eyes the size of the moon @strideup - Tumblr Blog

Ripley loves quail eggs!! I love giving them to her because she will spend a few minutes carrying it around and then finally breaking the shell. They are great enrichment for her!

snekomancyy

He is a big, tame, friendly boy! Begs to come out, hand feeds like a gentle beast!

gears-keep-turning

Ripley is growing fast! She enjoys some time outside in the sun.

corndogg

The handsomest sausage dragon in all the land

the-awkward-turt

If you don't mind me asking, what's it like having a bluetongue as a pet? I have a pair of fire skinks, but the majority of the time that's mostly like having pet dirt. Don't get me wrong I love them to bits, but in a bioactive setup they're not exactly high maintenance or demanding in terms of care, so I don't think the comparison is all that close.

Ah the beautiful yet elusive fire skink. I was very tempted to get one for a long time, but eventually decided against it because although they are drop-dead gorgeous, as you know, they aren’t exactly the most visible or interactive reptile.

Blue tongues are pretty much the opposite. They are big, bold, active, and many of them are downright personable. Of course there are lots of species/subspecies of blue tongue skink and they vary quite a bit in size, temperament, and care difficulty. My Skimbleshanks is a Northern blue tongue, which is the largest species and often considered to be the calmest and friendliest too (though individual animals may differ), so this is going to be mostly from a Northern bluey perspective.

Care-wise the most challenging aspects of owning a Northern bluey are that they need a large cage (they will use all the space you give them), a varied diet (veggies, fruits, greens, meat, insects, etc), and high quality heat and UVB. They are hardy animals overall and humidity isn’t a huge concern (though other bluey species have higher humidity needs). Here is a write-up on how I make Skimble’s homemade food (though he gets other foods in addition to this).

As for what it’s like to interact with a bluey: Skimbleshanks is absolutely delightful. He has zero fear of humans. He enjoys coming out of his enclosure to explore; his AP cage used to be level with the floor and I would slide a door open when I was hanging out in the room so he could come and go as he pleased. Sometimes if I forgot to open the door when I was in the room he would scratch at the glass.

I’m hesitant to use the word “cuddle” with all the anthropomorphic associations attached, but Skimble loves to burrow into warm, soft things including underneath my shirt/hoodie when we are chilling on the couch. It’s not unusual for him to doze off when he’s cozied himself into a blanket or my shirt. He’s a smart little guy too; he has learned the tone of voice I use when he’s going somewhere/doing something he shouldn’t and will freeze when he hears it (because he knows if he continues I’ll pick him up and put him back in his cage).

Now I just want to be extra, extra clear that not every skink, even other Northerns, will be so amicable. Skimble is also the only bluey I’ve cared for and though I’ve had him for several years (and done a lot of research on blue tongues) I am by no means an expert. I know @krisym works with blueys a lot, though there are other Reptiblrs too. When I was starting to do research before getting Skimble I used this very detailed care sheet a lot; though I don’t adhere to it perfectly it’s a great starting point.

Anyway sorry for the small novel. Hope that helped! I really, really love blueys, I’m always surprised that they aren’t more popular.

geckofool

It’s called fashion look it up

collectiveofanimals

geekasaur

with pleakley’s help, communism will win #skinkmunism

biofaunaexotics

Slinky mlems. ❤🦎

gumjpg

What a handsome and dashing young man

Such a beautiful baby boy

So long and scaley

Full of charisma and charm

A true icon…

the-awkward-turt

Reptile Diets: Blue Tongue Skink

When I first got my bluey I struggled to figure out a diet plan that was healthy and balanced for him but not too pricey and labor intensive for me. This is the staple diet I eventually came up with for him, so I thought I would do a quick write-up in case it’s useful to anyone else.

Supplies

Technically all you really need is a knife, cutting board, bowl, and something to mix with, but it makes the whole process much easier if you have a food processor.

Protein

A varied diet is always important, so I use both insect (black soldier fly larvae) and mammal (rabbit) protein sources.

Please note that the dog food needs to always be grain free (and free of other starchy fillers like potato), lacking in any preservatives that are toxic to reptiles, and made with lean meat (stay away from red meat). A good dog food should have protein and fat levels close to (or below) the values for healthy feeder insects.

Edit: It has come to my attention that, in addition to a recent recall, Evangers has a shady history in terms of using low-quality ingredients. Although I’ve found no recalls or complaints involving this product line I do not recommend using this brand. Quality products to use instead include Wild Calling Grain Free Rabbit Formula (which is 96% rabbit meat with protein-specific liver) and Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit Formula. I may also experiment with using raw whole carcass ground rabbit from a raw-feeding website.

Plant Matter

I always go with some variety of squash, healthy dark greens (usually collard or arugula), and some other vegetable (carrots today). The vegetables all go into the food processor to get broken down into a slurry.

Then the vegetables get mixed in with the protein in a big bowl until you have a thick, homogeneous mixture. I used to add vitamins and calcium at this point, but now I mix them into the food right before serving since I worry that the freezing and microwaving may degrade the supplements.

Someday I should probably measure out the exact proportions of protein to vegetables, but I’ve always just eyeballed it. Skink keepers seem to disagree on the exact protein to plant matter ratio blueys are supposed to eat, so I usually aim for around 50/50.

Storage

The end result gets divided into meal-sized balls, packed into airtight deli cups, and stored in the freezer until it is ready to use. I try not to make more than a month’s worth at a time since Skimble starts to dislike the texture if it sits in the freezer for too long.

To serve I simply thaw, place in Skimble’s dish, and microwave for about 10 seconds to get it warm and yummy.

Making food this way has been a huge time and money saver. Skimble also eats healthier because he can’t pick out the stuff he likes. I do mix other food items into Skimble’s staple meal sometimes (fruits, live insects, eggs, etc) so he still gets variety in his diet.

Just a small side note that this diet would probably not be ideal for an animal that is prone to or fighting off a mouth infection because it is so soft and mushy.