What I Wish I Knew BEFORE Getting A Blue Tongue Skink
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- Good Morning, Reptilians! This week, we're talking all about blue tongue skinks, and what I wish I knew before I got one. Also, "Halmahera" not "Himalaya". That is all.
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0:00 Intro
1:00 Know The Type
3:23 Shedding
3:53 Diet Options
5:00 Tank Size
5:42 Substrates
6:25 Burrow-Proof The Tank
7:08 They Aren't Climbers
7:50 UVB Lighting
8:47 Enrichment
9:39 Can Be Grumpy
10:27 Outro
10:39 Sponsor - LoveSkinks.com
12:28 Shoutouts
12:59 Bloopers
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Although I have a few reptiles, I am in no way a reptile expert. I just research a whole bunch and make videos. Please always do lots and lots of research before getting any pet! :)
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#BlueTongueSkink #WhatIWishIKnew #NewBlueTongueSkink
*I'm not sure why I kept said Himalayan..... HALMAHERA.... halmahera 😅
I laughed when you said that the first time 😂 We just adopted a Halmahera who is wild caught and she is doing great so far but not does she NOT like us yet. All of our reptiles are rescued/rehomed to us since there is SUCH a huge need, wish pet stores didn't sell animals, they only need to sell supplies!
@@Lroselovely88 🤣 I didn't even catch it until someone pointed it out to me, and had to go back and watch the video, just to see that yes, I did in fact say "Himalaya" several times 🥲
But yea, working with trust in a wild caught anything tends to be a bit more difficult. I hope all goes well with her! ♥️
Hahaha I thought there was a new type of species I hadn't heard of!!!
i have a baby merauke blue tongue skink
I was so confused, I was like why would a Himalayan Skink need 90% humidity?!
I'll probably never get a blue tongue but that won't stop me from watching this and learning how to care for my imaginary blue tongue skink
😂 well I'm glad I could help with your imaginary blue tongue skink!
Saaame
I got a northern blue tongue skink (my first reptile) a month ago and here is everything I wish I'd known. 💙
1. How challenging it would be to perfect the temperature gradient/humidity in his vivarium. I didn't test out the lighting beforehand and for his first week I was constantly changing things in his home to decrease humidity and make the cold side colder. I wish I had tested out the heat lamp months before I brought him home.
2. Just how much they love to burrow! I thought 20L of substrate would be enough... boyyy was I wrong. He has 40L now and I'm still adding leaf litter to give him more burrowing opportunities. These guys needs a lot of enrichment.
3. Normal skink behaviour. His first few weeks with me were sooo stressful because I didn't know what signs of stress looked like in skinks. I thought he was unhappy but it turns out he was just exploring and trying to engage with me.
4. How much they mess up their enclosure on a daily basis. In my opinion these are not low maintenance pets. My guy is constantly trashing everything, climbing, burying his hydrometers... not to mention he demands to be let out every morning like an entitled toddler. The emotional labour is higher than my cats, honestly. 😂
5. How much they sleep. I was worried about how much he napped but it turns out skinks are just Like That, especially when they're young. Also how much they sneeze!! I know now it's to get dirt out their nose. It freaked me out at first.
For shy youngsters, it can also help to put their food dishes under a covered area. I have one that’s scared to eat out in the open. I placed its food dish under a cork “bridge” where it’s almost completely hidden. It eats great now!! Bluey Buffet is definitely the favorite.
Great advice! 😊
Ok, as an Australian person, I can tell you right now their are blue tongue skink species all across Australia and we are a BIG continent and the humidity DOES VARY check where your BTS is from!!! One from central Australia will need less humidity than the Very very humid tropical coast. My skink is native to the north east coast where I live and we have a 60% humidity when it's hot because that is the humidity in his natural habitat!
I'm about to adopt a 13 year old Blue tongue skink who spent most of his life in an abusive home and is missing all of his toes. I'm so glad I can give him a good happy home for the last few years of his life
I hope he is doing well and is happy!
