Blue Tongue Skink diet?

[neubauer geckos]

So I finally broke down and got a young BTS.He/She is about 7 inches.I am still confused on the diet that I should be feeding it.I read they are mostly herborous(spelling?),but are still carnivorous.Is this true.I just got him yesterday,and have only offered crickets and lettuce.He's in a 20 long for now with pothos plants growing.He is very active,and destroys crickets,but hasn't touched the letuce.I have heard something Bout feeding ground turkey for the meat portion.How could I do that?I thought you fed them like. Bearded(many sites said this),but after looking last night l,it seams as if this is untrue.Any help as to what to feed this facinating little critter is extremely helpful.Thanks!

PS.I thought I had done all my research prioryo the purchase,but did more last night and am now starting to think otherwise.

 

[DragonBeards]

Any information I could give you would be better stated in the link below. This is where I got the majority of my information. Its a highly detailed caresheet, and I recommend it to anyone (the corresponding forum is also very helpful).

http://www.bluetongueskinks.net/care.htm


Good luck on your new addition!

Dragonbeards

 

[fuzzylogix]

i have been feeding my blue tongues ground turkey, scrambled eggs, mixed greens, superworms, dubia, and high protein all natural cat food

 

[neubauer geckos]

i have been feeding my blue tongues ground turkey, scrambled eggs, mixed greens, superworms, dubia, and high protein all natural cat food

How do you prepare the ground turkey?I read on BTSs.net you boil it,is that what you do?And how often should I feed greens and meats?Thanks!

 

[DragonBeards]

How do you prepare the ground turkey?I read on BTSs.net you boil it,is that what you do?And how often should I feed greens and meats?Thanks!

Yes, boil it. That is how I prepare chicken when I give it to my BTS (most of the time its high quality dog food) and he seems to really like it. Greens and meats (or dog food/cat food for younger skinks) should be fed every feeding. I feed mine twice a week, although some feed theirs once a week and are still fine. Since yours is still young though, I recommend more frequent. Maybe every other day.

 

[neubauer geckos]

What brand of dog food.

 

[DragonBeards]

High quality stuff. No fillers, and not a lot of ingredients you can't pronounce. Organic is probably best. I use IAMS, I have also heard of using Merrick and other such brands. Make sure its high quality stuff and not just the cheapest you can find and you should be fine.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Any information I could give you would be better stated in the link below. This is where I got the majority of my information. Its a highly detailed caresheet, and I recommend it to anyone (the corresponding forum is also very helpful).

http://www.bluetongueskinks.net/care.htm


Good luck on your new addition!

Dragonbeards

This is an excellent website. There's a full dietary section as well as something you can print out. My BTS's fave food is thanksgiving turkey. I buy rotisserie chickens and give her the inside meats without seasonings. Veggies are always a struggle so I hide them in turkey gravy or scrambled eggs. Never used any dog or cat foods, just planned on cooking a little for her

 

[prettyinpink]

i have been feeding my blue tongues ground turkey, scrambled eggs, mixed greens, superworms, dubia, and high protein all natural cat food

*cough* spoiled!!!

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Oh and she was on a superworm kick for a while too.

 

[neubauer geckos]

High quality stuff. No fillers, and not a lot of ingredients you can't pronounce. Organic is probably best. I use IAMS, I have also heard of using Merrick and other such brands. Make sure its high quality stuff and not just the cheapest you can find and you should be fine.

Can you give me the exact name of te dog food you use?I want to make sure I don't give him something bad.

And thanks to all who helped.Me and Frank(or Francesca if it turns out to be female), are definately benefitting from this!I've found he/she loves super worms.He makes sure to crunch the head before swallowing.It's pretty funny.He also love apple sauce,and I got him a mango and some kiwi for his fruit portion.He isn't to keen on veggies,but he does still eat them after a while.Thank you all for helping me care for this facinating little critter!

 

[DragonBeards]

I use IAMS

 

[Dron2124]

if ur talking about dog food the best highist quitily is blue buffalo. its 2 dollars a can at petsmart.

 

[Dog Shrink]

if ur talking about dog food the best highist quitily is blue buffalo. its 2 dollars a can at petsmart.

I have to disagree. Biljak and eaglepack are both better than blue and also sold at petsmart. Canidae is also great as well as taste of the wild, innova, wellness, and Halo... all high quality and readily available. It all depends on what you're looking for nutritionally. A food with higher protein, lower fat, higher veggie content, etc. If I knew that I'd be better able to guide you to an appropriate high quality food. Imo blue buffalo is over priced, over advertised and under grade. Take 5 minutes to actually google search a lot of the ingredients on the dry food's label and you'll see it really is junk. Just like Iams, science diet, purina one and most of the other overly hyped mass advertised dog foods, plus the were ALL on the massive pet recalls of 2007 except for the brands I mentioned. I don't want to start a fight over dog food but this is one subject I DO actually know about extensively so I can actually help .

 

[M_surinamensis]

It all depends on what you're looking for nutritionally.

Which is really the biggest difficulty in using dog and cat food for lizards.

None of them are really formulated for use as a staple diet for BTS, then they vary by such significant amounts that utilizing any of them at all can be... problematic. "I feed X amount of brand/product Y, Z times a week." is slightly more helpful if it is adjusted based on the size and age of the skink, but even then it always comes down to the same thing it comes down to with most omnivorous lizards that are willing to eat something with the consistency of paste- avoiding the most egregiously bad things and carefully monitoring each animal as an individual.

I don't like using any dog or cat food for them myself but I understand why lots of people do. If you're inclined to, then be selective. Check the ingredients and nutritional information carefully and and always regard it as supplementary, something to be mixed into a balanced diet or used from time to time as a backup if the roach colony decides to be inconvenient in its breeding cycles. Always watch the weight of the skink, obesity in captivity isn't uncommon, take them for regular veterinary checkups to monitor kidney and liver function.

Relative to the nutritional needs and natural diet of a blue tongue skink, dog and cat food is like a Wendy's Quadruple Baconator* fine to eat once in awhile** but not the sort of thing that should be had every day.


*the most calories, fat and sodium of any fast food menu item in the U.S., the equivalent of something like four and a half of those KFC things with no bun.

**I am a metabolic mutant and moderation doesn't apply to me. Almost everyone else though.

 

[Dog Shrink]

Which is really the biggest difficulty in using dog and cat food for lizards.

None of them are really formulated for use as a staple diet for BTS, then they vary by such significant amounts that utilizing any of them at all can be... problematic. "I feed X amount of brand/product Y, Z times a week." is slightly more helpful if it is adjusted based on the size and age of the skink, but even then it always comes down to the same thing it comes down to with most omnivorous lizards that are willing to eat something with the consistency of paste- avoiding the most egregiously bad things and carefully monitoring each animal as an individual.

I'm sure none of them are because it's for a bts not a dog, But knowing what nutritional requirements a bts does have is relivance tho because if I know x protein to x fats plus to x fiber plus or minus phospherous calcium or other vit. suppliments there is a dog food out there esp. canned that will meet those criteria; so at least when you DO decide to give your bts that Wendy's, at least it'll be the nutritionally geared junkfood he can have relitive to his nutritional needs. If I know the parameters of nutritional values and ingredients desired I can most likely find the food.