Captive Husbandry
the Bluetongue Skink

 

Tiliqua scincoides – Eastern Bluetongue Skink

Adult Size: 45-60cm
Housing:  90cm Terrarium – Single Adult
120cm Terrarium – Pair or trio              

Lifespan: 7-10 years
Lighting: Heat, Uvb, Broad Spectrum.
Temperatures: Hot Spot 38-40C  Cool Side 20-29C
Diet: Omnivorous, variety of insects as well as vegetables, greens and fruit.
Ease of Care: Easy                                                                                                            

 

Introduction

The Australian Blue-tongued Skink is an incredibly popular pet around the world, the most common species being Tiliqua scincoides. Their docile nature, and ease of care make this unusual skink a perfect beginner reptile. Aptly named the ‘blue-tongued’ skink due to its brightly coloured blue tongue, which is splayed in a wide hissing gape as a defence mechanism, the usually calm lizard rarely portrays this colourful display in captivity, generally more inclined to hiss as a sign of discomfort.

Generally a light underside with a dorsal region of grey, to brownish red and orange with banding down the body and tail. Due to their eagerness to breed in captivity an array of colour morphs and variant lineages are ever expanding into new varieties; Black, Albino and Hypo as well as high red and reduced pattern and other high colour morphs are

Many species of Australian Blue-tongued skink are found in almost every environment across Australia, from searing hot deserts to cold mountain ranges. The Eastern Blue tongue skink prefers environments of semi-arid to forested bushland. A solitary animal by nature, Blue-tongued Skinks usually only find company in the wild for a moment of territorial defence (males will fight fiercely for territory) or in pursuit for the company of a female for breeding. In captivity, bluetongue skinks are ideally kept solitary, or in pairs or trios (1M 2F) if intended for breeding. Bluetongue skinks are terrestrial, although surprisingly, do have the ability to climb. Blue-tongued Skinks are active during the day (diurnal) and will generally brumate (slow) for up to 4 months of the year as adults.

Housing

Juveniles (under 25cm (10”) or so) can be housed in a glass mesh top vivarium measuring 60x45cm or larger. The bigger the better! Adults should be housed in a mesh top enclosure measuring 90x45cm or larger. If you choose to house multiple adults together, provide multiple hides, basking spots and provide an extra 2-3 square feet per skink. Ensure your enclosure is placed in a room that is well lit, away from direct sunlight, and has a stable temperature no higher than 20-25C.

Substrate

Loose particle substrate allows for natural behaviours like digging and will keep your skink occupied throughout day. Care should be given when feeding, accidental ingestion can lead to impaction which often requires a trip to the vet and possible surgery to fix. A late tile provides a smooth surface to feed on, we recommend sweeping back the substrate from this area whilst feeding. Bluetongues often snub and rub their rood around. For juveniles we recommend Aspen, as it is soft, easy to pass if ingested and clean. Adults can be kept on woodchip, meadow hay, KritterKrumble© and Reptile Bark.

Lighting

In the wild, the sun provides these Skinks with heat, light and UV radiation. In captivity it is vital that we replicate this to the best of our ability for the health of the animal. Without sufficient heat, light or UV radiation, the health of your skink is at risk. The spectrums of Light are easier to understand if we part them into four sections.

– ‘visual light spectrums’ also plays an important role. This can often be provided with ‘broad spectrum’ basking lights, plant growth LED’s or ‘bright white’ fluorescent lighting.

-UVA- long wave ultraviolet, ranges from 320-400nm and is essential for reptile vision, wellbeing and pupil retraction.

-UVB Medium wave ultraviolet B, ranges from 290-32 nm and it essential for synthesis of vitamin D3 metabolically.

-UVC- Short wave ultraviolet C (the bad guy) ranges from 180-290 nm and is dangerous and a health hazard.

Heat-

Bluetongue Skinks, like all reptiles are ectomorphs (they rely on their environment to give them heat; in this case, from the lighting you are providing). The habitat you create for your skink must provide adequate heat and a temperature gradient that allows for healthy thermoregulation. A basking spot of 36-38C with a temperature gradient down to 20-25C at the cool side. Heating elements should be run on a thermostat and be set to dim or turn off when the cool side reaches a maximum of 27-28C to prevent overheating.