I made a humid hide box just in case they might like it for my two youngsters. My humidity is on point. Doesn’t matter. They both love their humid boxes and no problems with shedding. I have a Halmahera and a Northern.
I think I might try giving him a humid hide when I redo his tank soon. His humidity is good, but he might like the option, too 🤔
@@ellesreptiles My Halmahera is always in his or hers or buried. I like it because it also gives them another substrate option as well.
"Give them variety." YES! Such great advice generally.
Blue tongues have so much attitude. I get them in my garden and they are more tenacious and bites than the venomous snakes that are around. I still pick them up to get a photo though very exciting when you get a bunch of new youngsters around the place. Good to know the wild population locally is healthy. Growing up these were great pets in Australia. The most common species can be had for less than 100USD and we used to just take them outside in a chicken run for a few hours each day for their enrichment and UV. Eastern blue tongues are the most hardy species they have a large temperature and humidity range and can bromate during the winter. Parts of Australia where they live get close to or below zero in winter so don't stress about them getting cold. As long as they can burrow you can let their enclosure get pretty cold in winter and only feed and water them a bit. Or you don't have to as the same species goes all the way up to the subtropics.
Where I live it gets to just above freezing for a month then gets as hot as 40degrees C which I think is about 100F in summer and Eastern blue tongues are the second most commonly seen skink in the area.
Also Eastern blue tongues will tolerate each other pretty well compared to other species, especially when young. It's not unusual to see them in groups of 2 or more in your garden and I had 3 in a 4 ft tank growing up and they were fine with the outside enrichment. It's common for breeders here to have a dozen babies in the same enclosure
I know that's controversial in the states but even sanctuaries here often have multiple lizards together without issue.
Your bloopers are so relatable lol. Awesome video! I actually put off getting a blue tongue for a while because of my research. I am not quite ready as a keeper to dive into that quite yet. Some day :) its quite overwhelming and alot of the points you covered are shy I put it off. I love that you covered the variety of species of indonesians and that most pet stores dont know what they have. And the food omg the variationa in diet and aome peoole are juat really "no you HAVE to feed this for it to be healthy". Personally varied diets ia my favoeite part of reptiles like beardies I love aeeing how mine reacts to new foods or ones ahe doesnt get often. Really informative video thank you for all you do!
That's so great though that you researched and then decided to wait, since so many people make the mistake of diving right in and regretting it. 🥰
I see so many people on Reddit who get a skink then research their new pet. I always give this video to get them started on their research. Thanks for such a great vid!
Totally agree with you about tank size - I keep my merauke blue tongue skink in a 6ft tank and she makes use of all the space! She is constantly burrowing and rearranging things haha. She is also very grumpy at times but I love that she has such a big personality. I remember when I first got her as a baby it took me about a month of daily handling before she stopped pooping/peeing on me - persistence is key (hand feeding also helped to build a good relationship but watch those fingers!)!
This is such a phenomenal video! I’ve been watching as many videos on skinks as I can in prep to get one, and I can’t say enough about this advice! I am so glad you are sharing valuable information to new pet owners!
I'm so glad it was helpful! Also, it's amazing that you're doing a bunch a research first ♥️
1. Such great info.
2. Love his little skink bowl!
3. You can see the genuine love you have for the animals. Such a great video!
Happy New Year's Elle!! Looking forward to more amazing videos in 2022!!
Happy New Year! 🎉
@@ellesreptiles thank you 😊
Happy to see someone sponsored by a rescue!!
great video! blue tongue skinks are def on my list of dream reptiles, but I need a bigger place so I can have room for a 6 foot enclosure first
They were on my dream reptile list for such a long time before I finally got one. I think he was worth the wait 😊
This is gonna help sm! As I'm getting my first blue tongue (first reptile too!) in a week! Im so excited to meet them and grow with them ^^ 💛
Hey there! I hope your skink is going well. I’m getting my first blue tongue in a month! :)
Getting my first in the next couple days, hope both of yours are doing great
I love his name, Morty. I noticed your Rick on the top of his enclosure. That's awesome! Happy New Year!!!
