How to Take Care of a Blue Tongue Skink Lizard

Skink lizards are characterized by their long thick bodies that sit on very short little legs. The blue tongue skink gets its name because of its dark blue tongue which is prominently visible against its pale pink mouth. Although skink lizards are located in a variety of geographic areas, the blue tongue skink is found mostly in the wilds of Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. Caring for a blue tongue skink is no different from caring for other skink varieties.

Things You'll Need

  • 40- to 55-gallon aquarium
  • Wood shavings
  • Small logs
  • Rocks
  • Water
  • Water bowl
  • Thermometer
  • Reptile light
  • Leafy vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Crickets
  • Meal worms
  • Pinkie mice
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Place the skink lizard in a 40- to 55-gallon aquarium style tank. The skink lizard likes to move around quite a bit and requires a larger space than other lizards.

    • 2

      Cover the bottom of the lizard's tank with pine shavings, or mulch. Do not use cedar shavings as the skinks do not like the smell.

    • 3

      Place several hollowed-out logs and rocks into the corners of the tank so that the skink can hide in them.

    • 4

      Place a water bowl inside the tank and check it daily. Do not allow the skinks to run out of water.

    • 5

      Place a 5.0+ UVB reptile light over the tank and turn it on for several hours per day. You can also set the tank near a window for several hours, but you will have to make sure the tank does not overheat.

    • 6

      Insert a thermometer into the skink tank and maintain a constant temperature of 75 to 85 degrees F for the majority of the day. During periods when the reptile light is turned on, the temperature can rise to between 95 and 100 degrees F.

    • 7

      Feed the blue tongue skink a diet that consists of 60 percent plant material and 40 percent animal material two to four times per week. The plant material should consist of leafy greens such as lettuce, fruits and berries. Animal feed can consist of meal worms, crickets and pinkie mice.