Blue Tongue care
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Auguriim
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You need a 120x45x45cm enclosure MINIMUM for an adult however people are now pushing for 120x60x60cm as the new minimum. bigger is always better. You can get a smaller one for a baby and upgrade later or put them in the adult enclosure right away. They must be kept alone, they don’t need friends. Cohabbing can be possible but should really only be done by more experienced keepers with lots of space. If done wrong it can have horrible results with either a seriously maimed or dead lizard.
You also need a heat lamp, wattage depends on your enclosure’s type, glass tanks or any mesh topped enclosure you need a 75, 100 or 150w lamp. Fully enclosed wood or PVC tanks would need at least a 50-60w lamp because they hold heat better. Make sure the lamp produces a white/yellowish hue, no red lights. The surface directly under the lamp which is the basking spot should be around 37-42’C. Ambient hot side temp: 32-35’C and cool end should be 21-26’C. I recommend using digital thermometers or a temperature gun to accurately read the temperatures.
Many places say nighttime temps shouldn’t fall below 18’C. If you’re getting a eastern or blotched they can handle cooler temps so you shouldn’t worry about it. Having a night lamp or any extra heating at night is unnecessary. Remember the wild gets colder than your house even in winter.
Make sure your heating is plugged into a thermostat.
UVB is a touchy subject though many say they don’t need it and they can thrive without it. i personally think they should need it. All 3 of my blueys have UVB and they are much more active than they were without it. I recommend getting the tube UVB instead of the coily ones. They are more expensive but they last longer and have better results. I never really noticed any difference when I used a coil globe once. If you do opt for UVB use a 5.0 or a 6-7% rating. The brand I highly recommend is Arcadia. Make sure it’s close to the heat lamp, not away from it. It’s so they can absorb both heat and UV at once just like natural sunlight. They can’t properly create D3 without heat.
For bedding just get a big bag of euci mulch or sugar cane mulch from bunnings. MUCH cheaper than what the pet shop sells. I use both and they‘re safe. The sugar cane mulch lasts ages, one downside is that it’s incredibly dusty so wear a mask when you’re adding it or cleaning it out. Blue tongues like to burrow so they need plenty of bedding to bury themselves into.
For cage decor you need at least 2-3 hides, a flat rock or other surface under the heat lamp that’s large enough for the lizard to stretch out or curl up while basking, a water bowl and as many plants and foliage you can get. You can do fake plants or grab some eucalyptus branches, logs and leaves from outside (make sure to either bake or soak them in boiling water first to kill unwanted bugs). Blueys need plenty of enrichment and coverage to prevent stress and boredom.
They can eat basically anything, they can live off of wet dog food (must be high quality or grain free, some say raw is best), Dog food should have some dark leafy greens, veggies and sometimes fruit mixed in to balance out their omnivorous diet some more. They can eat insects like crickets, woodies, mealworms and snails.
Babies should eat once everyday, juveniles every 2-3 days and adults once or twice a week.
Give them tons of variety if you can, you can do this by rotating different brands of dog food or give them different greens, veggies etc. maybe give them some eggs. There’s many different options for these guys. Avoid feeding them iceberg lettuce, rhubarb, onions, avocado, eggplants, most human foods and insects caught outside.
Supplement with calcium every 3rd feeding or once a month. If you don’t use UVB you should give them calcium + D3. Multivitamins can also be offered once a month but isn’t really necessary because dog food is already fortified with vitamins and minerals.
Humidity should range anywhere between 30-50% (for easterns/blotchies), occasional spikes of 80% is normal and safe as long as it drops quickly. Prolonged exposure to high humidity can cause respiratory infection. To read the humidity you need to get a digital hygrometer, or a combometer (also reads the temperature) and place it in the cool end of the enclosure where the humidity would be at its highest.
Keep in mind these guys can live 20-30 years maybe even 40. If you don’t think you can commit to caring for a lizard for this long I recommend getting a much older lizard instead of a baby or a different species that doesn’t live as long.
You also need a heat lamp, wattage depends on your enclosure’s type, glass tanks or any mesh topped enclosure you need a 75, 100 or 150w lamp. Fully enclosed wood or PVC tanks would need at least a 50-60w lamp because they hold heat better. Make sure the lamp produces a white/yellowish hue, no red lights. The surface directly under the lamp which is the basking spot should be around 37-42’C. Ambient hot side temp: 32-35’C and cool end should be 21-26’C. I recommend using digital thermometers or a temperature gun to accurately read the temperatures.
Many places say nighttime temps shouldn’t fall below 18’C. If you’re getting a eastern or blotched they can handle cooler temps so you shouldn’t worry about it. Having a night lamp or any extra heating at night is unnecessary. Remember the wild gets colder than your house even in winter.
Make sure your heating is plugged into a thermostat.
UVB is a touchy subject though many say they don’t need it and they can thrive without it. i personally think they should need it. All 3 of my blueys have UVB and they are much more active than they were without it. I recommend getting the tube UVB instead of the coily ones. They are more expensive but they last longer and have better results. I never really noticed any difference when I used a coil globe once. If you do opt for UVB use a 5.0 or a 6-7% rating. The brand I highly recommend is Arcadia. Make sure it’s close to the heat lamp, not away from it. It’s so they can absorb both heat and UV at once just like natural sunlight. They can’t properly create D3 without heat.
For bedding just get a big bag of euci mulch or sugar cane mulch from bunnings. MUCH cheaper than what the pet shop sells. I use both and they‘re safe. The sugar cane mulch lasts ages, one downside is that it’s incredibly dusty so wear a mask when you’re adding it or cleaning it out. Blue tongues like to burrow so they need plenty of bedding to bury themselves into.
For cage decor you need at least 2-3 hides, a flat rock or other surface under the heat lamp that’s large enough for the lizard to stretch out or curl up while basking, a water bowl and as many plants and foliage you can get. You can do fake plants or grab some eucalyptus branches, logs and leaves from outside (make sure to either bake or soak them in boiling water first to kill unwanted bugs). Blueys need plenty of enrichment and coverage to prevent stress and boredom.
They can eat basically anything, they can live off of wet dog food (must be high quality or grain free, some say raw is best), Dog food should have some dark leafy greens, veggies and sometimes fruit mixed in to balance out their omnivorous diet some more. They can eat insects like crickets, woodies, mealworms and snails.
Babies should eat once everyday, juveniles every 2-3 days and adults once or twice a week.
Give them tons of variety if you can, you can do this by rotating different brands of dog food or give them different greens, veggies etc. maybe give them some eggs. There’s many different options for these guys. Avoid feeding them iceberg lettuce, rhubarb, onions, avocado, eggplants, most human foods and insects caught outside.
Supplement with calcium every 3rd feeding or once a month. If you don’t use UVB you should give them calcium + D3. Multivitamins can also be offered once a month but isn’t really necessary because dog food is already fortified with vitamins and minerals.
Humidity should range anywhere between 30-50% (for easterns/blotchies), occasional spikes of 80% is normal and safe as long as it drops quickly. Prolonged exposure to high humidity can cause respiratory infection. To read the humidity you need to get a digital hygrometer, or a combometer (also reads the temperature) and place it in the cool end of the enclosure where the humidity would be at its highest.
Keep in mind these guys can live 20-30 years maybe even 40. If you don’t think you can commit to caring for a lizard for this long I recommend getting a much older lizard instead of a baby or a different species that doesn’t live as long.
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