Blue-tongued+Skink

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//Tiliqua scincoides// Order: Squamata =**__Husbandry Information__**=

Housing Requirements

 * Blue-tongued skinks can be easily housed in plastic commercial reptile enclosures, minimum size for adults approximately 24" by 18" . Skinks are reclusive so should be provided with many hiding opportunities within their enclosures. Aspen bedding works well for substrate. If it is deep enough, animals may also elect to hide underneath it. Skinks must be kept warm, ideally from 70-75 degrees, and require a UV light source. It is beneficial to provide this skink with natural sunlight when possible, by providing time outdoors when weather allows, either during handling or in an outdoor enclosure. This type of skink cannot climb so does not require vertical space.

Diet Requirements

 * In the wild, blue-tongued skinks eat flowers, berries, fruits, earthworms, and insects. They aren't very agile, but most of their prey is slow-moving. They have large teeth and strong jaw muscles, to allow them to crush snail shells and beetles.
 * These skinks will sometimes ingest small stones to help them digest food.
 * In captivity, they are fed salad, mealworms, and pinky mice. Some sample diets include:

BLANK PARK ZOO -- fed on odd-numbered days only; gets 9g of greens, 27g of fruits and veggies, 2 superworms or 4 crickets, and 1/2Tbsp of canned cat food. The salad is sprinkled with calcium supplement. Usually, we will mix the greens into the canned cat food to encourage her to eat the greens, although she still wastes quite a bit of produce. About once a week, she can also get a pinky for enrichment.

BREVARD ZOO -- fed a small salad three times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri) with a 2-week rotating schedule of other items as follows: The salad is placed on a 3-4" dish; it consists of mixed greens, mixed fruit, chopped raw carrots, raw sweet potato, green pepper, cucumber, zucchini, etc. Reptical is added daily and Reptivite is added weekly. The salad is misted just before feeding.
 * 1st Monday* - 1 Tbsp cooked chicken
 * 2nd Monday* - 1 Tbsp dog chow (dry kibble seems to be the best received)
 * 1st Wednesday* - 1 earthworm
 * 2nd Wednesday* - 1 fuzzy mouse
 * Fridays* - 10 insects of varied species, including crickets, mealworms, superworms, and wax worms.

CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER 2 days of 5 superworms, fed from forceps 1 day of 5 crickets, fed from forceps 1 day of a fuzzy supplemented with Calcium powder and 5 drops of Vitamin A oil, fed from forceps 2 days of produce (10g dark greens, 8g mixed veggies, 2g fruit) in a shallow rock dish

CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO -- Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday - salad (lettuce and different vegetables with fruit on top) in a small bowl, sprinkled with Calcium and Herptivite vitamins. Monday - 5 earthworms, dusted with calcium Wednesday and Friday - 20-25 medium crickets, fed with tongs. The crickets are dusted with calcium

LITTLE ROCK -- A "normal" skink diet consists of a salad (greens, carrot, apple, and mixed vegetables in a bowl) fed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and 10-15 crickets (fed by tongs) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A "geriatric" skink diet consists of the same salad but with an additional one fed on Sunday, and 10 crickets and 2 superworms (fed by tongs) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. ROGER WILLIAMS PARK ZOO -- salad (dandelion greens, chicory and romaine) 3 times per week, pinkies 2 times per week, and water soaked Iams dog food 3 times per week. We use crickets as enrichment a few times per week as well.

ZOO ATLANTA -- this diet was formulated for a specific skink based on his body condition:
 * Monday* - 2 super worms; he would get the chance to chase it down in a feeding enclosure
 * Tuesday* - Produce that consisted of approximately 17g collard greens, 17g romaine, 3g tomato, 3g grapes, 3g honeydew, 3g banana, 10g sweet potato(cooked), 10 g carrot (cooked)
 * Wednesday* - fast
 * Thursday* - 1 fuzzy mouse with reptical and herptivite sprinked on it
 * Friday* - same salad as on Tuesday, and also 3-4 crickets; he would get the chance to chase the inverts in a feeding enclosure
 * Saturday and Sunday* - fast

Notes on Enrichment & Training

 * We have recently been approved to give our small reptiles stuffed animals.