Haha thanks! Happy New Year! 🎉
My balls name is Morty lol because he is the most timid and shy guy I've ever seen 😂
I Love Elle's Reptiles So Much!!!!!!!! You Have Been So Helpful With Your Videos!!!!! Thank You For Doing All Of Them!!!!!! :)
🥰 thank you so much! You're amazing for watching the videos! ♥️
I'm in nc. I wish i knew about that rescue before!
I am getting a female northern BTS! I just got the tank today! I am so so very excited!
I love your videos on blue tongue skink so I think they’re really helpful
🎉
Don't know if I'll ever own a BTS but this was a very great source of information. Great job!
Glad it could (potentially) be helpful! 🥰
This was so helpfull thank you !!!!!
I wish i knew how easy they were to care for honesty. I stressed myself out a lot with the care and made sure everything was 10000% perfect for my skink. Not that his care has decreased but ive come to learn very quickly about how hardy they are as pets
They are definitely very hardy. 💜
Awesome video Elle Thanks for the Head's up if I get a Blue Tongue Skink I always wanted to get one they are very cool but I have to be careful it won't be fun getting bit have a great day
Haha it isn't fun getting bit, but it's not that bad. I hope you have a great day too! 😊
i’m researching for the one i’m buying myself for christmas, and im going through every website and video i can find
Love that! 😊
I thought about getting one so like this video is very helpful ☺️
So glad it was helpful! 🥰
Hi Elle! Happy New Year!! Awesome video I love your blue tongue skink content. By Himalayan did you mean Halmahera? Anyway I also keep blue tongues, I personally have a mating pair of Irian Jaya's, a Merauke and recently I was given a Tanimbar. However the Tanimbar has only interest in eating raw eggs and nothing else. I know it's not good in the longterm since at the moment I'll feed him an egg every 2-3 days (2/week) and I've asked other people too and their response was to try to mix the egg into different types of food (Wet dog food, dry dog food, Insects (yeah he won't even nibble on a superworm), etc) but instead he won't even touch the food at all. It has been a couple weeks and still theres no change in his appetite. Because of that l decided to move him to a 4' enclosure in hopes that maybe he will have a behaviour change and start eating varieties. It's only been a week at most but I would gladly appreciate any tips that may help him to eat other better foods. Thank You!
🤣 yes I did! And I'm usually so good at catching those mistakes while editing and putting corrections on screen. Thanks for pointing that out.
Mixing it would have been my first reaction too - that's how I get mine to eat veggies. I know you said you've already tried mixing it, but have you tried mixing only a tiny amount of wet food or Bluey Buffet, and then slowly increasing the amount? Or just putting the egg on top of other food, so maybe he'll accidently get bites of the other stuff here and there?
No worries 😂 I didn't think to try mixing it gradually, so I may try to do that and maybe try adding other bits to it too. Thanks for the tips appreciate it :)
Very interesting. I’m sticking with BP’s but I love learning about all reptiles!!🦎❤️🦎
Ball pythons are awesome 🥰
@@ellesreptiles I have 2 and I love them!!! Next, I want to get a Pied☺️
My blue tongue seems like someone painted a bearded dragon to look like a blue tongue. He LOVES to climb, very time I hold him he climbs up onto my shoulder if I let him. When he was in a quarantine tub with only paper towels and a hide (he had an injury that needed to be kept clean) he would climb up on his hide, and he would stand on his back feet and stretch up the side of the bin. He would then slowly fall down sideways. My boa also curls up like a ball python when she’s scared. She puts her coils over her head and then tries to slither away. And one of my prairie dogs sleeps belly up, on his back, when the others curl up like hedgehogs. My animals are broken lol 😂
Interesting
considering getting a 7 year old rescue female Ive found online, I absolutely adore these little guys
I have a 6×2×3 tank that my old beardie used to be in and I'd want to get a panel at the front so I can have loads and loads of substrate
nice vid, very informative.
