BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

I’ve had my BTS for a couple of weeks now and yesterday I walked in the reptile room to find him chowing down on his substrate (i use reptichip). He’s about three years old and I feed him about every five days. I don’t feed him in his enclosure because he’s messy and I don’t want him getting food all over everything. Any suggestions??

I have had my bts for 5 years, and never seen this, however I know that many people reccomend feeding every 2-3 days. He may just be hungry. I would also put him on a smaller substrate untill this is over. Impaction is a real risk.

Is the substrate new? Sometimes they like to have a nibble on the substrate to see if its edible. If not he might have vitamin deficiency which causes them to purposefully eat mouthfuls of substrate til their vitamin needs are met.

I haven’t changed it since I got him a couple of weeks ago. I’ve only seen him eat it once, but I obviously am not watching him constantly. Maybe his old diet wasn’t up to par, I’ll keep an eye on him.

Five days may work for some, but if I let my Eastern girls go that long they'd eat their cage furniture. Try feeding more often, and you can try leaving dry food in his cage in between. I do that with all of mine, and they love it. They get the messy stuff on weekends when I can clean up right after them.

Good idea, I’ll go put a bowl of dry kibble in his cage right now. Thank you!!!

Happyherper wrote:I have had my bts for 5 years, and never seen this, however I know that many people reccomend feeding every 2-3 days. He may just be hungry. I would also put him on a smaller substrate untill this is over. Impaction is a real risk.

I feed my adult BTs, Water Skink and beardie a some live insects everyday .... one or two larger silkworms and 6 - 8 large crickets each for the big guys , a cricket or two & some BSFL & mealworm pupae for the water skink , this ensures my gang are never really hungry and very much the laid back pet lizards. My Eastern BTs George & Mildred are both about 8 years old now , raised from 2 month old babies.


No eating of substrate seen with my mob.

If your skink is ingesting substrate - remove the substrate before it causes a GIT blockage and an impaction. Better off on paper sheeting or tiles , this will eliminate this problem.