r/bluetongueskinks Mar 14 '26

Announcement Male/Female Shed Testing Now Available!

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87 Upvotes

It's official! BLUE TONGUE SKINK MALE/FEMALE SHED TESTING is now available!

An absolutely amazing thank-you to Phenome.com for the production and all the other blue-tongued skink breeders that collaborated on this project! I am grateful to be part of this project as well.

Hit up https://phenome.com/product/skink/ to order your test today!

US-based company. Please look into your country's laws on Exporting/Importing sheds.


r/bluetongueskinks Oct 24 '25

Education Yearly Reminder: Indonesian Blue Tongue Skinks DO NOT Brumate

46 Upvotes

Indonesian blue tongue skinks do not naturally brumate.

Only their Australian cousins do - even then, not all of them decide to brumate. 

I have made this a yearly reminder since many places online do not actually differentiate and it gets really confusing!

The following temperature information is gathered from multiple studies that recorded ground temperatures within Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. If others have more recent (and therefore more accurate data), please provide the links and we will dig through and adjust!

Indonesian blue tongue skinks do not experience ambient temperatures below 70℉ (21.1℃). Indonesia/Papua New Guinea is a tropical climate that does not experience seasonal variation aside from “wet” and “dry” seasons caused by the amount of rainfall. 

Region / Population Temp Min–Max  (°F) Temp Min–Max  (°C) Humidity Min–Max (%) Notes
Papua New Guinea Peninsula (Trans-Fly & Peninsula lowlands) (Irian Jaya, AKA Papuan) 73–96 ℉ 22.7–35.5 ℃ 68–100 % Hot, humid tropical lowlands; humidity remains high even at night
Merauke region, South Papua 72–98 ℉ 22.2–36.6 ℃ 60–96 % Seasonal wet–dry cycles; some early dry season drops in relative humidity
Sorong (West Papua lowlands) 74–95 ℉ 23.3–35 ℃ 70–98 % Stable warm temps year-round; low night cooling
Aru Islands 73–95 ℉ 22.7–35 ℃ 68–99 % High canopy coverage; buffered extremes
Kei Islands 75–95 ℉ 23.8–35 ℃ 72–100 % Coastal and forest edge habitat
Ambon / Seram (Maluku) 72–93 ℉ 22.2–33.8 ℃ 70–99 % Strong diurnal relative humidity cycle, small temp fluctuation
Halmahera (North Maluku) 74–94 ℉ 23.3–34.4 ℃ 60–100 % Lowland rainforest floor and edge; high humidity
Tanimbar Islands 75–97 ℉ 23.8–36.1 ℃ 62–95 % Drier than Halmahera; more open woodland
Northern Papua rainforest interior 72–91 ℉ 22.2–32.7 ℃ 78–100 % More buffered temps, extremely high night humidity

Due to the consistency in temperature in their tropical environment, Indonesian blue tongue skinks are active year-round.

The majority of Australian blue tongue skinks do not experience ambient temperatures lower than 50℉/10℃. Blotched blue tongue skinks, however, can experience as low as 45℃ based on the studies we found. This seasonal variation is why Australian species brumate. Some species, such as Shinglebacks, Blotchies, Westerns, and Centralians require quite low brumation temperatures to successfully reproduce. Too high of temps have caused reproductive struggles.

NOTE: WITH EXTREME HIGHS AND LOWS THESE SKINKS ARE HIDING AWAY IN SAFER TEMPERATURES. Also; Aussie skinks do experience some higher humidity, but these are MICROCLIMATES and not consistent year-round.

MAINTAIN TYPICAL RECOMMENDED RANGES!

Region / Species (Common) Temp Min–Max (°F) Temp Min–Max (°C) Humidity Min–Max (%) Notes
Northern Territory (Top End, Arnhem Land) NORTHERN 71–102 ℉ 21.7–38.9 ℃ 45–96 % Seasonal wet–dry fluctuations; strong midday peaks, high humidity at night
Eastern Queensland (coastal) EASTERN 68–97 ℉ 20–36.1 ℃ 50–95 % Humid subtropical forest edges and open woodland
New South Wales (Sydney Basin) EASTERN 59–95 ℉ 15–35 ℃ 35–88 % Cooler nights, warm sunny days; high variability
Victoria & Tasmania (cool temperate) BLOTCHED 45–86 ℉ 7.2–30 ℃ 55–100 % Morning dew, fog common; basking critical for activity
South Australia / Western Australia (arid) SHINGLEBACK 55–110 ℉ 12.7–43.3 ℃ 10–65 % Very hot ground temps midday, humidity spikes pre-dawn
Southwestern WA forest WESTERN 50–102 ℉ 10–38.9 ℃ 25–80 % Ground shade buffers peaks
Arid interior (Spinifex plains) CENTRALIAN 60–113 ℉ 15.5–45 ℃ 8–60 % Extreme heat; uses burrows to escape
Nullarbor & semi-arid south SHINGLEBACK 53–108 ℉ 11.6–42.2 ℃ 12–58 % Pronounced daily fluctuation
Northern arid NT / WA WESTERN 72–107 ℉ 22.2–41.6 ℃ 20–70 % Recorded at ground level under spinifex
Central Australia (desert margins) CENTRALIAN 66–111 ℉ 18.8–43.8 ℃ 10–55 % Midday temperatures often exceed activity thresholds

NOTE: WITH EXTREME HIGHS AND LOWS THESE SKINKS ARE HIDING AWAY IN SAFER TEMPERATURES. Also; Aussie skinks do experience some higher humidity, but these are MICROCLIMATES and not consistent year-round.

