bluetongueskinks.net Food Chart
When to feed:
| BTS Age (approximate): | How often to feed: | How much to Feed: |
|---|---|---|
| up to 3 months | ~ Daily to every 2 days | 1 to 2 teaspoons |
| 3 to 8 months | ~ Every 2 to 5 days | 1 to 2 tablespoons |
| over 8 months | 1 to 2 times per week | 1 to 2 tablespoons |
Notes: They have slow metabolisms and do not need as much food as a mammal. They will not necessarily eat the recommended amounts. If a skink is healthy and not eating or only picking out favorites, it might be overfed - a picky skink is not a hungry skink.
What to feed:
Greens
Greens and veggies should make up approximately 50% of the adult diet and approximately 40% of the juvenile diet.
| Name: | Alternate names: | Feed: | Ca:P | Protein (%) | Fat (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arugula | Rocket | Frequently | 3:1 | 2.6 | 0.7 | |
| Basil | Occasional / Treat | 2.2:1 | 2.5 | 0.6 | Good for flavor, can entice picky eaters to eat. Good source of vitamin K. | |
| Beet greens | Frequently | 3:1 | 1.8 | 0.1 | ||
| Bok Choy | In Moderation | 2.8:1 | 1.5 | 0.2 | ||
| Chicory Greens | In Moderation | 2:1 | 1.7 | 0.3 | ||
| Collard Greens | Spring greens (UK) | Frequently | 14.5:1 | 2.5 | 0.4 | Excellent Ca:P ratio, but member of Brassica genus so high goitrogens |
| Dandelion Greens | Frequently | 2.8:1 | 2.7 | 0.7 | ||
| Endive, Belgian | Frequently | 1.9:1 | 1 | 0.2 | ||
| Escarole | Endive | Frequently | 1.9:1 | 2.0 | 1.0 | |
| Green cabbage | Occasional | 2:1 | 1.4 | 0.3 | Brassica genus - high goitrogens | |
| Kale | Occasional | 2.4:1 | 3.3 | 0.7 | Brassica genus - high goitrogens | |
| Mustard Greens | Frequently | 2.4:1 | 2.7 | 0.2 | ||
| Red cabbage | Occasional | 1.2:1 | 1.4 | 0.3 | Brassica genus - high goitrogens | |
| Red leaf lettuce | Occasional | 1:1.2 | 1.6 | 0.2 | Poor nutritional value | |
| Romaine | Occasional | 1:1.3 | 1.6 | 0.2 | Poor nutritional value, high vitamin A, high oxalates | |
| Turnip Greens | Frequently | 4.5:1 | 1.5 | 0.3 | ||
| Watercress | Frequently | 2:1 | 2.3 | 0.1 |
Vegetables
Use a cheese grater or food processor for hard veggies like squashes and parsnip. Veggies and greens will generally not be as popular as protein or fruit, so chop finely and mix with other foods.
| Name: | Alternate names: | Feed: | Ca:P | Protein (%) | Fat (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | Occasional | 1:2.7 | 2.3 | 0.2 | ||
| Beets | Occasional | 1:2 | 0.9 | 0.2 | ||
| Bell Peppers (green, red) | Capsicum | Occasional | 1:2 | 0.9 | 0.2 | |
| Bell Peppers (yellow) | Capsicum | Occasional | 1:2.2 | 1.0 | 0.2 | |
| Borage | Frequently | 1.75:1 | 1.8 | 0.7 | ||
| Broccoli | Occasional | 1:1.4 | 3.0 | 0.4 | Brassica genus - high goitrogens | |
| Brussels Sprouts | Occasional | 1:1.6 | 3.4 | 0.3 | Brassica genus - high goitrogens | |
| Cactus Pad/Leaf | Frequently | 2.3:1 | 0.8 | 0.5 | ||
| Cactus Pear (Prickly Pear) | Frequently | 2.3:1 | 0.7 | 0.5 | ||
| Carrots | Occasional | 1:1.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 | ||
| Cauliflower | Occasional | 1:2 | 2.0 | 0.2 | ||
| Celery | Occasional | 1.6:1 | 0.8 | 0.1 | ||
| Corn | Occasional | 1:13 | 2.6 | 1.0 | ||
| Cucumber | Occasional | 1:1.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | ||
| Green Beans | Frequently | 1:1 | 1.8 | 0.1 | Moderate oxalates | |
| Green Peas | In Moderation | 1:4.3 | 5.4 | 0.4 | ||
| Green Peas (snap pea and pod) | In Moderation | 1:1.2 | 2.8 | 0.2 | ||
| Mushrooms (white) | In Moderation | 0.1:1 | 4.0 | 0.0 | High in phosphorus | |
| Okra | Occasional | 1.3:1 | 2.0 | 0.1 | ||
| Onion | Never | Contains a toxin called thiosulphate. | ||||
| Parsley | Occasional | 2.4:1 | 3.0 | 0.8 | ||
| Parsnips | In Moderation | 1:2 | 1.2 | 0.3 | ||
| Potato, sweet | Occasional | 1:1.3 | 1.7 | 0.3 | ||
| Pumpkin | Occasional | 1:2 | 1.0 | 0.1 | ||
| Radicchio | Occasional | 1:2 | 1.4 | 0.3 | ||
| Radish | Occasional | 1:1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | ||
| Rhubarb | Never | Toxic | ||||
| Rutabaga | Occasional | 1:1.2 | 1.2 | 0.2 | ||
| Squash, Acorn | Frequently | 1:1 | 0.8 | 0.1 | ||
| Squash, Butternut/Winter | Butternut pumpkin | Frequently | 1.5:1 | 1.0 | 0.1 | |
| Squash, Hubbard | Frequently | 1:1.5 | 2.0 | 0.5 | ||
| Squash, Scallop | Frequently | 1:2 | 1.2 | 0.2 | ||
| Squash, Spaghetti | Frequently | 2:1 | 0.6 | 0.6 | ||
| Squash, Summer | Frequently | 1:1.8 | 1.2 | 0.2 | ||
| Tomatoes | Occasional | 1:5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | ||
| Turnip | Occasional | 1:1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | ||
| Yams | In Moderation | 1:3.2 | 1.5 | 0.2 | ||
| Yucca root | Occasional | 1:1.7 | 1.4 | 0.3 | ||
| Zucchini | Occasional | 1:4.4 | 2.7 | 0.4 |
Fruits
Fruit should be a treat (even healthy fruits!) and not more than 10% of the diet. Fruit is generally high in phosphorus.