Thank you! 😊
I'm getting a leopard gecko soon but i definitely want a blue tongued skink in the far future! Their scales look so smooth like a snake's, and i love their lil tongues. I like how chunky they are too.
I want a blue tongue skink so bad so this video helps
They're such awesome and active lizards 😊
My tegu is also grumpy when she goes into shead, I can't wait to get my 1st bts!
This isnt the point of the video, but I love hearing your accent. I'm from Arkansas and have a similar accent. Hearing someone with a similar accent to me makes me so happy, I dont know why. I just don't hear many people with accents like this online.
I have a northern blue tongue skink. His name is dobby. He is in a 6 x 2 enclosure. He loves raw eggs. They are great lizards.
I have been around blue tongued skinks for a good few months now in college and am thinking about getting one myself. Despite being around them, I am still nervous of messing something up when I do get it.
We have far too many snails in our temperate fish tank and I was wondering if I would be able to feed it those with some veggies as well?
Love the video but what should I do if the rocks won’t reach all the way down through the substrate? I mean there’s nothing insanely heavy but I’d rather not take the risk
Just caught one from the backyard, Snaps should feel safe knowing imma be prepared
My experience with my Irían Jaya is much the same. I offer live food and get a look like what do you want me to do with that lol. Have a great week.
Haha I hope you have a great week as well, and happy new year! 😊
I know this thread is very old, but any suggestions on planted tanks being that the borough so aggressively are they going to uproot plans if I don’t put them inside of pots?
You've helped so much with my knowledge because I'm gettin a bearded dragon called loki
I'm so glad I could help! 😊
@@ellesreptiles thank you
Awesome great pets animals reptiles. Happy New Year 2022
Happy New Year! 🎉
I want a scale puppy, but I feel like a more realistic first lizard is crested gecko territory.
I love your blooper reel. Skinks kind of have a grumpy old man look to them 😅, they're still cute though.
Haha yea they do! 😊
Question found one at my local pet store that sells reptiles birds and aquarium stuff? They have it for 100 each so what do I look for in choosing one since it’s most likely wild caught
Hi
I'm a Gardener from Australia and take care of a School where the Eastern blue tongues live. Why is it sometimes I saw many large ones active together and now Just one alone as if they vanished for weeks on end? Will they come back?
Cool man
Ok merci a vous 2
I’ve been considering blue tongue skinks recently, they’re cute af
i also want chameleons someday and im hoping that blue tongue skinks can be a good introductory expensive lizard lol
I love blue tongue skinks fun to watch just not sure I will ever own one but never say never. I would like to get a uromastix again they are fun to watch and the ones I had mellow personalitys. I so enjoy learning from your videos. Will check out Love Skinks rescue for merch.
GOD BLESS 🦎❤🦎❤🦎❤🦎❤
Uromastyx are so interesting and cool looking. 😍
Happy New Year!
@@ellesreptiles
HAPPY NEW YEAR 😃
You info on reptisun replacement schedule is wrong. Says right on the packaging to replace after 12 months if they are on 10-12 hrs a day. I get closer to 18 months when testing the output with a uvb meter.
heyy! i have a simple question, my blue tongue skink is in a 4x2x2 enclosure pvc. but i’m gonna get him a 8x2x2, i’m wondering if he will be stressed since it’s big?
I am building a webpage for a homework and I would love to embed this video since I talk about bobtails as pets, do I have your permission to use it? Obviously I would propperly citate the video giving you the credit
Sure! 😊
Thanks for telling me this info because I’m gonna get a bearded dragon and after that I’m getting a blue tongue skink :D
Hey Elle, I am thinking of getting a blue tongue skink(as a baby) but I live in Belgium and I do not know which kind of skink I should pick. Im on a budget an can only place a 4ft tank(I can replace after few months)
Hi, it's completely up to you! 😊
I'm not sure what is available to you in Belgium, or what kind of breeding programs you have there, but I know here, Northern Blue Tongue Skinks are usually preferred, because they've been bred in captivity a long time and usually have the best temperaments. They're also a bit easier, because they don't have the higher humidity requirement.