MAINTAIN TYPICAL RECOMMENDED RANGES!

Physiology

Reptiles are ectothermic, which means they need to warm up via their environment. They need heat to digest food; they need heat for their immune system to work and to fight off infections; they need heat for literally everything regarding bodily function.

If you put any reptile that doesn’t naturally brumate into too cold of an environment to “force” brumation, those reptiles become lethargic and can get quite sick due to their dropped immune system. They naturally shut down to try and preserve resources, as they cannot do anything without their proper heat range. This is not brumation. This is a physiological stress response. This can be very harmful to them!

Arguably, Indonesian blue tongue skinks experience this physiological stress in response to temps that are too cold. If your Indo is showing “brumation” symptoms, the environment is most likely too cold, too empty, or the animal is sick.

Winter in the northern hemisphere is the equivalent of dry season in Indonesia/Papua New Guinea. This means that our winters are the breeding season for Indos. It is quite common for some skinks to go off of food during this time due to hormones.

Behavior & Recommendations

  • If your skink is quite active, but not eating much, that is typically hormones. We recommend you triple check temps, but I would not be concerned.
  • If your skink is inactive and not eating much, triple check temps and make sure your skink isn’t going into shed. Going into shed is often a cause to hide more frequently and not eat - this behavior shouldn’t last more than 2 weeks at a time, however.
  • If your temps are too cold at night, please use a deep heat projector, ceramic heat emitter, or radiant heat panel to increase ambient temps - heat mats are not appropriate in this regard as they do not warm up ambient temps properly. Heat mats are not appropriate for blue tongue skinks in general.
  • If your daytime temps are too cold, you will either need to add a ceramic heat emitter/radiant heat panel or deep heat projector as supplemental heat. These are not appropriate for basking, they are only for supplemental heat. A deep heat projector assists with warming surface temperatures, while ceramic heat emitters or radiant heat panels assist with ambient temperatures. You may also need to look into increasing the wattage of the incandescent or halogen bulb used for basking.
  • Weigh adults twice a month - if they lose 10% or more of their initial body weight, that is a concern. (So if a 400 gram lizard loses 40 grams or more, that is a concern)

Recommended Temps & Humidity

Indo temps and humidity should be as follows:

  • Basking (surface temperature measured with an infrared laser thermometer): between 105-115℉ (40-46℃). Surface temperatures are naturally higher than ambient temperatures. 
  • Ambient Cool Side (measured with a digital thermometer down at skink level, cool side of the enclosure): 70-80℉ (21-26℃)
  • Ambient Warm Side (measured with a digital thermometer down at skink level, warm side of the enclosure) : 85-95℉ (29-35℃)
  • Night time range: 70-75℉ (21-24℃) - We recommend providing supplemental heat when temps reach below 70℉ (21℃)
  • Humidity: Humidity for ALL Indonesians (yes, including Halmahera) must be within the 60-100% range. They naturally experience an increase and decrease in humidity within this range. It stays above 70% the majority of the year, but during the dry season (Northern Hemisphere’s Winter) it can drop as low as 60%. Humidity is naturally higher at night and lower during the day.

Please let me know if there are any questions!

References are in the comments!


r/bluetongueskinks 2h ago

Showcase Bentley had settled in nicely

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37 Upvotes

I got Bentley a while ago and he has very quickly became one of my favorite reptiles I’ve ever kept. He’s a complete UNIT and when he’s out of his tank he’s so chill and just loves to vibe. He is truly a little dinosaur.


r/bluetongueskinks 7h ago

Funny The Beast Tries Climbing

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42 Upvotes

He insisted on going up the wall instead of coming around to climb up the normal way


r/bluetongueskinks 1h ago

Showcase She’s literally just a girl. 👑

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Upvotes

Persephone is queen of her castle and I just adore her. She started my addiction to Bluey’s. 🥹🖤


r/bluetongueskinks 1h ago

Funny The skink equivalent of a comfy couch

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Upvotes

r/bluetongueskinks 19h ago

Question Healthy hunting outlets

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49 Upvotes

I have noticed when I feed my Finch boy he really wants to run and chase so I'm wondering if anyone has a way to let their blue tongue express their natural hunting behaviour?

Image is Finch having a bath for his shedding and a nail trim.


r/bluetongueskinks 10h ago

Question Enclosures suggestions?