Light-

The lighting you choose must provide enough visible brightness (in wavelengths that seem bright to your dragon, keep in mind they see a much broader spectrum of light than you or I see). Bright broad spectrum lighting is also important in order to allow your dragons pupils retract, preventing damage from artificial lighting. The reason this is important, is that artificial lighting also creates small amounts of UVC wavelengths that can be damaging to the eye. Proper retraction of the pupil protects the eye from damage and the common photo-kerato-conjunctivitis (infection from light damage.)

Uvb Lighting should be used in conjunction with Reptile Vision, Broad spectrum or regular high light bulbs for brightness and stimulation. Your Dragons third eye, directly on top of his head (looks like a clear scale) is called the Pineal Eye. This organ is partially responsible for your dragons behaviour, proper stimulation can make the difference between a normal and healthy yearly cycle and an under stimulated dragon. This eye actually differentiates between light and dark to effect behaviour and acts as an emergency response system for overhead shadows (predators), this organ notices the hours of light in a day and the intensity, this effects behaviour, brumation and breeding cycles as well as mood and appetite, another important reason that a bright stimulating terrarium lighting is important.

UVB-

Ultra violet radiation is 100% essential for the health and longevity of your dragon. Without this, your dragon is incapable of performing the synthesis of vitamin D3 (which allows the absorption of calcium- essential for proper bone formation, not to mention metabolic function, hormone regulation, brain and organ function, muscle development etc.). Bluetongue Skinks are designed to synthesis (create) their own vitamin D3 within the layers of their skin when exposed to UV radiation. Without a healthy amount of exposure to UVB, Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) will take place, bones will fracture and break easily and bone deformities will begin (splayed hips, lethargy and twitching, curves in the spine and tail are common as well as health defects like muscle calcification and organ failure.

Taking your dragon out in Natural Sunlight is incredibly beneficial and recommended, although unless you are doing this a minimum of 2 hours every day, it does not replace the necessity of artificial Uv Lighting. Not to mention the lack of UVB stimulation for the remaining 10 hours of the day will affect the animal’s behaviour throughout. Natural sunlight emits around 130-250uwcm^2 of UVB on your standard day, with mid-summer heat waves bringing in up to 260uwcm^2. Generally speaking, your standard UVB tube emits around 20-60uwcm^2 which is pretty pathetic especially considering your dragon needs to be within 16-20cm of the UVB tube to be receiving these wavelengths. The choice you make when choosing your source of UV, could make the difference between living and thriving.

The only UVB source that gets anywhere close to the amount of UVB the sun is emitting, is called a mercury vapour bulb (MVB.) and its stronger cousin, the Metal Halide Sunray. These products emit between 175-360uwcm^2 at 30-60cm. These bulbs are our number one recommendation. We find our reptiles are far more active, healthy and vivacious under these lamps. Enclosures that are over 45cm in height should be using high output globes such as these. Talk to us in store about the right lighting option for you and your dragon. These higher output globes are much more cost effective (considering they last 10-12 months) than your other options and will be incredibly beneficial to the health of your dragon.

Our second choice is the good old-fashioned UVB tube. We recommend the Reptisun and ReptiGlo 10.0 (60uwcm^2 when 20cm from tube.) Allow your dragons a surplus of branches to get within 20cm from the tubes surface and a basking spot nice and high. Tube form UVB should span the entire length of the enclosure. We urge you to consider using a twin tube reflector, using a tube form UVB tube in conjunction with a regular fluorescent encourages correct pupil retraction, and the brightness encourages natural daytime behaviour. Artificial UVB tubes are incredibly dull through the eyes of a reptile and the regular fluorescent helps counteract this. Florescent tubes like Power-Glo and Repti-Glo 2.0 (Natural Light) are both great options to be paired with a High Output Uv Tube. These tube form UVB Globes need to be changes at least every 8 months, ideally every 6 months. Even if your globe is emitting light, the wavelength decrease dramatically. 6 months is an ideal total lifespan for these globes.

The third option on the market is the compact form UVB. This form of UV radiation is suited to short terrariums 30-45cm in Height and are ideally installed horizontally in hoods like Exo-Terra Compact Light Units or in high reflective fittings like VenomGear reflected domes, this allows maximum exposure to the globe surface. If you choose to use these bulbs it is incredibly important that your animals get within 20cm of the globe in order for them to receive adequate amounts of Uv Radiation.  It is also very important which brand you choose, we only stock brands that are from high quality factories and rigorously tested. VenomGear and ExoTerra among others. Compact globes should be replaced every 6 months. Besides Adequate Uv Radiation, It is important to mention that Fluorescent Tubes and Compact Uv Bulbs are best used in conjunction with visual light, as the these forms of Uv are often not bright enough in the spectrums that reptiles see as visible. Tube form should be used in a double fitting in conjunction with a 2.0 Natural Light or Broad Spectrum Visual Lighting. Compacts housed in a multi-hood unit with a Visible Light or 2.0 Natural Light Bulb as well as broad spectrum bright white light or Neodymium basking globes.

