Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink Starter Buying Guide

A blue tongue skink enclosure should be large enough to allow for a proper thermoregulatory gradient and have opaque or covered sides to reduce stress and retain heat. For a starter setup, we recommend a minimum 6’x2’x2’ PVC enclosure.

Indonesian blue tongue skinks are tropical lizards that like to burrow, so they require at least 4-6” of deep, soft, loose substrate that can retain adequate moisture. We recommend at least 90 quarts (9 bags) of Josh's Frogs Coco Select, which is a blend of coco husk, peat moss, and bark.

A blue tongue enclosure should have overhead heat, UVB, a daylight lamp, and tools to monitor and control these elements.

Heat Source

You'll need a cluster of at least 2 heat bulbs to create an appropriate basking area. 75 watt halogen flood bulbs are an ideal source of IR-A and IR-B radiation needed for healthy thermoregulation, best paired with a reflective dome fixture to project the heat evenly and naturally.

UVB Lamp

Your blue tongue will need a T5 HO linear fluorescent UVB bulb in a reflective fixture, spanning roughly half the length of the enclosure. The lamp can be placed directly on top of the screen or mounted inside. We recommend either 6% or 12% UVB, depending on your setup. Be sure to check our basking distance chart to determine which bulb you'll need and the optimal height of your basking area, where the UVI should be at its strongest.

Daylight Lamp

All diurnal skinks should have a 6400-6500K daylight lamp to stimulate natural behaviors and maintain a healthy circadian rhythm. A high quality full spectrum daylight bulb like the Zoo Med UltraSun in a reflective fixture is a great choice for a starter skink habitat. (Some enclosures may need 2 bulbs to produce adequate light)

Monitoring & Regulation

1. 2 Gauges: Place each thermometer/hygrometer on opposite sides of the enclosure to monitor the necessary warm-to-cool temperature gradient.
2. Outlet timer: All reptiles should have a healthy circadian schedule: heat and UVB turned on during the day, then everything turned off at night to allow for total darkness and a natural temperature drop (~12hrs/day). This can be best achieved using a simple outlet timer.
3. Rheostat: A manual plug-in dimmer for your heat lamp allows you to make small adjustments to find the “sweet spot” on your skink's basking area, reduces risk of overheating, and prolongs bulb life. (To automatically maintain your temps, you can plug your heat lamp into a dimming thermostat)

Blue tongue skinks require a variety of specific decor items that are vital for security, enrichment, and health.

Hides

Blue tongues are burrowers! They need at least 2 dedicated hides: a warm humid hide under the heat lamps, stuffed with sphagnum moss and regularly misted, and a cool dry hide on the opposite end. Hides with a large, flat top can also double as a basking area!

Cork

A starter habitat should have at least 2 large cork flats for your skink to climb on, burrow under, and bask. You can also add tubes and branches as you build out your habitat! (tubes should be large enough for the skink to easily fit inside and branches should be kept low and closer to the ground)

Plants

Artificial plants add more shade for heat regulation, coverage for security and enrichment, and they enhance the appearance of a naturalistic habitat. We recommend choosing at least 3 plants for your starter enclosure.

A complete blue tongue skink setup should have:

1. Large, stable water dish
2. Shallow feeding dish for salad / prepared diet
3. Pump mister for substrate and humidity
4. Durable tongs for hand feeding live insects
5. Calcium and vitamin supplement with low D3 content