Skink Care Sheet For First-Time Owners - Everything Reptiles The general temperature of the tank should be kept between 70 and 80. However, breeders are getting much better at creating captive bred reptiles, and these pieces are likely to fall in the next few years. The lizard may rub itself hard on a surface, causing a soft tissue wound in such a situation. Being the largest member of the skink family, the blue-tongued skink appears as a long lizard with short and stubby legs. They are shy at first, but overall they're very friendly. [Answered]. Some species, the Australian blue-tongued skink in particular, are popular as pets. Stay calm and slowly remove the lizard from your lap, place it gently in its cage and then go to clean yourself. A blue tongue skink is likely to pee or poop on you if you are not holding it correctly or if it's scared. Reptiles are generally found in the wild, so they hide pretty well not to be caught by a predator whenever there is any injury. Depending on species, they can be found in scrublands, grasslands, mediterranean and temperate forests, tropical rainforests, and even deserts. This will be a heated part of the habitat that the lizard will use to increase their body temperature when they feel cold. Blue-tongued skinks like to diet on a variety of insects, gastropods, flowers, fruits and berries. As a result, youre going to have to create a gradient temperature arrangement in the enclosure. Impaction is serious among reptiles and if it remains untreated then it can become lethal all too sudden. Blue-tongues will get bedding in their water and new fresh water should be provided often. Rather than climb, these skinks will burrow into the sand and root around in search of prey. Capture for the pet trade has some impact on species, but they will reproduce readily in captivity, which decreases the pressure on wild specimens. Yes, the Blue Tongued Skink is quite friendly and doesnt mind when you handle them. In normal quantities, substrates are not harmful to the body but substrates like sand in large quantities can form lumps in the tract. It can be any of several colors but is most often brown. Then, see if they are limp and seem heavier than normal. The blue-tongue is really a skink. Usually, in the wild, a blue tongue skink knows its needs, and they live and have its diet accordingly. Some species can be as long as 24 inches,including their tails. Average lifespan is 15-20 years, although they are known to be capable of living 35+ years, which is an important consideration to keep in mind when you're . Blue tongue skink reptile lizards are harmless creatures that do not require a lot of attention and so they can become very good pets for anyone who does not like high maintenance animals. The reproduction styles vary widely between species. Always choose a pet that has been bred in captivity rather than captured from the wild. Once you get the habitat going, its inexpensive and easy to raise these pets. Blotched blue-tongued skinks can grow to a length of 23.5 inches (60 cm). Theyre honestly one of our favorites! Many people find themselves confused between dead, brumating, and sleeping blue tongue skink. With all the snails and garden pests around, they make a valuable contribution to a vegetable patch, as long as the crops arent on the lizards menu. One genus of this skink family is particularly large and has immensely powerful jaws. It would help if you did a daily checking routine to identify such issues. It can also give you closure around the sudden death of your pet. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'animals_net-box-4','ezslot_4',115,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-animals_net-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'animals_net-box-4','ezslot_5',115,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-animals_net-box-4-0_1'); .box-4-multi-115{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}The different species of blue tongue skinks have different ranges. The best type of enclosure for a blue tongue skink is a glass reptile tank with a screened lid. We hope this article helps you analyze the signs and know your pet a bit better. They drink a fair amount of water, BTS Species Descriptions --from bluetongueskinks.net, Tanimbar Island (Tiliqua scincoides chimaerea), Indonesian (Tiliqua gigas gigas) + Halmahera form. This natural balance is a great example of a limiting factor; an environmental pressure to keep an animal from overpopulating. . When youre keeping one in captivity, your goal should always be to replicate their environment and provide a biologically appropriate diet. An adult blue tongue skink requires a minimum of 8 sq ft of floor space or 120-gallon or a 48x24x18 enclosure. A recent study found that juvenile blue-tongue lizards have adult-like learning ability which might give them the edge they need to survive all by themselves. These are stocky, heavy lizards and arent particularly agile, so ambushing prey works best for them. This particular skink is terrestrial and prefer floor space over climbing area. For example, desert Sinks will want a dryer, sandier substrate, while those from wetter areas will do better with a mulch. In fact, frequent handling can help them recognize you, and they will become more relaxed and less likely to take a defensive posture. Its an easy-going reptile that adapts well to many environments. But when they are dehydrated, their eyes will seem droopy and have slight haziness. However, the exact size you can expect is going to depend entirely on the subspecies you choose. They are not very good climbers, as they have short legs and stout bodies. These are diurnal, or daytime, skinks and typically sneak up on their prey, crushing it with their powerful jaws. For juvenile blue tongue skink, you will need a 40-50 gallon tank. That is the white portion of a lizards poop. As such they can be handled (with care) and can make a very attractive addition to a well-planned vivarium. Moreover, it will help prevent the same mistakes and let you know if the disease was transferrable to other pets or not. But a blue tongue skink requires