I'm SO excited!!

[YellowTurtle01]

I don;t know why this makes me so extremely happy, but I've decided on getting a blue tongue skink!! Yay! A few people convinced me they were the ULTIMATE lizard pet, so now I'm so happy, I'm going to get one!
Anyone have any experience with these little (um, big) guys? I read several caresheets, but am missing out on some info!
Could I take my future ( ) skink outdoors? To like, walk about and get real sun?
How do they feel about deep-dish soaking? All the care sheets I've read are pretty sketchy about their water, so any detail about that whole subject would be awesome.
Also, read contradicting info on humid hides- do they or do they not need one?
Cooked egg vs raw?
Adult vs baby? I'm also loving the idea of raising one as my one but adults would already be established, but not raised the way I might want them to be (used to handling, certain food types, walks ect.)
Breeder vs pet store? I know petstores are nonos, but I can't find breeders in the area. LLLReptile sells them, but shipping is pretty pricey :confused: and I'd rather get one that I could see, and be like, yes!
Also, heard differing opinions on UVB usage, kind of like leopard geckos, do they or do they not need one?
Awesome tank ideas? I'll be using a 40gallon for a bit, but plant on upgrading down the line. And of course using COCO COIR, the best substare ever! but should I mix that with something? Moss, dirt... Like tortoises, can skinks be safely housed in a plastic storage bin, provided it be big enough? How could I make the lighting work on that?

[DianaBlueTongue]

Aw yay!!! I know why you're so excited!! Cuz bts are the BEST LIZARD ON THE PLANET. lol.

Lemme see if I can answer a few of your questions but hopefully some of the more experienced folks will chime in.

Yep, you can take them outdoors but at first try to do it in small doses. Sometimes very tame skinks indoors can become quite aggressive out. This is because the outside world can sometimes be a sensory overload to animals used to small enclosed spaces like cages. Babies in particular tend to be the most frightened.
Soaking or bathing is not a necessary practice with bts, they neither need it or like it. If humidity is at the right level in the cage they shouldn't ever need a bath to help shed.
I provide humid hides for all 11 of my skinks, it helps give them a little extra dampness during shed time and they all use them during shed time.
Cooked or raw egg doesn't matter, its left to personal preference. I use cooked only because its MUCH easier to clean up after they've had their fill.
I recommend getting a captive bred baby from a known breeder. Its sooo much more rewarding raising one from a wee babe and the bond you grow with them is never as strong as one you can have with an adult IMHO. I also recommend getting a northern blue tongue, byand large they tend to be calmer and more personable, meraukes and other indo bts are a bit more shy and timid. These are generalities remember, there are mean northerns and very calm meraukes.
UVB is a pretty much never ending debate so basically with that one read up as much info as you can find and formulate your own thoughts on it. I don't personally use it very often, only with sick or pregnant females. My 17 year old northern has never been given uvb and is healthy as can be. Diet is a far more important part of their care for reducing the risks for vitamin and mineral deficiencies then uvb lighting.
A 40gallon is a good starting point and can comfortably house a skink but bigger is always better. I use a combination os eco earth, cypress bedding, and moss for all me bts and love it. It holds humidity very well, allows for easy burrowing and looks great.
Yes, you can use plastic storage bins as well, many breeders house their skinks in large racks actually but if you want to interact with you skink a lot a cage is a better choice. Ive made very large storage tubs into cages by cutting out a large rectangle in the lid and using a staple gun and hot glue to affix a piece of screen for the lights

[DianaBlueTongue]

Finding a local skink can sometimes be hard so buying online and having one shipped is usually the only way to get an awesome quality babe from one of the breeders across the states. If you check the classifieds section of this forum there is a fellow in Texas who recently listed some amazing baby northerns that he produced. He;s also one of the best people you can buy from

[Noah H.]

Hello there, Welcome to the forum! You won't have any trouble finding information here. Blue tongue skinks really do make awesome pets because they are easy to care for and usually very docile, friendly and intelligent. In response to your questions:

1. You certainly can take your skink outdoors, but you should consider several things first. Do you have an area of a yard that is/could be made safe for your skink? Preferably, it would be enclosed with some sort of barrier, both to protect your skink from any dangers it could encounter as well as prevent him from escaping (blue tongues are excellent burrowers, so take that into consideration). Also, this area needs to provide some sort of shelter, and be free of pesticides and certain plants that could be harmful to your skink. If you want ideas on building an outdoor shelter, look around the forum!
2. A water bowl should be provided that's large enough to accommodate your skink if it wants to soak, but shallow enough that he can easily keep his head above the water. This could be anything from a glass cake pan to a fancy bowl from a pet store.
3. The humidity needs will vary between the different subspecies.
4. Cooked or raw eggs are a personal preference. I wouldn't use eggs as a staple protein; use them as an occasional treat.
5. It's up to you, but I'd recommend getting a baby. It's fun to watch them grow up, and they will probably bond more to you and your habits more easily than an adult.
6. Definitely go with a breeder. Here is a good list to start with. Any one of these guys and gals can provide excellent babies to you: List of recommended breeders.
7. Once again, it's personal preference. I choose not to use UVB; instead I use Repti-calcium supplement and time outdoors in the natural sunlight.
8. Here's a link to some enclosure pics uploaded by forum members: Click here!. A plastic storage bin could theoretically work, but most people seem to agree that the skinks don't like them as much as terrariums.

I would highly recommend reading this caresheet if you haven't already; it is a great source of information! Click this link, and look for the "Caresheet" link in the upper-left corner of the webpage. If you have questions or concerns, the forum's search bar is a good tool to use. Try looking for some previous posts on the subject you're curious about.