But I personally prefer setting up tanks with higher humidity requirements, so I went with Irian Jaya BTS - he has a bit of an attitude, but it's ok 😅
@@ellesreptiles The humitidy changes alot here in belgium sometimes its 82 and sometimes 40, i do think an indonesian is better for me since its affortable and they are sold here.
i house three blotched blue tongue lizards in one indoor enclosure.
two of them were born in captivity and have shared their whole life (even before i got them) and the third i've had with them for a year, ive had the first two for just under 3 years and the third just over a year and never had any issues.
but recently i have been reading up on shared housing and EVERYTHING says not to do it..
but i don't really have room to seperate them, is it irresponsible of me to continue keeping them together?
should i work out how to split them up? the last thing i want is for them to be unsafe...
again, i haven't had any issues yet
I decided to get a pink tongue skink over a blue tongue after doing research (but I love all skinks) and she is the pickiest eater ever. Not saying all blue tongues like all foods but I feel like from what I've seen they are pretty much little bottomless pits. I love my pink tongue but boy is she challenging to feed. I've always been a picky eater myself so I guess I'm getting a taste of what everyone has had to put up with me all these years lol. I can say however that she's never tried to bite me so that's a plus 😁💚
Vous les sauver je pense ❤
You have probably mentioned this is in other videos but what enclosure is that that he's in?
It's the 6x2 tank from Custom Reptile Habitats 😊
With the UVB lighting, do I turn it off at night or leave it on?
I don’t own one yet but I believe you turn them off. Leave them on for 10-12 hours through the day
Is a 55gal breeder tank a good size tank ?
Okay, so I am trying to get a BTS but lots of people say at least a 75 gallon tank but those are so expensive and I want the BTS to be comfortable so is a 50 or 60 gallon tank alright (Northern BTS)
I’d really try to do 75, you’re already investing in the skink so you might as well spend a little extra money so they’re extra comfortable. A 50-60 only gives them like a foot or so of room to move and they’re like 25 inches long
C est bien d aimer ces reptiles bravo avous❤z
Morty? XD I love it!!!!
Haha thanks! 🥰
My Blue Tongue Skink POOPS ofc, but he WALKS on it and then keeps looking at me😂😂 then I take him in a bath and he just vibing
I'd love to get a blue tongued skink of my own, and unfortunately I feel I'd have to get an Indonesian one if I did.
I know there's more risks and it's more likely you'll get a wild caught animal, but it's incredibly humid where I live, and the Aussies don't like that
Here’s another thing, there monogamous, they mate for life, and when one dies, the other will stay with the dead one for a while,I also found a baby skink in my back yard a few weeks ago while mowing the grass, lucky I saw it, held it for a while and put it back where I found it.
My name is elle!!!
My skink thinks he is a climber…. He really just tries to climb everything lol Also he does get grumpy!!! Sometimes he is a little angel but he is crazy grouchy sometimes! It’s a thing, and I swear shedding is a part of it.
I love you
♥️
I have 2 blue tongues skink my baby one is called onions and my sister's fully grown one is called littlelittle
Haha great names 🥰
I recently got a Blue tongue skink, shes super sweet... but all I was told is she is a morph skink. If anyone has any tips/know what she is that would be awesome cause Im a little worried about the humidity!
