Billie
All blue-tongue skinks tend to have a heavy build with small legs and toes. They also exhibit the typical triangular blunt head of most skins. All species get their name from a bright blue tongue in their pink or red mouths.
Northern Blue Tongued Skink: This subspecies prefers tropical or savannah woodlands of Northern Australia. Often considered the largest of the blue-tongued skinks it can reach lengths of 24 to 27 inches. It generally as uniform vertical bands which are usually chestnut colored, with orange shaded off-centered markings on the sides. As with the Eastern, the legs are gray and unmarked. Because of their gentler demeanor this subspecies generally makes for the best choice if you want a handleable pet.
Temperature
The cool side of the cage should be between 75° - 80° F, with ambient temperatures 85° to 90° F on the hot end with basking spots that reach 110° to 130° F. Night time temperatures can fall to 70°.
Housing
Most hatchlings can be kept in a 10-gallon aquarium. Full sized adult blue-tongue skinks should be kept in 40 to 55-gallon aquariums or similar enclosures.
Bedding
Wood shavings (avoid cedar or pine as these may cause long term health issues), newspaper or indoor/outdoor carpeting can all be used as substrates.
Food
Most blue-tongue skinks are omnivorous (eating both plant and animal matter). Generally a diet consisting of 60% plant and 40% animal will provide a healthy mix for your blue-tongue skink. Frozen mixed vegetables,various greens, small amounts of high quality dog food, crickets, mealworms, and thawed pre-killed frozen mice can all be fed to your skink. Fresh water should be provided daily.
Cleaning and Handling
The enclosure should be spot cleaned daily. A thorough cleaning should be performed on a regular basis. A 5% bleach solution is an excellent disinfectant. Be sure to thoroughly rinse the enclosure before replacing the substrate and placing the blue-tongue skink in the enclosure.
