In this full guide to blue tongue skink diet, you will learn everything that you need to know about feeding your blue tongue skink. You will find information on best blue tongue skink diet, best foods to feed, food chart, safe and toxic food, feeding schedules, supplements and supplement schedules for blue tongue skinks, choosing cat or dog food and much more.
What do blue tongue skinks eat?
Blue tongue skinks are omnivores, and in the wild they eat plants, vegetables, fruits, berries, blossoms, dead animals, bugs. As pets, blue tongue skinks can enjoy a big variety of foods, such as live bugs, meat, veggies, greens, dog or cat food, fruits and plants.
How often do blue tongue skinks need to eat?
Baby blue tongue skinks of under 5 months old will need to eat every day with one day a week fasting (6 days a week), 5-10 month olds – feed 2-3 times a week. Adult blue tongue skink of over 10-12 months old will need to eat only 1-2 times a week.
How much do blue tongue lizards eat?
Blue tongue skinks don’t need to eat much at all, but offer babies (under 3 months old) as much as they can eat, 2-3 times a day, 6 days a week. In general, adult blue tongue skink’s portion size should be 1-2 tablespoons of food.
What is the best time to feed a blue tongue skink?
The best time to feed your blue tongue skink is 1-2 hours after it wakes up. This will ensure that the food is digested properly before your blue tongue skink goes to sleep (they have slow digestion).
Put all the food in a large feeding bowl like this and remove any uneaten food after few hours. Otherwise, it will start rotting and smelling.
Importance of Ca:P ratio in a blue tongue skink’s diet
Calcium is one of the main minerals that your blue tongue skink needs. To maintain optimal levels of calcium in your skink lizard’s body, you should make sure that it doesn’t eat foods with high phosphorus levels. Ideal Ca:P ratio in the diet is 2:1.
This is because too much phosphorus will bind calcium and remove it from the body. Over time, this will lead to deficiencies. Corn, for example is very high in phosphorus and you should try to avoid it altogether.
Also, to utilize calcium, your blue tongue skink needs vitamin D3. For that, you must not only gut-load all the bugs (except for Phoenix worms), but also have UVB light in the tank.
Below you will find a list of best, occasional, rare and prohibited foods for blue tongue skinks. However, if you wish to find a Ca:P ratio for each type of food, see this post.
What are goitrogenic, oxalic foods and why should you limit them in a blue tongue lizard’s diet?
Goitrogenic foods are ones that contain high levels of goitrogens. Goitrogens in higher quantities will bind iodine and remove it from your blue tongue skink’s body. Over time, it will lead to thyroid issues. So, limit consumption of foods high in goitrogens.
Oxalic foods are ones that contain high levels of oxalates. Oxalates in bigger quantities will bind calcium during digestion and leave the body. This will over time cause calcium deficiency. Please offer limited quantities of oxalic foods to your blue tongue skink.
Blue tongue skink food chart
- Blue tongue skinks need to eat 40-45% protein – bugs mainly, and some meat, dog/cat food. Please remember that live bugs have to be gut-loaded (read below).
- 50% – veggies and greens
- 5-10% fruit
- For baby and juvenile blue tongue skinks of up to 5 months old – offer 50% protein, 40-45% veggies and greens, and 5-10% fruit
- Shingleback skinks (Tiliqua rugosa) – will need to eat less protein – around 30%. They also tend to be hungrier, so feed adults 2 times a week.
Gut-loading blue tongue skink feeder insects
Gut-loading live bugs for around 24 hours is a crucial step in a blue tongue skink’s diet. To gut-load you will need to keep your live bugs in a cricket keeper like this or other plastic container.
In this cricket pen, you will put all the bugs that you are going to feed. Fill the pen with fruit pieces (for water), squash, bran flakes, alfalfa, rolled oats and more. You can even use a Repashy omnivore gel mix to make bugs nutritious. For water, you can also use water crystals like this.
What is more, you can offer nutritious cricket food like this. You can also find a cricket quencher like this- fortified water source for crickets and other bugs.
After you gut-load your live feeder bugs, also dust them with calcium or vitamins (separate days, read more below) just before offering. You might even use a cricket shaker like this to lightly cover bugs with supplement powder.
Each type of live bugs can have their own specific care needs. If you wish to learn more about gut-loading your live feeders, read this post.