Artificial Uv lighting fades over time, although every bulb is slightly different, some bulbs may drop up to 90% output over the first 2000 hours, visually, there is no way to test this.  For this reason, Compact bulbs and fluorescent tubes should be replaced every 6 months, Mercury Vapour Bulbs at least every 10 months, and Halides after 12 months of normal use. However, we have a Uv Solarmeter in store to test your bulbs decay, simply bring in your bulb and fitting and ask our staff to help you out, this will let you know very quickly if your bulb is ready to be replaced.

One of the most important things to do before taking home your new Bluetongue, is to educate yourself. All artificial florescent bulbs are going to emit varying amounts of wavelengths within the visible and ultra violet light spectrums. It is important to note exactly which wavelengths you’re exposing your reptile to. Please ask our helpful staff to point you in the right direction.

Heating

One thing to keep in mind when it comes to heating is that 90% of the heat sensors on a Blue-tongued Skinks body are on the top, not the bottom. So heating from above is the safest most natural method of heating. As your Skink begins to splay his ribs and expand his sides (to expose as much surface area) toward to heat, you’ll see how naturally it comes to them.

We recommend a heat lamp (generally between 40-75 watt depending on enclosure) placed on the metal mesh top in a heat resistant dome lamp. Place a basking spot (log, rock, or slate) below the lamp at an appropriate distance that allows a basking temperature of 38C. Make sure you’re using a digital thermometer or an infrared thermometer (to make sure you’re being accurate with your temperature readings.) Keep in mind that your Skink will spend most of the day around this heat source so make sure he’s still within 20cm of the UV source!

During the night, we recommend using a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) to provide a hot spot of 33C. This way you are providing a temperature drop by night, but still allowing your Skink to stay warm enough to digest throughout the night (keeping the body functioning at a healthy temperature.) We recommend this mainly for hatchlings and juveniles, although adults seem to thrive on this method as well. Some Skinks however enjoy cooling completely by night and you may find them retreating to the cool end by night.

The option for an Under Tank Heater (UTH) cord or mat is available. The UTH should be installed correctly allowing adequate airflow, and should always be used with a thermostat as the UTH by itself provides unregulated temperatures. Allow your heat mat/cord to heat no more then 1/3 of the enclosures floor space. This allows a temperature gradient. Set your thermostat to measure the warm end (where your UTH is placed) and set it to 33C. The Thermostat will allow your warm end to heat to the desired temperature and will turn your UTH off and on appropriately keeping a stable temperature.

Hides

Hiding places are essential. I would recommend placing one hide over the heat source, and one on the cool side, allowing choice for your Skink to retreat when frightened or when it comes time for brumation. We recommend ExoTerra Reptile Caves as they are light and spacious and allow an almost completely enclosed hide, which will make your Skink feel secure. ZooMed half logs and up-turned terracotta pots are also ideal.

Feeding

Blue-tongued Skinks are Omnivorous, meaning their diet consists both animal product and vegetation. Their diet consists of insects like Crickets, wood-roaches, silkworms, fly larvae, Snails, Earthworms and mealworms and the occasional pinkie mouse (Adults only) Scrambled Egg, occasionally tinned meats and a variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and greens. Variety should be given as not one single food item provides complete nutrition. Food items should never be larger than the space between their eyes as choking is a hazard and their stomachs are not as big as their eyes.

Feeding live insects should occur for juveniles as often as you would eat. Breakfast lunch and dinner. Juveniles should be offered as much as they can eat in 10 mins 2 times a day. Adults should be offered live prey as much as they can eat in 10 mins 3 times a week. There’s not a more exciting time for a Blue-tongued Skink then when there are bugs to chase.

We recommend using the ‘feeding tub’ method. Use a large storage container to place your Skink in, and simply put in the life feed as well. This provides a small hunting ground, a safe consumption zone (free from substrate) and enables the keeper to see just how much food is being consumed. Young Skinks may become overwhelmed if too many insects are added at once. Your Skink will also quickly learn to trust you as when you handle him, he is rewarded with the feeding tub. If you choose to feed within the enclosure, uneaten prey should be removed after feeding, as the can be a hazard by nibbling on your Skink as they sleep.

