BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hello guys,

I just joined the forum. I don't have a BTS yet, but I hope to have one in the near future. I have a bearded dragon right now. Does anyone have a bearded dragon, as well as BTS? How's BTS like, compared to bearded dragons?

Hi, and welcome! There are a ton of threads about personality. When I am contemplating getting a new animal, I just read every thread posted for several pages on a forum. That way, I'm probably not asking the same questions that get asked over and over and over and over again. I would suggest doing this, and using the search function.

I personally love my blueys, but I do not have Bearded.

I baby-sitted a Bearded Dragon a LONG time ago, and unlike the Bearded Dragons, skinks like to explore more.. while this one just sit and stared..

welcome!
i have no experience or advice to offer on beardies, or even enough info to compare them.

buuuut i have two very different but very lovely skinks that are both very fascinating and different from eachother. i believe a skink and a beardie, despite being different species, are very much individual lizards. so you can get pretty much anything~

Bearded dragons are not as hardy in my opinion. Blue tongues can take humidity but a bearded has to have little. They also have to a lot of heat and those bulbs are expensive.

I had a bearded dragon for almost 8 years, and he was the reason for me becoming a "reptile person." They both make fantastic pets, but there are differences between the two.

Blue tongues get much bigger and are heavier-bodied than beardies. I'd say blue tongues are also generally more intelligent and laid-back. They have a slower metabolism, so they move slower and eat less frequently. Beardies are a bit more jumpy but with regular handling can also be very mellow. As previously stated, blue tongues are more hardy and their husbandry is a bit less demanding. They have easier UV/heating requirements and blue tongues will readily accept many different kinds of food (live, dog food, fruit, veggies, etc.) from the time they're juveniles through adulthood. Beardies on the other hand will usually only eat live food when they're young. I had a really hard time getting Sam (my old beardie) to eat fruit and veggies even when he was full grown. For this reason alone I'd say blue tongues are much easier to care for.

Dakota Nivens wrote:I baby-sitted a Bearded Dragon a LONG time ago, and unlike the Bearded Dragons, skinks like to explore more.. while this one just sit and stared..

This is also definitely true.

Hope this helps!

Thanks everyone!
Like Jessica, my interest in reptiles started with my bearded dragon. Before I knew it, I was going to all the expos, subscribed to the reptile magazine, started breeeding feeder roaches, read a half a dozen books, and joined a dozen forums lol. I was considering other lizards, such as iguanas and tegus, but I always found 'deal breakers' for them. So far, it doesn't seem like BTSs have a deal breaker. And they're so adorable! I'll visit this forum often and learn as much as I can

eastern beardeddragons love humidity

they are both hardy species,baby beardies are a lot more fragile,but once they get going are ultra hardy,beardies if shy tend to freeze,hoping you cant see them,they are actually a lot more active than blueys,quite comical buggers really whilst beardies do enjoy insects,they also eat a lot of non animal type food to

beardies to me are more keen to climb out on you,but there are exceptions,blueys often do it to,both are great to keep ,beardies more labour intensive,but still quite easy

Good points by richard. I would also add a Blue Tongue Skink is a lot more of a long term commitment. Bearded Dragons can live up to 12 years. BTS can live up to 30 even 40 years (sometimes even longer than that!) - so HUGE difference as far as commitment (a lot more can happen in your life over a 30 year period than a 12 year period)

BTS seem to tolerate captivity better because like has been mentioned they are just an adaptable, hardy reptile - but Beardies tolerate captivity fine as well.

Beardies have to be fed more often and also more live food than BTS. Although both are omnivores, BTS are more able and more willing to tolerate a greater spectrum of food than a Beardie hence you can feed a BTS dogfood but not a beardie. It is more expensive and more of a hassle to feed a Beardie - especially when they are younger, but it becomes easier as they get older because they switch from more of a protein based dies to a vegetable based diet.

BTS are more secretive. You will not see them as much in their enclosure as a Bearded Dragon.

Welcome to the forum! Having owned both I prefer the BTS over BD. Diet, housing needs and personality are my main reason for continuing to keep BTS.