Blue tongue skink food sheet
Best safe and non-toxic greens and vegetable list for blue tongue skinks
| Staple | Feed occasionally | Feed rarely |
| Arugula (rocket) | Pumpkin | Carrots |
| Collard greens | Kale | Radishes |
| Endive | Pinto beans | Okra |
| Escarole | Green beans (raw, green) | Cabbage (red or green) |
| Mustard greens | Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) | Beet greens |
| Prickly pear cactus leaves | Parsnips | Celery |
| Acorn squash | Bell pepper (Red, green, yellow) | Kohlrabi |
| Hubbard squash | Chayote | Parsley |
| Scallop squash | Watercress | Rapini |
| Spaghetti squash | Asparagus | Swiss chard |
| Summer squash | Snap peas – pods and peas | Radicchio |
| Dandelion greens | Asparagus | Yucca (Cassava) |
| Chicory greens | Turnips | |
| Basil, spearmint, peppermint, rosemary, oregano, thyme (as treats and enticement) | Swede (Rutabaga) | |
| Mulberry leaves | Potatoes (brown or sweet) | |
| Nasturtium flowers | Lettuce (any type) | |
| Hibiscus flowers and leaves | Cucumber | |
| Alfalfa (fresh) – not sprouts or dried | Cauliflower | |
| Brussel sprouts | ||
| Pak Choi (Bok Choy) | ||
| Broccoli | ||
| Beetroot | ||
| Green peas | ||
| Yams |
Please use this table when choosing what to feed your blue tongue skink. The last row of greens and veggies are to feed rarely as they are either high in goitrogens, oxalates, low in nutrition, or have an improper Ca:P ratio. Offer them only in small quantities and from time to time.
Toxic or low nutrition veggies and greens – do not offer to your blue tongue skink
| Name | Reason |
| Corn | Extremely high in phosphorus, will bind calcium and disturb absorption |
| Eggplants (aubergine) | Toxic |
| Chives | Avoid any veggies from onion family |
| Soybeans, edamame | Contain isoflavones, can mimic hormones |
| Avocado | Potentially toxic |
| Onions | Toxic |
| Mushrooms | Most mushrooms are toxic |
| Spinach | Very oxalic |
| Leeks | In bigger quantities can cause anemia and organ failure |
| Garlic | Toxic |
| Rhubarb | Potentially toxic |
| Tomatoes | Very acidic, high phosphorus |
A list of safe fruits and berries for blue tongue skinks
| Staple | Feed occasionally | Feed rarely |
| Mangoes | Apricot | Watermelon (too much will cause diarrhea) |
| Papaya | Peaches | Asian pears (oxalic) |
| Prickly pear | Cranberries | Pear (oxalic) |
| Apple | Blueberries | Strawberries (goitrogenic) |
| Cantaloupe | Honeydew | Peaches (goitrogenic) |
| Blackberries | Cherries (goitrogenic) | |
| Guava | Nectarines (high phosphorus) | |
| Figs | Raspberries (goitrogenic and oxalic) | |
| Pomegranate (can cause impaction, high phosphorus) |
Toxic or low nutrition fruits that you should avoid feeding a blue tongue skink
| Name | Reason |
| Bananas | High phosphorus and sugar, rare treat |
| Kiwis | Very oxalic, feed rarely or never |
| Star fruit (Carambola) | Very oxalic, avoid altogether |
| Dried fruits such as figs, prunes | High sugar, low water content, dry |
| Oranges, lemons, tangerines, clementine, grapefruits, kumquats, navel | Avoid all citrus – will causes serious digestive issues |
| Pineapple | Acidic |
| Green or purple grapes, raisins | Believed to cause liver and kidney issues. |
| Fruits seeds (such as apple, apricot, cherry etc) – toxic |
Best bugs, meat or other source of protein for your blue tongue skink
| Staple | Occasional |
| Black soldier fly larvae (also called CalciWorms, Phoenix worms) – best Staple – no need to gut-load or dust | Superworms (Morio, King worms) – high fat, offer as a treat |
| Silkworms – Best staple | Six-spotted roaches – high fat, offer as a treat |
| Crickets | Mealworms – high fat, offer as a treat |
| Tomato hornworms | Fruit flies – very small |
| Dubia roaches | Surinam roaches |
| Discoid roaches (also called False death roaches) | Waxworms – high fat, offer as a treat |
| Ivory head roaches | Butterworms – high fat, offer as a treat |
| Lobster roaches | Pinkies (fuzzy mice, neonate mice or rats) – fatty, offer once a month or less |
| Locusts | Lean beef or goat meat – heart, ground (only cooked) |
| Orange head roaches | Chicken – breast, heart (cooked only) |
| Turkestan roaches | Lean turkey meat (cooked only) |
| Cat food (read more below) – for babies under 5 months old due to high protein content | |
| Dog food (read more below) | |
| Snails (only raised for human or reptile consumption, or detoxed for 4 days). | |
| Eggs (cooked or raw), without oil or seasonings – treat once in 3-4 weeks |
Snails caught from the wild are potentially exposed to various toxins and chemicals, and can carry parasitic worms. This is why you need to buy snails that have been raised for human consumption or reptiles.
If you catch any from the wild, make sure to detox them first. To do this, put them in a cricket keeper or other plastic container, add lettuce and water (or crystals). Keep them in a plastic container for 4 days. Those that stay alive will be suitable for feeding. Feed snails with shells.