[YellowTurtle01]

Aw yay!!! I know why you're so excited!! Cuz bts are the BEST LIZARD ON THE PLANET. lol.

Lemme see if I can answer a few of your questions but hopefully some of the more experienced folks will chime in.

Yep, you can take them outdoors but at first try to do it in small doses. Sometimes very tame skinks indoors can become quite aggressive out. This is because the outside world can sometimes be a sensory overload to animals used to small enclosed spaces like cages. Babies in particular tend to be the most frightened.
Soaking or bathing is not a necessary practice with bts, they neither need it or like it. If humidity is at the right level in the cage they shouldn't ever need a bath to help shed.
I provide humid hides for all 11 of my skinks, it helps give them a little extra dampness during shed time and they all use them during shed time.
Cooked or raw egg doesn't matter, its left to personal preference. I use cooked only because its MUCH easier to clean up after they've had their fill.
I recommend getting a captive bred baby from a known breeder. Its sooo much more rewarding raising one from a wee babe and the bond you grow with them is never as strong as one you can have with an adult IMHO. I also recommend getting a northern blue tongue, byand large they tend to be calmer and more personable, meraukes and other indo bts are a bit more shy and timid. These are generalities remember, there are mean northerns and very calm meraukes.
UVB is a pretty much never ending debate so basically with that one read up as much info as you can find and formulate your own thoughts on it. I don't personally use it very often, only with sick or pregnant females. My 17 year old northern has never been given uvb and is healthy as can be. Diet is a far more important part of their care for reducing the risks for vitamin and mineral deficiencies then uvb lighting.
A 40gallon is a good starting point and can comfortably house a skink but bigger is always better. I use a combination os eco earth, cypress bedding, and moss for all me bts and love it. It holds humidity very well, allows for easy burrowing and looks great.
Yes, you can use plastic storage bins as well, many breeders house their skinks in large racks actually but if you want to interact with you skink a lot a cage is a better choice. Ive made very large storage tubs into cages by cutting out a large rectangle in the lid and using a staple gun and hot glue to affix a piece of screen for the lights

Thanks so much! I like the idea of using a tub better than glass, considering that's what I use for all my other animals. I have read very contradicting INFO on the UVB, so I'll think about that

[YellowTurtle01]

Finding a local skink can sometimes be hard so buying online and having one shipped is usually the only way to get an awesome quality babe from one of the breeders across the states. If you check the classifieds section of this forum there is a fellow in Texas who recently listed some amazing baby northerns that he produced. He;s also one of the best people you can buy from

Yes, apparently breeding skinks is just swinging into popularity, so there're aren't really any around here.

[YellowTurtle01]

Hello there, Welcome to the forum! You won't have any trouble finding information here. Blue tongue skinks really do make awesome pets because they are easy to care for and usually very docile, friendly and intelligent. In response to your questions:

1. You certainly can take your skink outdoors, but you should consider several things first. Do you have an area of a yard that is/could be made safe for your skink? Preferably, it would be enclosed with some sort of barrier, both to protect your skink from any dangers it could encounter as well as prevent him from escaping (blue tongues are excellent burrowers, so take that into consideration). Also, this area needs to provide some sort of shelter, and be free of pesticides and certain plants that could be harmful to your skink. If you want ideas on building an outdoor shelter, look around the forum!
2. A water bowl should be provided that's large enough to accommodate your skink if it wants to soak, but shallow enough that he can easily keep his head above the water. This could be anything from a glass cake pan to a fancy bowl from a pet store.
3. The humidity needs will vary between the different subspecies.
4. Cooked or raw eggs are a personal preference. I wouldn't use eggs as a staple protein; use them as an occasional treat.
5. It's up to you, but I'd recommend getting a baby. It's fun to watch them grow up, and they will probably bond more to you and your habits more easily than an adult.
   Yes, I don't treat the yard, because I also have a couple tortoises that graze, and also because of that, I keep a close eye out for poisonous weeds. I'm leaning toward Northern Blue Tongue skink, because they seem very available, and are kind of the happy medium between smaller species and the Prehensile tailed skink, which I though about for a while, but decided it would be too big for me right now! Wondering about the eggs as a treat, I read somewhere that they wouldn't be very good often. I'd like to get a baby, watching turtles and tortoises grow up is a very slow, long, and somewhat boring process an because I'd want to raise him/her myself, to make sure everything was good from the start.
6. Definitely go with a breeder. Here is a good list to start with. Any one of these guys and gals can provide excellent babies to you: List of recommended breeders.
7. Once again, it's personal preference. I choose not to use UVB; instead I use Repti-calcium supplement and time outdoors in the natural sunlight.
8. Here's a link to some enclosure pics uploaded by forum members: Click here!. A plastic storage bin could theoretically work, but most people seem to agree that the skinks don't like them as much as terrariums.

I would highly recommend reading this caresheet if you haven't already; it is a great source of information! Click this link, and look for the "Caresheet" link in the upper-left corner of the webpage. If you have questions or concerns, the forum's search bar is a good tool to use. Try looking for some previous posts on the subject you're curious about.

Yes, I don't treat the grass, because I have tortoise that graze, which also means no bad weeds Thank you for the caresheet, very informative! Well, that's what I though, if I'm going to be taking him out, I've read a few hours of UVB a week are great for reptiles. I always have some calcium on hand, so that'll be great.
I read somewhere that eggs weren't good for giving often, so just as a treat Yes, I'd like a baby, because I'd like to know everything been good and well taken care of from the start. And well, raising turtles and tortoises is a slow, long and somewhat boring process