How to keep blue-tongued skinks

Blue-tongued stone dragonzi feeding need to start from the following aspects:

I. Breeding environment.

1. Rearing container:
   • For adult blue-tongued skinks, it is recommended to use a feeding box of at least 90 x 45 x 30 cm. Juvenile blue-tongued skinks can first use a smaller feeding box, but should also consider the characteristics of its fast growth rate, and replace it as soon as possible with a suitable size of the feeding box. Feeding box can choose professional climbing pet box, such as PVC material climbing box, heat preservation effect is good and easy to clean; can also be converted into a storage box insulation climbing box as a transition.
   • The rearing box should have good ventilation to avoid the hot and humid environment breeding bacteria and fungi.
2. Padding selection:
   • You can choose large pieces of pine bark as bedding material, soak and dry before use, pine bark is both good and cheap. You can also use newspaper as a bedding material, simple and easy to clean, a roll of a new throw, suitable for lazy people.
   • Avoid the use of granular bedding to prevent accidental ingestion by blue-tongued gargoyles.
3. Temperature control:
   • Set up a hot end and a cold end, place a heating lamp and a basking platform on the hot end, the temperature of the basking platform is best kept at 35 – 38 degrees; the temperature of the cold end is 21 – 27 degrees. Temperatures can be lowered at night but preferably above 15 degrees unless winterisation is desired.
   • Temperatures can be maintained using heating devices such as heating pads, UVA lamps, ceramic lamps, etc. To accurately measure the temperature it is advisable to use an industrial temperature gun rather than a thermometer. Instead of using a heating stone, it is best to use a heating pad and cover it with a rock or cardboard to maintain the temperature.
4. Light settings:
   • UVB lights are essential, blue-tongued gargoyles need to be exposed to UVB light to synthesise vitamin D3 in the skin and promote calcium absorption. You can use a 5.0 UVB lamp and replace it once every six months. Although taking them out in the sun provides enough UVB, UVB lamps are especially important when the temperature is too low, the weather is bad, or the owner is too busy.
   • UVA lamps primarily provide heat to help blue-tongued gargoyles maintain body temperature and promote digestion. They can be used in conjunction with UVB lamps to create a suitable light environment.

II. Dietary Management

1. Food type:
   • Blue-tongued stone dragonets are omnivores, food should be diversified. For plants, you can feed vegetables such as pumpkin, carrot, oleander, broccoli, and fruits such as blueberry, carrot, grape, mango, but be careful to avoid citrus fruits. For animals, you can choose from alabaster snails (frozen), quail fry, and chicken breasts, all of which should be cooked and finished with raw eggs. Insects such as crickets and breadworms can also be fed, but the proportion of insects in the food should be properly controlled.
   • Specialised cat food, dog food or lizard food can be purchased as supplementary food, but not as the main food.
2. Feeding frequency:
   • Seedlings below 300g are fed once every other day; 300 – 700g are fed once every two days; after adults, they can be fed once every four or five days. Adjustments should be made according to the individual situation, if the individual is fat, you need to increase the proportion of vegetarian dishes in the recipe, and vice versa for thin, increase the proportion of meat dishes.
   • Three hours after feeding needs to be warmed up, and do not play with the blue-tongued Shiroko, otherwise there is a risk of gastroenteritis caused by high intestinal pressure.

Three, daily management

1. Water bowl and food bowl:
   • Prepare a water basin and a food bowl, the water basin should provide clean drinking water, and the food bowl can choose a white ceramic basin for reptile pets or a disc basin at home.
   • Clean the water bowl and food bowl regularly to maintain hygiene.
2. Avoid mixing:
   • Blue-tongued stonechat has a very strong sense of territory, never put two adult blue-tongued stonechats in the same box. In case of conflict, it may bite off the toes if it is light, or directly injure or even die if it is heavy. Even during the mating season, you should not let two blue-tongued skinks stay together for a long time, and they should be separated as soon as possible after mating is completed.
3. Observation of health:
   • Observe the blue-tongued skink’s behaviour, appetite and faeces frequently. If you find that the blue-tongued Shilongzi has a loss of appetite, low spirit, diarrhoea, abnormal moult, etc., you should promptly find out the cause and take appropriate treatment measures.
   • Weigh the blue-tongued Shilongzi regularly to understand its growth and development, and adjust its diet and feeding environment in time.

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