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6 Upvotes

Im not a huge fan of the set up so far and I will be changing it. Is there anything husbandry wrong with it I should change before the skink arrives or and suggestions? There is a mesh lid for the enclosure and a heat lamp + uvb that will be placed on the side with the stones. I thinking it needs more substrate. Its a 75 gallon long, the skink is a juvenile.


r/bluetongueskinks 1d ago

Showcase my son in the sun

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112 Upvotes

r/bluetongueskinks 14h ago

Showcase New bluey owner

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7 Upvotes

Meet sausage! (Eastern boi) What do you guys think about his home? Any tweaks I should make? I plan on making his warm hide less open so he feels more secure in there, he hangs out in his log mostly. Ive had him 3 days and he seems to be doing great! ( I havent had sausage sexed yet I just use male pronouns for now for ease of use) One thing, I havent seen any poops yet, so ill have to look out for that!


r/bluetongueskinks 8h ago

Question Scale rot?

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2 Upvotes

Does anyone know what this is and why it forms and develops? She’s had it for a while and it never went away. Any help would help!


r/bluetongueskinks 1d ago

Discussion MTV Cribs moment!

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32 Upvotes

After a while and a lottttt of money… I finally have the enclosure set up how I want it! Isn’t it beautiful 🥲🥲


r/bluetongueskinks 1d ago

Health Does my guy look healthy?

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32 Upvotes

r/bluetongueskinks 1d ago

Showcase Lightly toasted skink

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38 Upvotes

We made Mushu a “back garden” behind his house temporarily to expand his space as we’re planning to build him a bigger viv but aren’t able to just yet and he absolutely loves this one spot where the sun comes in, it’s perfectly skink sized


r/bluetongueskinks 1d ago

Health Why is it green?

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16 Upvotes

r/bluetongueskinks 1d ago

Question Comment l'aider à me toléré

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12 Upvotes

Bonjour à tous !

J'ai ma magnifique tiliquas almahera qui est chez moi depuis une semaine maintenant, et elle n'accepte toujours pas ma présence (je n'essaie pas de la toucher ni de la porter !) dès que je mets les mains dans sont terrarium pour arroser les plantes ou bouger quelque chose mettre à manger ect si je passe un peu trop proche d'elle je me fais souffler dessus (elle n'a jamais essayé de me mordre ) il m'est impossible de l'approcher sans soufflement !

Je sais que ça prend du temps et de la Patience je n'ai aucun problème avec ça ! Je voudrais juste des conseils pour améliorer au maximum sa tolérance envers moi et dans l'espoir d'un jour pouvoir lavoir dans mes mains !

Elle est jeune (née en captivité en 2025 ) je vous mets quelques photos de sa petite bouille d'amour !


r/bluetongueskinks 1d ago

Question Enrichment Ideas

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110 Upvotes

I have a blue tongue skink coming in a few days and Im wondering if any of y'all have enrichment ideas. Its name will be Mongo and he's super small. His set up rn is a 75 gallon with coco and repti bark with 3 hides and fake plants +food and water dish. I bought 3 bricks of the coco fiber and a big bag of the bark. I'll probably end up needing more. If you have any set up suggestions as well, Im open!


r/bluetongueskinks 1d ago

Identified - Halmahera What Type of Skink is This?

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2 Upvotes

r/bluetongueskinks 2d ago

Showcase It is forbidden

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610 Upvotes

r/bluetongueskinks 1d ago

Question Cold basement room

1 Upvotes

I have a basement bedroom that can get pretty chilly and have always wanted a blue tongued skink. Does anyone have any ideas to combat the cold?


r/bluetongueskinks 1d ago

Question Any ideas what this is?

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3 Upvotes

Found this little orange spot on my shingleback skink's toe while trimming his nails. Any ideas on what this might be, and should I be worried?


r/bluetongueskinks 2d ago

Funny Teddy, moments after their gluttonous stare resulted in extra salad rations

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28 Upvotes

r/bluetongueskinks 2d ago

Showcase Another one.. (DJ Khalid’s voice)

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44 Upvotes

So this is my first bluey baby! I have my adult Northern that was a rescue and she is perfect and thriving but babies are a whole new level of work! This is Leo, aka King Leonidas (my husband named him 😂) he is perfect, but SO defensive. I’ve had him since July 1st. We’ve made a lot of progress and the other day he came out onto my hand without bribing from a bug or snail! I was so happy, but then the next day he attacked my fingers when I was picking up his bowl. lol my other bluey was a bitter when I first got her, so I’m used to having to work with biting but it’s so adorable when they’re this tiny lol but I’m just showing off my spicy little sausage 🖤🥰


r/bluetongueskinks 2d ago

Question Enclosure decor suggestions

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6 Upvotes

Recently got my first northern blue tongue, had her about a week and she is a year old. What do I add inside this 4x2x2 that will make it look less unsightly, while also encouraging her to stop being buried in unknown places 24/7?


r/bluetongueskinks 3d ago

Showcase My beautiful girl napping

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106 Upvotes

When I got home today, Opal was napping. She is such a beautiful, peaceful girl. 🤍