Diet

Your Blue-tongued Skinks diet within the first 18 months of life should consist of 70-80% protein (feeder insects) and 20-30% vegetation. As an adult, their diet should reverse, being 30% vegetation and 60% protein.

Keep in mind that both protein, and vegetation should be incredibly varied to prevent malnutrition. The portion of vegetable matter should consist of 50% greens like rocket, kale, endive, and dandelion. 40% vegetable matter like squash, carrot, beans, and broccoli. The last 10% seems to be the most favourable; strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, papaya, mango, apple, bear, banana and grapes.

It’s easy to grow rocket, dandelion and kale in pots or the garden, a healthy human diet should always have the appropriate vegetables in the fridge and a supply of frozen berries in the freezer seems to make that special treat easy. Although you will likely find yourself picking out a special treat for your scaled friend when grocery shopping.

Supplements

Your feeder insects should always be fed well for at least two hours before being fed to your Skinks. You are what you eat, and so is their food. If you are able to feed your insects a diet that is high in vitamins and minerals, the benefit will pass on to your animal. Offer a specialised ‘Gut load’ or make your own with Reptile pellet feed, always offer your live feed fresh carrot. Insects should be dusted before feeding, every second feed with calcium with D3 and Multivitamin. We use, trust and recommend Rep-cal supplements as a premium and safer alternative.

Water

Provide your Blue-tongue Skink with a shallow sturdy water dish. Provide clean water regularly and remember to rinse and scrub the dish at least once a week to prevent bacterial growth. It’s common for them to wade and swim in their water dish, and water seems to make them defecate, so make sure the dish stays clean and clear. Regular misting or bathing will be required to keep your Skink hydrated, misting down the enclosure is a great way to add humidity, as wood chip tends to dry very quickly under hot heat lamps. Spraying your Bluetongue down will also allow them to lick droplets off their nose like they would during rain in the wild. .

Handling

New Skinks that are skittish or flighty should be handled for short periods of time in dim lighting or at dusk. The low light makes the Skink feel safe and submit to sleep; you may even find your Skink falling asleep on you. I find this technique seems to force trust on young Skinks. Time and regular contact will also subdue the wild streaks of a juvenile Blue-tongue.

Some notes to consider when handling your Blue-tongued Skink, always support both the front chest and hips when handling, using either two hands, or allowing your adults to lay across your forearm. Never pick a Blue-tongue up by the tail, Skinks have the ability to detach their entire tail as a defence mechanism, this takes a lot of energy and time to re-grow and will never look the same.

Behaviour

Flaring- flaring and splaying the ribs is a territorial and defensive gesture. It is used to make the Skink seem larger and more aggressive and is designed to scare off the aggravator. Generally this is a warning before biting.

Gaping- Wide open mouth with flared tongue is a gesture of deference and a last resort before biting. Occasionally Skinks may gape while basking, and this is a method of thermoregulation. A fast way of cooling down the body.

Brumation

Reptiles change their behaviour seasonally, the main reason for this is the lack of available food through winter (in the wild), and in preparation for breeding in spring.  Coming into winter, the night time temperatures drop and daylight hours are reduced, at this time your skink appetite may decrease, and they may choose to sleep, burrow, or hide for most of the day. Some animals will sleep for weeks, or months on end, generally no longer than 3-4 months. At which point in time spring will return with warmth, and they will begin to resume life and feeding as per usual. Young Skinks under one year of age should not be encouraged to brumate, this period without food intake and normal behaviour can affect their growth rates and overall health. Young Skinks should have a night time basking spot of 33C (they may not use it, although it will help keep the ambient temperature higher than usual through winter).  It is always a good idea to regularly check your basking spot, cool side, and night time temperatures seasonally as the wattage of your bulbs may change between summer and winter. Night time heating such as ceramic heat emitters or heat mats should be considered for your dragons first winter. Brumation is important for breeding adults, as without a deep sleep, they are unlikely to breed successfully or produce large viable clutches.

Adults who are in a deep Brumation slumber, can still have their regular lighting and heat on and cycling as per usual. If you wish to induce Brumation, simply limit your hours of light by 15 minutes less every day for a month coming into winter and vice versa coming into summer, night time heating such as mats and ceramic heat emitters can be turned off during winter. A slightly cooler than luke-warm bath should be given to adults showing signs of entering brumation to encourage defecation, preventing semi digested food rotting in the gut while sleeping.

Common health issues

Intestinal Parasites; while most reptiles have a normal level of intestinal parasites or worms (commonly coccidia) captive environmental stresses can lead these levels to sky rocket and effect the health of your Reptile. It is a good idea to take a fresh faecal sample to your Reptile specialist veterinarian for a test at the first sign of illness, and a treatment can be prescribed. Weight loss, sunken in eyes, stunted growth, lethargy, and diarrhoea are all common signs.

Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD); Calcium and D3 Deficiency, caused by a lack of adequate ultraviolet radiation, dietary imbalance or lack of supplementation. Signs include lethargy, muscle twitches and spasms, broken or soft bones, tail deformations and splayed hips, under bite.  Treatment for these issues will need a consultation with your vet.

Dysecdysis; Abnormal or incomplete shedding. While a Skink shed may come off in patches, low humidity or infrequent bathing can result in retained shed. Retained shed may pinch tails and toes and result in docking. In extreme cases, patchy and inconsistent shedding may be a sign of external parasites. Bathing and misting will often assist difficult sheds.

Dehydration; Young dragons in particular can dehydrate in the summer heat, regular misting is required. A water bowl should always be provided and regular bathing is often helpful.

Mites; Skinks may seem irritable and scratch frequently, sometimes sitting almost full submerged in the water dish. Small mites are often visible around the eyes. Mite sprays are available, a full clean out of vivarium, equipment, ornaments and surrounds will be required to rid the environment.

Respiratory Infections; Often caused by stress, low temperatures and high humidity, or dust from calcium sands, respiratory infections give symptoms similar to the flu. Symptoms include Coughing, wheezing, mucus from mouth or nostrils, continual gaping, heavy breathing and lethargy. A vet visit is required for prescription medication to cure a respiratory infection.

Eye infections; closed, irritated, swollen, or mucus covered eyes, often caused by scratches, or dust. Eye infections can turn sour quickly without treatment from a vet.

Impaction; when a food item, solid or substrate has become lodged in the gut lining preventing defecation and putting pressure on the spine. Commonly seen in juveniles who are fed Mealworms, or have ingested coco-fibre, bark, or calcium sands. These experiences are made worse when the animal is dehydrated, or kept in an improper temperature gradient, or fed too early or too late in the day. Often the animal will attempt to regurgitate (semi digested mealworms), or will be seen gagging or wriggling. In extreme cases the animal will experience lethargy, have a slumped posture, and refuse to move. A luke-warm bath and gentle massaging of the underside may help the blockage pass. Failure to pass, a vet visit will be required to assess the situation and an enema or surgery may be required.

Hypervitaminosis: Commonly an over supplementation of Vitamin A. In most cases this is only possible when using vitamin supplements containing Vit A (Herptivite multivitamin does not contain Vitamin A, rather the building blocks for the animal to create it as required). Signs will be swelling around the eyes, limbs, throat and body. Contact your local exotics veterinarian for an appointment.

A correct setup, temperature gradient, lighting and diet is the best prevention for most common issues. Abnormal behaviours should be looked over by a Reptile Veterinarian. These behaviours may include star gazing, disorientation, head spins, rolling, twitching, tremors, lethargy, loss of appetite, hunched over stature and diarrhoea.

Breeding

Blue-tongued Skinks can attain breeding age within 12 months (although more commonly at 18months to 2 years of age.) Size and sexual maturity are reached at variable times as growth is determined by health and diet. Females should not be submitted to breeding unless they are of full adult size, at least 18 months of age and in very healthy condition. Sexing mature specimens is not simple; Sexing can be performed by a Reptile Veterinary or experienced keeper with probes. Head shape is also a consideration when sexing individuals, males are often more angular, broad and sharp, where females tend to be more sleek, males tend to have a much thicker tail base as well.

It is incredibly important that you feed your females regularly and abundantly, the production of young can take a lot of nutrient from her body, and it is important that you replace these nutrients, vitamins and minerals to keep her (and her young) in good health. Your Skinks will naturally feel the slight temperature changed between summer and winter, it’s almost impossible to fool reptiles from the natural seasons beyond the walls of their enclosure. Spring will be the time that your males will begin to court your females, the male will follow and nudge your females, bite their nape and sides and attempt copulation. Until she is ready she will likely ignore and wriggle away from him or even hiss in defence, this can often lead to violence in defence.

When the pair are ready, the male will bite the nape of the female’s neck and manoeuvre his tail below hers. We thoroughly suggest if you do choose to breed, so simply introduce the male and female together for supervised mating throughout the season, as if they are left alone the female will experience severe stress as the male will likely try the ritual multiple times and may damage her scales and cause injury. .

Blue-tongued Skinks give birth to live young, generally between 10-20 young in a single clutch. Females will swell considerably when gravid, it is often a good idea to separate her at this time to allow her to find some solace as she prepares to give birth. Once the female has birthed all of her young, it is a good idea to remove the young to a grow tank, and allow her some time to recovery in solace from her partner. It is vital that you feed her considerably to gain weight and health in preparation for her brumation, before it all starts again next year.

Hatchlings should be kept in 60×30 cm glass terrariums, or large heatproof plastic storage tubs. Keep on paper towel for ease of cleaning (changed twice daily) and provide adequate heating and UVB lighting. Keep the décor very simply with a large smooth Riverstone being more than enough as a hot spot basking area. Separate into smaller groups when size differences or aggression arise and sell when at least 15cm (6”) and stable, active and eating. Hatchlings are fragile and should be handled very little.

Maintenance

Feeding: Skinks during their first year of life will require Live Food at least once a day. As adults they can be fed every day to second day.

Cleaning: Daily spot cleaning should be performed when required, and the substrate should be fully removed at least every 2-3 months depending on spoilage. At this point, a good quality and safe enclosure cleaner can be used to sanitize the environment.

Handling: Bluetongue Skinks should be handled regularly, exercise is essential to good health and time out of the enclosure in a safe environment is stimulating and a great opportunity for them to build strength and agility roaming the room. Adults should have some time out of the enclosure at least weekly (more often is best), hatchlings will require a little work to adapt to handling, and short sessions of 10-15 minutes will suffice.

Health & Hygiene

Bluetongue Skinks are unlikely to bite without a lot of warning, they will generally hiss and gape and flash their tongues before offering a bite, and they will offer plenty of warning and show signs of distress and discomfort before doing so. Ask us in store about safe handling techniques. If a bite does occur, they have a tendency to hold on and clamp down, stay calm and allow your skink to let go and walk away. Wash site, use an alcohol swab to clean area and apply a Band-Aid. They have teeny tiny teeth which often to not even break the skin. Bluetongue Skinks do carry salmonella, it is always a good idea to wash your hands before and after handling. Particularly with young children. The heat and lighting involved in a Skink’s setup do get quite hot, be sure to turn all lamps off and let cool before handling fittings or bulbs. For the safety and longevity of your lighting and heating equipment, always run heating and lighting through a surge protected power board

Licensing

Bluetongue Skinks, like all reptiles and amphibians in NSW are protected species, by law a Permit is required to keep one. A Companion animal will allow you to keep just one Reptile, where as a Basic Class One Licence will allow you to keep multiples, and different species. Applying for your permit is easy to do online at http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au applicants must be over the age of 16. A valid, in date Reptile keepers licence must be visually cited in store to purchase an animal, accompanied by the licence holder.

Best of luck!

If you have any further queries or questions, please don’t be afraid to ask one of our helpful staff members in store, on the phone or by email.

 

Check List

Hardware

• Terrarium Enclosure; Minimum 90x45cm for one animal.
• Heat Lamp; Aim for low wattage, but enough to heat to get one area (basking spot) to 36-38C.
• UvB Light; Choose the best Uv source for your budget, chat to us about your options.
• Visual Light; The brighter the better! A Visual light heightens natural behaviour.
• Thermometer; A good Dual Zone Thermometer with Probe is ideal.
• Thermostat; highly recommended for those hot summer days to prevent overheating.
• Timer; A good thermostat will generally do this for you, but a timer makes life easier.

Terra-scape

• Substrate; we recommend the Aspen
• Basking spot; Driftwood or hammock to get your Skink within 20cm of heat and Uv.
• Hide; we recommend half logs and hide ornaments.
• Background; Easy to install, natural looking, and climbable.
• Artificial Plants; These enable young Skinks to hide and feel secure.
• Water Bowl
• Food Dish

Diet

• Live food; Crickets, Roaches, Snails, Black Soldier Fly Pupae and canned foods are great starters.
• Supplements; Essential! A good quality Calcium with D3 and Multivitamin.
• Cricket Keeper; helpful in deterring escapes and making cricket keeping easy.

Extras

• Feeding Tweezers
• Enclosure Cleaning Sanitizer
• Shed-Aid Spray: Highly recommended