Feeding Blue tongues

[peterjohnson64]

I see a lot of posts where people ask what to feed their blue tongues. This is understandable as blue tongues are probably the best herp for beginners.

I also see lots of replies that concern me a little. Things like "my blue tongue loves dog food" or "my blue tongue loves bananas" etc etc.

Now, whilst these liazrds are very fond of these foods and will eat them till the cows come home it doesn't necessarily mean it is the best thing for them. As an analogy, my children love ice cream and McDonalds and will eat it all day, every day if given the opportunity. Doesn't mean it is the best thing for them either.

Blue tongues in the wild have to walk around looking for food. It is unlikeley that they will get a lot of meat because, well, they just aren't that fast. Of course, they can now get snails if they live at the right place but that is about it. Most of their diet would be vegetables. Fatty foods, when found, are good because you never know when you will get your next dinner. Blue tongues in captivity hardly have to move at all and they know when they are getting their next dinner. Like my pet Beagle, they dont really need any fatty foods.

Anyway, I thought I would take a photo of what I put together today for the blueys and EWD's. It is a mixture fo 80-90% vegetables (peas, beans carrots, mushroom) some dandelions and some dog food. You can make up heaps and then freeze it. For little lizards merely freeze it in ice cube trays.

Now before you go and take a photo of your huge blue tongue and reply with "but look at my blue tongue who only eats dog food" think about the guy who posts a picture of his 75kg 10 year old son and says "look at how big this guy is and he ONLY eats McDonalds"

[Starkey]

Peter, you obviously know your stuff, could i ask some advice. It is only recently that i have started to feed my Beardie and baby EWD's vegies. Now i realise the error of my ways in that i used to only feed them live crickets and woodies, but knowing they are omnivores i realise they need greens. Well the beardie picks at his now and then and i am making every effort to keep the vegies fresh, replacing them as needed. I keep the bowl in there for a day and then put a fresh mix in. Is it necessary to have vegies in there everyday? also my baby EWD's (who are housed in the same enclosure) don't seem to eat the vegies (let alone any live food) and i'm monitoring them closely but i am horribly worried. I know they must be eating cause they are in great health, but they don't seem to feed when i'm around like the beardie does... am i just paranoid?

Also my vegie mix usually consists of lettuce, carrot, spanish onion and dandilions. Is there anything i need to add, or subtract for that matter?

[elapid68]

Starkey,
Personally I don't fell the need to have vegies or any food for that matter in the enclosures every day. My Blues and Beardies get fed every 2nd or 3rd day. I think if you have food in there every day they start getting a bit choosie on what they eat and what they don't.
Onion?? never thought of that. How do they respond to it???
Mine get a mixture of lettuce, carrot ,apple, Brocolli, pumkin, beans, mushrooms, tinned cat/dog food and dandilions (when I can get them). The Blues also go ape over snails.

Try separating the EWD's when it comes time to feed. They might feel that they're at the bottom of the enclosures food chain and not confident to approach the food whilst the others are there.

[chickenman]

lol yesterday i tried 2 put a snail in my bluey enclosure and 1 came running full speed out of a log and jumped in the air and grabed the snail before it hit the ground lol. and they dont do that for any other food lol. i also noticed one of them eating the slater beetle thingys that keep getting into the enclosure.

[Starkey]

thanks elapid, i never thought of separating them during feeding, although the EWD's in my opinion look at the female beardie as some sort of mother figure lol.

[Kirby]

try feeding the EWD and the beardies seperately, the baby EWD might be scared of the territorial beardie around food, feed them out side of the enclosure seperatatly (if you can otherwise at different ends or put a divider in, giving each animal enough time and space to eat!!

[Starkey]

I dunno about feeding them outside the enclosure, they are both about nine months old and still extremely skiddish around me, however the beardy is fine. I know they are feeding, but i'm not sure how big they should be at 9 months. The male is about 26 centimeters the female is about 22 centimeters. Is this an accurate reading for this age, as i let them hibernate their first winter.

EDIT: the measurement is from the nose to the tip of the tail.

[peterjohnson64]

Bump - for Mitch

[grimbeny]

I was just wondering what brand and types of cat/dog food that you guys use. I heard that some contain nasty additives.

(By the way im thinking of using it to suppliment the food of ackies not blueys)

[Simple]

Minced roo meat is a good substiute for pet foods and is lower in fat. Our blue tongue loves it with his greens.

[gaz]

are bananas a problem to give them?besides cost! I dont use dog food at all, prefer salads and veges, and give steak or chicken as a treat (leftover)Thats for blueys, beardies ive never given meat as such!

[da_donkey]

I would just like to add, if using frozen mixed vegies Do NOT use any that include corn.

As you probably know even humans dont digest corn properly .

And a salad with lots of little yellow treats (corn) can be very attractive to lizzards, and will block them up and possibly kill them.


Donk

[grimbeny]

I just thought that cat food would be better than roo mince becaus it contains lots of other bits and pieces as aposed to just meat.

[Aslan]

Just a question re: Roo Mince...

Most Vets etc will not recommend Roo Mince for dogs etc due to a very high number of preservatives and additives in it for pet stores, and instead will recommend a standard lean mince...could this have any effect on reptiles?

[Simple]

Originally Posted by Aslan

Just a question re: Roo Mince...

Most Vets etc will not recommend Roo Mince for dogs etc due to a very high number of preservatives and additives in it for pet stores, and instead will recommend a standard lean mince...could this have any effect on reptiles?

We use roo meat for human consumption not pet roo mince (roo mince is lower in fat than lean beef ,lamb or pork mince). Also I think you will find that all processed pet foods will all contain preservatives thats why they keep so long.