Tell us about your skink's diet!

[Keytal]

Hi there!

I am pretty new to BTS keeping and though about asking about diet as well. I have read a lot about how it should be done but I think the best way to learn what's good/ working is hearing from multiple keepers. So tell us about how you manage your skink's diet, what worked for you and what are the "no goes". Obviously it will be different as people have different tastes as well but it will be interesting to hear about what people feed their skinks nonetheless.

Try to write down the staple died you come up with or write down the 10-15 most commonly used ingredients. If you use cat or dog food write down the brand as well so maybe we can get the same for our skinks too.

For example this is how I make my staple (it might not be the best, if that so hope I will be corrected in this post)

- grinded than cooked boof/chicken
+ green beans
+ broccoli
+ endive
+ raddish green
+ banana
+ carrot
+ apple
+ dubia roach
+ superworms / locust / crickets

This is mine, hope to see your's too!

[LittlePetDirt]

I am planning on changing my blueys diet soon, but this is what I've been using.
As a staple I'm using the blue wilderness flatland feast. I soak it in water before feeding to soften it. My skink goes crazy with this lol!! I also feed him the occasional banana chunk and blackberry. I give him ground turkey and some fresh greens often. I treat him around twice a month with hornworms which are his favorite by far!

[Janella]

As for my guys, I first and foremost follow the diet chart on our forum to a "T". As for specifics this is what I usually do. I usually pick a protein source. I like to use snails, ground lean turkey, egg or canned dog food. The dog food is Natural Balance Gobbler Cobbler or Chow Down Chowder. For vegetables, I like to use dark leafy greens (bok choy, collard, endive, turnip, or dandelion greens), prickly pear cactus, green beans, sweet potato, various types of squash (butternut, winter, acorn), zucchini, carrots, pepper. Then for fruit, I use blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, banana, and mango. I will blend up a protein source, and then add in all my vegetables, and like one or perhaps two types of fruit. I blend it all up and then place in ice cube trays. Freeze and pull out one cube per skink per feeding time.

My skinks also absolutely adore Reptilinks, Grub Pie, or Bluey Buffet. Noodles won't touch a bug, but Mintaka adores roaches.

Hope this helps

[EricaLikeBurrito]

As for my guys, I first and foremost follow the diet chart on our forum to a "T". As for specifics this is what I usually do. I usually pick a protein source. I like to use snails, ground lean turkey, egg or canned dog food. The dog food is Natural Balance Gobbler Cobbler or Chow Down Chowder. For vegetables, I like to use dark leafy greens (bok choy, collard, endive, turnip, or dandelion greens), prickly pear cactus, green beans, sweet potato, various types of squash (butternut, winter, acorn), zucchini, carrots, pepper. Then for fruit, I use blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, banana, and mango. I will blend up a protein source, and then add in all my vegetables, and like one or perhaps two types of fruit. I blend it all up and then place in ice cube trays. Freeze and pull out one cube per skink per feeding time.

My skinks also absolutely adore Reptilinks, Grub Pie, or Bluey Buffet. Noodles won't touch a bug, but Mintaka adores roaches.

Hope this helps

Where do you get Bluey Buffet or prickly pear cacti. I can't fond them anywhere and I wanted to try them out.

[LeadedCactus83]

I hate keeping feeder bugs in my house (even though I own a constantly hungry tarantula lol) so I've never fed my baby Northern any live insects, and probably won't for a while.
These are what I've fed her, and I'll mark (*) what I use the most/seem to be her favorites

Proteins:
Merrick 96% canned dog food in Chicken* and Beef flavours
Exo Terra Canned Snails (deshelled)*
Repashy Grub Pie*

Greens:
Collard greens
Dandelion greens
Arugala*

Vegetables:
Butternut squash*
Acorn squash*
Snap peas*
Carrot
Celery
Broccoli

Fruits:
Banana*
Plum
Apple

She doesn't go for fruits much. I've tried peach, watermelon, and black berries and she straight up refused them. I even offered them on no meal days and they were a no-go.

I try to make a "mash" of everything together. I cut fresh veg and greens every feed, take a teaspoon of whatever protein I'm using, then mix it all together so she has a bit of everything in every bite. Granted, it works better with the canned dog food than with the snails or Grub Pie (since I cube that after it sets.)
But I always feed fruit separately to encourage her to eat her meat and veg first. Then, if she has room, I'll give a bit of fruit. Or save it for no meal days just as a little tie over until her next meal.

I didn't want to bombard her with so many different options since I only go her a month and a half ago and she's still settling in, so I wanted to give her things she likes to help her acclimate a bit better. I'll be adding in approved foods as time goes by, but for now, whatever gets her chowing down is good enough for me.

[Janella]

I get the blue buffet online and the prickly pear cactus I can too. I can also find the cactus in some stores. I forgot to mention my guys get peaches also.

[Keytal]

Thank you for the tips guys, keep it up! I noticed you guys mentioned snails. Zoomed's or Exoterra's canned snails here are very expensive and usually out of stock. Is it possible to collect wild caught snails and give those instead of canned ones?
I've heard that if you frost them for 2 weeks it will be perfectly safe to feed them to your bluetongues. Any thoughts on that one?

[EricaLikeBurrito]

I woildn't. There might be pesticides on the snail and parasites too. Even if you don't use pesticides your neighbors might and the snails could have come from them. If you have trouble finding snails, order them off of Amazon or buy aquatic snails.

https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Snails-T ... n+o+snails

[Keytal]

In this case I'll stay away from the wild caught ones. It is just sad that so many things can be collected from nature around but they come with risk of actually making your skink sick and ofc I won't take chances even it will be cool to collect stuff like snails or earthworms.

[splashy07]

You can culture your own snails or earthworms, and save all the worry. I do not, but I breed all my own insects. (Crickets, mealworms, superworms, dubia roaches). Store bought is often starved or full of parasites, and dubias are extremely expensive. I do not feed my skinks crickets, they are for my mantises.

[Keytal]

Alright that is a good idea. I have my own dubia farm for my ackies but for some reason half of my skinks refuse to take roaches. I will try to set up an earthworm farm too.

What about the cat/dog food section. I mean many said catfood contains stuff that are not healthy for bluetongues but others swear it is the best. Today I bought Royal Canin canned and dry dog food, I mixed them with veggies and worked like a charm. Is there any particular brand that I should try?