Here's an article with the types of bts and if you click "description" on each one, it shows pictures so you can compare yours. Hopefully that helps you figure out what yours is! 😊
susannburt.wixsite.com/btsspecies
@@ellesreptiles I appreciate it! I will have to take a look
👍😁
Hii
Hi 😊
My meruake blue tongue decided to poop on my couch while we watched this together. Still a great video tho
I think I’m siding with a BTS over a bearded dragon now. I see people are more than happy taking their beardie out with them but what are the blue tongues like for going out? Let’s say a half an hour trip.. maybe just to sneak it into my granny’s house so she freaks out? 🤷🏼♂️
Norborne are fungi
Blue tongue skink
I'm probably going to just use a 20 gallon tank because I really don't want to spend the extra money and I already have one... I hope that's good enough? Maybe toys or outdoor time can make up for it?? I'm in upstate New York but it's summer so...?
A 20 gallon really really isn't big enough. Blue Tongue Skinks can get up to 24", and a 20 gallon tank is only 24" or 30" (depending on if you get the tall or long version). That means your BTS won't even have room to turn around. ☹️
@@ellesreptiles yeah, I've done a bit more research since then and I think I'll get a 40 gallon breeder tank, since I don't have that much room. Maybe if I get a juvenile it can be in the 20 gallon temporarily.
They not climbers, they cute potatoes
I'm always concerned when buying an animal that might have been wild-caught that it is adversely affecting wild populations. Is this a problem for BTS? Are there not viable captive bred populations yet? Animal "trafficking" for other wild caught species seems pretty horrific all around.
Yes, that is one of the huge issues with wild caught animals. Australian BTS are all captive bred here in the United States. As for other species, there are many breeders of captive bred animals (mine is captive bred), but they are definitely no where near as easy to find as things like beardies and leopard geckos. And with many people not knowing the dangers/damages of wild caught animals, or not wanting to wait to find captive bred animals, it definitely can be a problem. Hopefully as the hobby continues to grow, and as information becomes more accessible, the issue of wild caught animals will slowly start to resolve. 🤞🏽
I wonder how much that “rescue” paid them. Not actually being a registered charitable organisation and having to accept “donations” via Patreon sounds suspicious. I keep seeing them on Instagram asking people to send them their skinks for free. You even have to pay a fee for them to take the animal in.
The merchandise you see in this video (t-shirts, stickers, magnets) is what I got paid. The only sponsorships I do on this channel are companies that I personally believe in and/or personally use their products (I turn down sponsorships daily, which is why you'll usually see the same ones on my channel). I rarely get "paid" monetary amounts for anything, and if I do, it's never more than $50.
With that being said, I did this sponsorship because I like the company. The owners are super sweet and care so much about the animals they help. They accept donations on Patreon and merch sales, so that the person donating is also getting something out of that donation (merch, extra content, etc).
As far as you keep seeing them on ig... I'm not sure what you're talking about there. I follow both of their accounts and haven't seen anything other than pictures/videos of skinks or asking you to send pictures of your skinks to be featured on their second page - I just doubled checked and still don't see anything other than them now selling zen habitats with the profits going to the animals. Maybe there was a story of them currently waving intake fees? Or maybe a story about them now accepting animal shipments, because they had stopped due to the weather?
As for an intake fee, yes they do sometimes charge an intake fee to help with the costs of animal rehabilitation. Often, the animals they take in are sick, so for many people, that intake fee is a better option than paying hundreds of dollars in medical bills.
Obviously no one can make everyone happy, and that's ok! ♥️ We're all different and unique people. I just don't ever want anyone to think that my sponsorships are me being "paid off" - I just don't work that way.
You do realize that a lot of these rescues are out-of-pocket regarding expenses, it isn’t cheap and most people do it solely out of love for the animal. A lot of rescues go belly up due to lack of funds, which means no more help for the animals.
Great information! I love their cute little legs 😈
Haha yes! Their legs are the cutest. 🥰
I`m just blown away by your teeth. Are they even real?
Do you have snake's also i saw a carpet python in the beginning i love them also from. Australia 🦘🌏 they're very pretty i also like milk 🐍 snakes also
I do! I have 2 ball pythons, a corn snake, a king snake, and a hognose. Love snakes! 🥰