| Name: | Alternate names: | Feed: | Ca:P | Protein (%) | Fat (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | Occasional / Treat | 1:1.8 | 0.2 | 0.3 | ||
| Apricot | Occasional / Treat | 1:1.4 | 1.4 | 0.4 | ||
| Avocado | Never | Contains a toxin called persin. | ||||
| Bananas | Occasional / Treat | 1:3.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | ||
| Blackberries | Occasional / Treat | 1.5:1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | ||
| Blueberries | Occasional / Treat | 1:1.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | ||
| Cantaloupe | Occasional / Treat | 1:1.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | ||
| Cherries | Occasional / Treat | 1:1.6 | 1.1 | 0.2 | ||
| Cranberries | Occasional / Treat | 1:1.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | ||
| Fig | In Moderation / Treat | 2.5:1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | ||
| Grapes | Occasional / Treat | 1.4:1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | Moderate oxalates | |
| Guava | Occasional / Treat | 1:1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | ||
| Honeydew | Occasional / Treat | 1:1.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | ||
| Kiwi | Occasional / Treat | 1:1.5 | 1.0 | 0.4 | ||
| Mango | In Moderation / Treat | 1:1 | 0.5 | 0.3 | Moderate oxalates, high vitamin A | |
| Nectarines | Occasional / Treat | 1:3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | ||
| Papaya | In Moderation / Treat | 5:1 | 0.6 | 0.1 | High vitamin C - good treat food | |
| Peaches | Occasional / Treat | 1:2.4 | 0.7 | 0.1 | ||
| Pear | Occasional / Treat | 1:1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | ||
| Pineapple | Occasional / Treat | 1:1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | ||
| Plums | Occasional / Treat | 1:2.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | ||
| Pomegranate | Occasional / Treat | 1:2.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | Moderate oxalates | |
| Raspberries | In Moderation / Treat | 1:1.2 | 0.9 | 0.6 | Moderate oxalates | |
| Star fruit | Occasional / Treat | 1:4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | High oxalates | |
| Strawberries | Occasional / Treat | 1:1.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | Moderate oxlates, high vitamin C | |
| Watermelon | Occasional / Treat | 1:1 | 0.6 | 0.4 |
Meat / Protein
Protein should be approximately 40% of the adult diet and 50% or more of the juvenile diet.
| Name: | Alternate names: | Feed: | Ca:P | Protein (%) | Fat (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butterworms | In Moderation | 16.2 | 5.2 | High in calcium, but cannot find reliable phosphorus information. May be too small for adult BTS. | ||
| Beef - lean, ground | In Moderation | |||||
| Cat food (canned) | Occasional | See specific brand's website for nutritional information and ingredients. Taurine present in cat food may not be ideal for BTS. | ||||
| Chicken - breast (cooked) | In Moderation | Typically boiled. | ||||
| Chicken - liver / heart (cooked) | In Moderation | Typically boiled. | ||||
| Cockroach | Discoid, Dubias | Frequently | Good feeder. Gutload properly. Subadult have less chitin. | |||
| Crickets | Occasional | Poor nutritional value, may carry pinworms. Better live feeders are available but crickets can provide a stimulating chase. | ||||
| Dog food (canned) | Frequently | See specific brand's website for nutritional information and ingredients. Many people use this as a staple protein source. | ||||
| Earthworm | Nightcrawler, Dew worm | Frequently | 11.7 | 1.5 | Good feeder. Ones sold for bait may have chemicals added to prolong their life, cannot find Ca:P information. | |
| Egg | In Moderation | 1:3.4 | 12.6 | 10.6 | Can be fed raw, boiled etc. | |
| Horn worm | Tomato worm | Frequently | ||||
| Mealworm | Occasional | 1:25 | 20.3 | 12.7 | ||
| Pinky mouse | Occasional | 1:1 | High in fat. Pinkies have not developed bones yet, so low Ca. | |||
| Phoenix worm | In Moderation | 1.5:1 | 17.3 | 9.4 | May be too small for adult BTS | |
| Silkworm | Frequently | 1:3 | 54.7 | 43.0 | Great feeder. | |
| Snails | Frequently | Great feeder. Wild snails can carry parasites or may have been exposed to toxins. Be sure to detox before feeding. | ||||
| Superworms | In Moderation | 1:18 | 17.4 | 17.9 | ||
| Waxworms | In Moderation | 1:7 | 15.5 | 22.2 |