Blue tongue behavior

[Moony1988]

Hello everyone,

I just got my first blue tongue skink, he/she is just a baby and i have a few questions, about its behavior.

How many hours a day will my skink sleep? most of the time it will have its eyes closed and not really doing much... unless his hungry and looking for food

Also, when my blue walks around the enclosure... it constantly seems to be scratching against rocks and other objects... Is that normal? His scales look healthy and doesn't look to be shedding at all.

Lastly, he doesn't always sit on his basking rock after eating, sometimes it is just content to go in his little hide holes and sleep for hours on end after feeding... is this normal?

Maybe im just one paranoid bloke, but i thought i would just check if you guys and girls could cure some curiosity about my new pet for me.

Regards,
Moony

 

[pete12]

all natural behavior hope you have a great time with it. is it you first reptil

 

[Love_snakes]

i just got my first baby blue tongues today to! they have also done that except they havn't eaten the small variety of food i have given them, what are you feeding yours? and how reguarly?
thanks .
sarah.

 

[Love_snakes]

by the way congrats !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

 

[Moony1988]

what are you feeding yours? and how reguarly?

I have put approximately 50% vegetables (broccoli, carrot, cucumber, capsicum, tomato)... 40% high quality dog food and 10% of fruit (canned peaches and raspberries)

Im feeding him daily... he absolutely pigs out!!

If that behavior is considered normal... can u explain it to me a little... like is he scratching or leaving a scent over the enclosure... do they sleep like 16 hours a day or something and so on?

Moony

 

[Moony1988]

by the way congrats !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

Thanks very much... he has had my absolute attention since i got him home on Tuesday!

Congratulations to you as well!! What type of bluey do u have... mine is a eastern

Moony

 

[Moony1988]

is it you first reptil

Yeah it is... i am enjoying every minute of it so far...
I thought i would start off with a bluey because i heard that they are very hardy, before i extended my collection further!

Moony

 

[mebebrian]

I was given a bluie a few months ago, at the time i only said i'd take him cause he was a gift. I thought they were quite boring creatures, but Dino is such a character!
Full of attitude when first picked up but he quickly settles down and love's cruizin around in my hoodie while im cleanin up the others enclosures. Such a cool lil creature

 

[mebebrian]

Oh and he LOVES his garden snails! cant get enough! but make sure you get em from a garden without snail pellets

 

[Love_snakes]

im not too ure sorry what type my blueys are but yes thanks.
and yeah i think they are just going into hibernation for a while thats why they are sleeping alot ! hehe yeah they have been exploring their new cage ! lol anyways yes what type of dog food u feed yours? thanks again.
sarah.

 

[Love_snakes]

lol by the way i have also been watching them alot lol

 

[Moony1988]

im not too ure sorry what type my blueys are but yes thanks.

if you want, you can post a picture... but i guess being from Brisbane its pretty likely a eastern as well.

iol anyways yes what type of dog food u feed yours?

I have only had it a week, but he has been loving my dog all natural chicken, in the little square cans.

Do you know how often i should be picking him up, taking him out of his enclosure, handling him and stuff? Because he gets pretty scared when i go to reach into his enclosure and usually scurries away from me very quickly... like a dont want want to bother him to much.... i just dont want to make it even harder getting him out of there when his older .

Moony

 

[wiz-fiz]

I think he/she should get used to your "big" hand getting into his/her enclosure and picking him/her up("big" is in comparrison with him).

 

[Moony1988]

Thanks willia... ill just keep trying to pick it up and play with him a bit, every couple of days then

Moony

 

[Mulga92]

i used to own a couple of blueys, but i had to get rid of them. i used to feed them a mix of canned dog food, old vegies and throw the odd roach in to give them some variety and i bit of exercise

 

[RedEyeGirl]

yeh he hasnt gotten used to yet........................but he will eventually

 

[richardsc]

blueys are great,1 of my favourite reptiles,there certainly not boring,alot of people pass them off as beginner animals,but thats fine with me,keeps there prices down,i keep all species bar for the pygmy blueys of course,the rubbing behaviour can be many things
1,about to shed its skin
2,mites irritating it
3,often after eating,especially dogfood and messyfoods like snails and runny eggs they rub on stuff to clean the mess off them
plus many other possabilitys

they will often rest up,especially if they are eating well,as they dont have the urge to search for food,but they still should be a little active,especially yongsters,your little one may be picking up on winter,they can try to brumate even when kept warm over winter,there body clocks cam pick up the changing of the seasons outside

blueys are in my oppinion exellent starter species,but just as great for the more advanced keepers as well,good luck with your blueys guys,u should get lots of years of joy with them

oh pal 5 kinds of meat and chum 3 kinds of meat are the 2 types of dogfood my lot eat,with up to 100 blueys dogfood certainly makes feeding time easyer,lol

 

[richardsc]

oh for the fans of blueys
www.bluetongueskinks.net
excellent website with the best care sheet on blueys

 

[Love_snakes]

moony1988- i posted a pic in my thread ...my new babies yay lol i am guessing eastern lol
is it normal for the baby blue tongues to not eat much at all?i chopped up carrot into tiny little cubes and they havnt touched it...well. the bowl is still full lol. any help would be helpful. yes i agree they are exciting! watching them run around the enclosure and yeah...everything else. I know just how you feel .

 

[Love_snakes]

i also agree they would be a great first pet ! lol but i already have a yearling coastal carpet python and a childreni. But the blueys have great friendly personalities !! very cute to.
Sarah.