certain conditions to live in, and if they are not met, they may even die. Moreover, you can bury or cremate them. The impact of tick parasites on the behaviour of the lizard Tiliqua rugosa, Adding burrows to enhance a population of the endangered pygmy blue tongue lizard, Tiliqua adelaidensis, Omnivorous; invertebrates, flowers, berries, Adelaide pygmy blue-tongue skink (T. adelaidensis). blue tongue skink is breathing with their mouth open, Indonesian blue tongue skinks are the most popular varieties that are kept as pets, Why Your Uromastyx Wiggles & How To Stop That, 13 Reasons Why Your Bearded Dragon Is Hiding All Day. Their diet includes insects, worms, snails, flowers, fruits, and berries. On the opposite side of the enclosure, you can create a basking area. Keeping Bluetongue Lizards. The first is metabolic bone disease. Eastern blue-tongued skinks generally shy (Cronin 2014) May avoid areas used by high numbers of humans and domestic dogs (Dutson and Dutson 2016) Skink injury and mortality In New South Wales, Shine and Koenig (2001) report over 8,900 T. scincoides "rescues" over a 10-year period They can be quite docile and easy to care for, as long as the owner is properly educated to their needs. We understand that their appetite can become a bit less some days, but if its happening for a couple of days, you need to contact your vet. It seems that the life of a bluey is all about finding the balance between food and parasite prevalence, and sadly, too many ticks reduce the animals mobility and energy expenditure. A healthy stool looks brown and has no odor at all. Instead of moving about in the tank, they would remain stationary for hours. These are stocky, heavy lizards and aren't particularly agile, so ambushing prey works best for them. However, you will need to change the bulbs frequently because they stop producing UVB light long before burning out. In this, the shed sticks to their feet or eyes and causes them harm. Blue-tongued skinks [2] comprise the Australasian genus Tiliqua, which contains some of the largest members of the skink family (Scincidae). The dish should be large enough for the skink to soak in! They should be fed a wide variety of protein sources, fruits, and vegetables. Its usually brown, orange, black, and grey, but can be found in other colors too, including light blue. Why Do Ball Pythons Yawn & Should You Be Worried? Many animals avoid this one way or another, and the blue-tongued skink is no exception. Overall, blue tongue skinks are quite docile with humans. These burrows can be few and far-between, in which case theyve been spotted sharing the space with other members of the species. 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. Youll notice a movement in their neck area in the former and the front and behind the leg area in the latter. The diet of a blue tongue skink can have a big impact on the appearance of their poop. Hes also a musician and spends a lot of time helping people fix their guitars and composing music for independent films. What do blue tongue skinks look like? Any of the above-mentioned is a sign of an issue in their stomach. That's just the beginning of their craziness, too! It has a yellow, orange body with black markings that can be bands or spots. In the wild, they can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including coastal heaths, forests, woodlands, grasslands, and suburban areas. And any owner thats interested in one needs to know what they are! These reptiles should be housed separately from one another rather than in groups. They may develop bone deformities, fractures, and more. Can You Bring a Dead Blue Tongue Skink to the Vet To Find Out the Cause of Death? The largest animals in the skink family, blue-tongues seem to have. Its one of the largest varieties and can reach 20 inches or more. Choose size: Options: Sometimes, lizards dont eat for weeks, which can trigger weight loss. Blue tongued skinks are hunted by a variety of large and medium-sized predators, most notably including birds of prey, large snakes and monitor lizards (goannas). Impaction is basically constipation and there are several causes for it. We know a care guide cant cover everything! But with the blue tongue skink, thats not the case. Give them some time to heal. So, if you find any such sign, you should first check the humidity and temperature of the tank and then give them water. The first thing to note is that in nature, not everything looks the same to everyone. Are you ready to learn more about blue-tongued skinks? Sometimes, brumating skinks do not wake up even after you hold them. Clint looks at the these incredible lizards to help you determine if the. Purchase a hygrometer and use it regularly to stay on top of humidity levels. When youre choosing an enclosure, its important to consider how these animals act in the wild. They make decent pets, as theyre low maintenance, and relatively docile. They are not very good climbers, as they have short legs and stout bodies. This can be achieved if the room their tank is placed in is kept between these temperatures. You can bring a dead blue tongue skink to the vet to know the reason for their death. Reflectance of lingual surface and its consequences for visual perception by conspecifics and predators. They will also eat fruits and vegetables and are no too picky about what they eat when they are hungry. Learn more. Their needs are relatively easy to manage and they dont require any intense husbandry. The most common characteristic of these lizards is the blue tongue that is used to warn potential predators. Although this happens regularly, sometimes the weight reduces suddenly, which is a matter of grave concern. You can find this Skink in South Australia. Then wash you hands and change your clothes. It will primarily eat insects like crickets, waxworms, snails, and more. Moreover, if you spot them, they will look slouched instead of an alert posture. 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. Australian Reptile Keeper Publications. Support the skinks entire body when you hold it. 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