=__Programmatic Information__=

Tips on Handling

 * Blue-tongued skinks are extremely tractable and make excellent program animals. They can be presented by holding in the hands, on the lap, or outside in the grass if the weather is suitable. Because they are slow-moving, in the summer it can be interesting to present them in the grass so visitors can observe their almost snake-like manner of moving along the ground.
 * If touched or rubbed gently on the top of the head, most blue-tongued skinks will extend their tongue.

Potential Messaging

 * In general, animals seen at the zoo do not make good pets. Most have specialized dietary, veterinary, housing, and social needs that are difficult or impossible for even dedicated pet owners to meet. Always ensure that your future pet has not been taken from the wild. Capture of wild animals for the pet trade has significantly damaged the survival prospects of species such as sloths, tamanduas, and many parrots. Captured animals are typically mistreated by profit-motivated traffickers and dealers, resulting in many animal deaths; well-meaning animal lovers may feel like they are rescuing animals by purchasing them but are really perpetuating the cruelty. In addition, many exotic pets are released by their owners when they become too dangerous or demanding, often with devastating effects on local ecosystems. Animals that should never be kept as pets include all bats, primates, and exotic carnivores. Birds, fish, and reptiles have specialized needs, are frequently wild-caught, and damage the local environment if released; guests should be advised to educate themselves and proceed with caution. Domestic dogs and cats are almost always the best option! Many deserving animals are available for adoption at animal shelters. [] []

=__Acquisition Information__=

=__Comments from the Rating System__=
 * Children's Zoo at Celebration Square: People really enjoy their blue tongues. Ours commonly urinates on the handler. Holding it flat vs. inclined helps prevent this.
 * Henry Vilas Zoo: This species does not have the personality or public appeal that bearded dragons or leopard geckos have, though size is good for larger groups; very inactive; will get different species in future

=__Natural History Information__=

Range and Habitat
Blue-tongued skinks are found throughout Australasia, including Tasmania, New Guinea and other Indonesian islands. They can be found in a variety of habitats: grasslands, forests, rainforests, deserts, and even the suburbs.

Physical Description
This short-limbed skink has weak legs, five digits per limb, and a short tail (in proportion to body length.) The smooth skin is yellow-brown with dark transverse bands. The tongue is bluish, which is probably a species recognition characteristic. This is one of the largest member of the skink family, growing to about 2 feet in length. Central and Southern Australian species are larger than their more tropical relatives.

Life Cycle
Breeding occurs from September through November. The males will seek out and aggressively pursue the females. 3 to 5 months after mating (between December and April) the females will give birth to 6-8 young. This species is ovoviviparous, which means the eggs stay inside the female during development until after hatching. At birth, the young are ready to look after themselves, and will disperse after a few days. Blue-tongued skinks can live for 18 to 20 years.

Behavior
These skinks are crepuscular, and well adapted to borrowing and terrestrial habitats. They are able to withstand a wide range of temperatures. When threatened, a blue-tongued skink may stand its ground, puff up, hiss, and stick out its blue tongue (which contrasts sharply with the pink mouth.) Hopefully, this will startle the predator enough so the skink can get away.

Threats and Conservation Status
This species is not considered endangered. Predators include the Tasmanian devil, quoll, dingo, kookaburra, and other carnivores. They have adapted well to suburban gardens and are very welcome there, since they prey on snails and plant-eating insects. In suburban areas, however, they can fall victim to pet dogs and cats, lawn mowers, and garden chemicals.

=__Did you know…__=
 * Blue-tongued skinks have a moveable and transparent lower eyelid to protect its eyes from dust but still be able to see.
 * If handled roughly by the tail, blue-tongued skinks (particularly younger ones) may drop the tail. This process is known as //autotomy//. The tail stump will rapidly heal and a shorter, regenerated tail will grow in its place after a while.

=__Photographs__=

=__Contributors and Citations__= >
 * The Philadelphia Zoo
 * Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
 * Houston Zoo, Natural Encounters
 * Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium