Blue Tongue Care

BLUE-TONGUE LIZARD CARE SHEET

LICENSING-

There are a few different common species of Blue-tongue Lizards, the Blotched and the Eastern. Both of these do not require a Wildlife Licence to keep in Victoria.

HOUSING-

Size, cleanliness and decor are very important factors to consider when setting up their home. The minimum size enclosure or tank we recommend is 3ft to 4ft or above being a better option. Remember the bigger the better! They can grow to 45cm so will need room to move around.  A glass terrarium or melamine enclosure are suitable to house a Blue-tongue.

TEMPERATURE & LIGHTING-

Your lizard, like many other reptiles, will need a temperature range in his housing to meet his requirements. One end will need to be a warm, basking area - at least 32℃, up to 35℃. You should provide a low log or rock at this end. Your lizard is not a strong climber, so it’s important to keep these at an accessible height, allowing him to do some climbing without overdoing it. You can provide this warmth using a heat lamp. The cooler end of his housing should be between 18 - 21℃. It’s important to not let this dip below 18℃, even at night. You will need reliable thermometers at either end of your lizard’s housing, which will need to be checked at least daily. Your lizard will also need a ‘day cycle’, provided by a UVB 5.0 globe, which should be kept on for 12 hours per day. This will simulate a normal day cycle and help your lizard to thrive. You should expect to replace your globe every 6 months, as they tend to diminish over time.

DIET-

In the wild, blue-tongue lizards are omnivorous and feast on a variety of plants and animals. You can mimic their natural diets by providing a good variety of food - fruits, vegetables and even small amounts of baby and dog foods as a treat. You can also provide gut-loaded crickets, dusted with calcium and vitamins, once or twice per week. Frozen mice, thawed, are also a popular blue tongue food. In the wild, your lizard will also feast on snails, crunching away at the shell to get to the snail within, so you can provide snails too. Take care that you do not have any snail pellets in your garden before feeding - if the snails have eaten a pellet, your lizard may become fatally ill. Young lizards should be fed daily, while you should feed your adult lizard every second day.

COMPANIONS-

You should ideally keep your blue-tongue lizard in an enclosure by himself. They prefer to live on their own, and housing them together can cause aggression and fights for dominance.

HOW TO HANDLE A BLUE-TONGUED LIZARD-

Blue-tongue lizards are docile and tolerant to handling, which has allowed them to become popular pets. With careful handling, they can tame easily. It is important to support the centre body of your bluetongue to minimise stress and reduce the risk of dropping or injuring them. Although it is uncommon for blue-tongued skinks to bite, human fingers can sometimes be mistaken for food, and an accidental bite with their powerful jaws can be very painful.

SHOPPING LIST-

• Enclosure; 3-4 foot
• Water bowl
• Feed dish
• Flat basking log or rock ornament
• Substrate
• Hide
• Artificial plants
• Heat fitting and globe
• UV fitting and globe
• Thermostat
• Heat mat
• Thermometer
• Timer
• Reptile disinfectant
• Live food
• Lizard pellets
• Calcium and multivitamin powder
• Fruit and vegetables