blue tongue skinks

its ok i get it a lot on other forums:( it understandable though. kids like my cousin(who also has a BP) sets the bar so low. but for the record i would like to add that in the year and 1/2 that ive'd owned BP's not one of them has ever got any disease, off-fed, any type of parasite(internal or external), or any other disorder. dont judge a book by its cover(espescially on the internet;) )

Mr Python, a blue toungue skink can be a great addition to your collection. I would just remember to (I think someone already mentioned this) give them a good varied diet. We keep our female in a forty gallon breeder and she does just fine. She has it nice and hot with good basking spots and a nice substrate to dig in. She eats everything under the sun, and came to us from a good home (luckily)
She also receives uv lighting, and see's a vet every six months. We do use her for our educational shows and she has always proven herself worthy.
If you decide to go ahead with one just remember to tie in the costs of husbandry and vetting bills, and do your research as I see you are.
Let me know what you decide
Thanks
Rusty

We have a Northern Blue tounge and he is very easy to care for. You must be able to provide fresh food that you have to chop up at least everyother day. That is the hardest part. He likes to hiss a lot but has never tried to bite. We keep him in a 40 gallon breeder and that will be plenty of room.

Blueys are great beginner lizards as long as you can put in the required effort/care and expenses needed to care for them. www.bluetongueskinks.net is a great forum and has the best and most comphrehensive caresheet you'll ever find. You'll also find great breeders to buy from on there - which I highly recommend.

Best species for beginners would be the Northern, Eastern or Irian Jaya as they all seem to be the most tame. They are also the easiest to find and are usually captive bred. 30" is an exaggeration as to the max size unless you are talking about a Merauke. The Meraukes (not as easy to find) are the largest reaching possible lengths up to 28". I haven't measured my Merauke in some time so now I'm interested to see how long he is.

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Originally Posted by Tigergenesis

Blueys are great beginner lizards as long as you can put in the required effort/care and expenses needed to care for them. www.bluetongueskinks.net is a great forum and has the best and most comphrehensive caresheet you'll ever find. You'll also find great breeders to buy from on there - which I highly recommend.

Best species for beginners would be the Northern, Eastern or Irian Jaya as they all seem to be the most tame. They are also the easiest to find and are usually captive bred. 30" is an exaggeration as to the max size unless you are talking about a Merauke. The Meraukes (not as easy to find) are the largest reaching possible lengths up to 28". I haven't measured my Merauke in some time so now I'm interested to see how long he is.

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Great info, I didn't realise you had bts, or so many for that matter...
Great info on the lengths..
Rusty

Yeah, I'm a little addicted to them. I've certainly found my favorite herp species! Some of my cuties are even featured in the calendar put together and sold by the members on www.bluetongueskinks.net

If I didn't have so many snakes I'd get more blueys!

Here's a link to the calendar if any fellow bluey lovers are interested: http://www.cafepress.com/bluetongueskink.40522121

You can view the pages. We held a contest each month with various themes and the winner along with second and third place were featured on that month's pages. My Kei made the March page (bottom left), my youngest Irian Jaya is in the big group pic on June's page and my Tanimbar made the September page (bottom right).

*ahem*

Blue Tongue Skinks are the GREATEST!!! :banana::banana:

Ok, with that out of my system. :) BTSs are wonderful lizards that do get kinda big but not unmanageable. Give an adult bluey as much Floor space in a cage as you possibly can. Height doesn't really need to be more than 12-18", but the length and width should be as much as possible.
The three species mentioned are great beginners, as they don't get huge and stay relatively calm. But do recall, as has been said many times, that they need a varied diet that includes fresh fruits and greens. That can mean frozen, as long as it's good quality, but that does NOT mean refused or soft/moldy. (I know someone who did that...)

Read up on the caresheets on bluetongueskinks.net, which is a great site, and see if you have the time, space, and means to care for a bluey. :)

And if you get one... I hate you. ;):D I've always wanted one since I worked with them at the zoo...

I love my BTS! He is the coolest little dude. I think that their care is easier than say...a Beardie but not as easy as say......a leopard Gecko. As long as you can provide the proper diet and have a bit of room for a cage then go for it:) When he is not out he is really not out. Right now his tank looks like it does not even have an animal in it....but if you look closely you will usually see something like this......
http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/j...current=H1.jpg

2 years old since the last post and 3 years since it was started..LOL. But I agree, BTS are awesome!:D