Blue-Tongued Skinks. David C. Wareham

      Blue-Tongued Skinks

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      i-5 PUBLISHING, LLC^TM

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      Dedication: To Nathan

      Copyright © 2014 by i-5 Publishing, LLC^TM

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of I-5 Press^TM, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

      LCCN: 96-183295

      ISBN-10: 1-882770-99-4

      ISBN-13: 978-1-882770-99-1

      eBook ISBN: 978-1-62008-073-3

      This book has been published with the intent to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter within. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the author and publisher expressly disclaim any responsibility for any errors, omissions, or adverse effects arising from the use or application of the information contained herein. The techniques and suggestions are used at the reader’s discretion and are not to be considered a substitute for veterinary care. If you suspect a medical problem, consult your veterinarian.

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      Introduction

      At one time almost completely ignored by lizard keepers, blue-tongued skinks (part of the genus Tiliqua), with their distinctive berry-blue tongues, have become extremely popular. While most blue-tongued species exhibit a certain amount of variability in both pattern and color, those with greater variability—the Eastern (T. s. scincoides) and Blotched (T. nigrolutea), for example—can fetch exceptionally high prices whenever they become available.

      Today, members of the blue-tongue family are generally considered the most popular, intelligent, and undemanding of pet lizards. Because they are slow moving (due to their short limbs), quickly tamed, and trustworthy in the presence of children, blue-tongued skinks are suitable for even first-time lizard keepers, both young and old. In addition, these reptiles only occasionally need live food, which is good news for those who don’t like the thought of having to bring crickets, roaches, and other insects into their homes.

      These interesting and relatively hardy lizards eat a variety of foods, are easy to maintain in very basic set-ups, and usually settle down quickly and live for many years in captivity, growing into medium-size, submissive, approachable, and clever pets. That said, you’ll need to take some simple measures right from the start if you want caring for your skink to be trouble-free.

      Whether you are an advanced keeper or a beginner, this book gives you all of the information you’ll need to care for and reproduce these wonderful reptiles

      1. The Blue-Tongued Skink Family

      Lizards, together with snakes, belong to an order of reptiles known as Squamata. On their own, lizards form the suborder Lacertilia (or Sauria), of which there are more than 4,480 species in some twenty families. They exist in greatest number and variety throughout the tropics, and they progressively lessen in number as you move farther away from the equator into the cooler temperate zones. The farther north you go, the fewer lizard species you’ll see. You’ll find just one, the European common or viviparous lizard (Zootoca vivipara), within the Arctic Circle.

      Lizards are incredible reptiles that vary tremendously in both size and form. One of the world’s smallest lizards, the Jaragua Sphaero (Sphaerodactylus ariasae), or dwarf gecko—discovered in 2001 on Beata Island off the southernmost point of the Dominican Republic—measures just 0.6 inches (16 mm) from its snout to the tip of its tail. At the other end of the spectrum, the giant Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) reaches almost 10 feet (3 m) in total length and can weigh up to 330 pounds (150 kg).

      Their astonishing and varied forms, vibrant and often cryptic colors and patterns, and fascinating and elaborate behavior place lizards among nature’s most beautiful and extraordinary creatures. It is therefore not surprising that they are the most frequently kept exotic animals, second only to tropical fish.

      The dwarf gecko (Sphaerodactylus ariasae) is one of the world’s smallest lizards.

      The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is one of the world’s largest lizards.

      Family Scincidae and Genus Tiliqua

      Classification

      Kingdom: Animalia

      Phylum: Chordata

      Class: Reptilia

      Order: Squamata

      Suborder: Lacertilia (Sauria)

      Infraorder: Scincomorpha

      Family: Scincidae

      Subfamily: Lygosominae

      Genus: Tiliqua (Gray, 1825)

      One of the most diverse—and possibly the largest—of all of the lizard families is the Scincidae, the skink family, with an estimated 1,400 species in approximately fifty genera. You’ll find them in the tropics and temperate zones throughout the world, with the greatest number occurring in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australasia. In fact, in some parts of the world—Australia especially—skinks outnumber all other lizard species.

      All skinks are somewhat similar in habits and appearance, the features of any one species being fairly characteristic of the majority—namely, a fairly elongated, cylindrical body narrowing toward a comparatively short, at times even stubby, tail; a broad, pointed head; relatively small and, in most cases, highly polished scales; and short limbs. In certain species, such as the Italian three-toed skink (Chalcides chalcides), the limbs are so exceptionally small that they border on being absurd. Going one step further, species such as Greece’s limbless skink (Ophiomorus punctatissimus) has, as its name suggests, no legs at all.

      The most prominent, although by no means biggest, skink genus is the Australasian Tiliqua. These are medium to large ground-foraging lizards—attaining lengths of up to 20 inches (50 cm) or more in some species—and include the familiar blue-tongued skinks. With the exception of the Adelaide, or Pygmy, blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua adelaidensis), which is for the most part a hunter of ground-dwelling crustaceans and invertebrates, all blue-tongued skinks are omnivorous, feeding on a wide range of foods from insects, gastropods, and small mammals to fruits, blossoms, and berries.

      About Blue-Tongued Skinks

      The