Toxic bugs for blue tongue skinks – avoid
| Fireflies (lightning bugs) |
| Lubber grasshoppers |
| Monarch butterflies and caterpillars |
| Ants (not all are toxic, but stings of some will cause allergic reactions) |
| Centipede (bites) |
| Spiders (bites) |
| Queen butterflies and caterpillars |
| Scorpions |
| Ladybugs |
| Wasps (stings) |
Toxic plants for your blue tongue skink – avoid
| Tomato plants |
| Potato plants |
| Daffodils |
| Amaryllis |
| Bracken fern |
| Juniper |
| Honeysuckle |
| Azalea |
| Buttercup |
| Primrose |
| Oak |
| Stinging nettle |
| Nightshade (any plant) |
| Swiss cheese plant |
| Eucalyptus |
| Buckthorn |
| Red maple |
| Honeysuckle |
| Poison ivy |
| Iris |
Can blue tongue skink eat cat or dog food?
Yes, your blue tongue skink can eat cat or dog food, but there are a lot of rules when choosing right ones. However, only offer dog or cat food occasionally, once a week for young blue tongues and once in 2 weeks for adults.
Cat foods tend to be higher in protein than dog food. So, it’s better to stick to dog food. However, you can offer cat food to blue tongues under 5-6 months old or skinny blue tongues. Then, switch to dog food.
High quality dog food can be very good for diversifying a blue tongue skink’s diet. This is because premium dog food contains animal byproduct that blue tongue skinks eat in the wild, plus topped with some vegetables, fruits, essential vitamins and minerals.
Please feed your blue tongue skink mainly live feeder bugs for protein. Gut-loaded bugs will provide correct nutrition and allow your skink to exercise. On top of insects, you can sometimes feed cat or dog food, some cooked lean meat and raw or cooked eggs (treat). If cooking eggs, don’t use any oil or seasonings.
When choosing dog or cat food, make sure they meet certain criteria:
- Should be grain-free (blue tongues have trouble digesting carbohydrates)
- Must contain premium ingredients (including bones, connective tissue, cartilage etc.) – important for calcium etc. and mimicking natural diet
- Only contains lean meat product
- Shouldn’t contain vegetables or fillers that are not good for your blue tongue – such as potatoes, spinach, wheat, corn, dairy and other veggies listed in the tables above.
- Preferably fish and egg free
- Avoid red meat based dog food
- Free of artificial colors and preservatives
- Low ash content (few percent only)
Best dog food for blue tongue skinks:
- Zignature brand dog food like this – Zssential, turkey, duck, kangaroo
- Merrick dog food like this – choose grain free, avoid sweet/brown potatoes, fish
- Instinct dog food
and many more… Please choose by checking ingredients mentioned above.
Can blue tongue skinks eat fish?
No, you should avoid feeding any fish to your blue tongue skink. Fish is high in fats, salts and can be high in heavy metals (mercury especially). There is also a big risk of parasites and other toxins that the fish has ingested.
With prolonged consumption the toxins and heavy metals will build up in your blue tongue’s body, leading to serious ill effects.
Can I feed my blue tongue skink frozen food?
Frozen vegetables are fine to use from time to time, especially if it’s hard to find fresh ones. The problem with frozen vegetables is that when freezing, it causes degradation of vitamin B1 (thiamine). With prolonged feeding, it can lead to thiamine deficiency in your skink. Otherwise, freezing preserves nutrition well.
If you wish to feed frozen fuzzy mice or rats, make sure to thaw them properly before offering. Some owners think that feeding live baby mice or rats is inhumane, and prefer pre-killed or frozen ones.
Commercial blue tongue skink food for sale
You can also buy commercial food for your blue tongue skink, to offer on some days for variety or to use when you don’t have time to prepare other food. Few of the best commercial foods that you can find for sale are:
- Repashy Bluey Buffet like this – a gel premix, omnivore diet
- Also Repashy grub pie, veggie burger, meat pie (occasional high protein add-on)
- Omnivore mix such as this – can be labelled for bearded dragons or other omnivores – mix of veggies and insects – make sure to offer water and some extra veggies to make up for low moisture content
Water and a water dish for a blue tongue skink
Make sure that water is always available in your blue tongue skink’s tank. Blue tongue lizards drink water from a bowl and will also get in to soak.
The best type of a water dish for your blue tongue skink is a large water dish that your blue tongue can fit in at least partially. So, choose an extra large water dish like this, that will be big in size and sturdy. Or, you can use large cooking dishes if your blue tongue skink is big.
Change water in a bowl every day, or as soon as it’s been soiled. Cleanliness is very important to prevent infections and illnesses.
Blue tongue skink supplements
Your blue tongue skink will also need supplements to stay healthy and active. Please get a separate pure calcium supplement (without vitamin D3 or phosphorus), and a separate multivitamin supplement. You will need to use those on different days.
Best supplements that you can get for your blue tongue skink are:
- Repti-Calcium like this – pure calcium without vitamin D3
- Multivitamin by Rep-Cal like this – balanced Ca:P ratio, no vitamin D3
- Repashy calcium like this – no vitamin D3.
- Repashy multivitamins like this
Blue tongue skink supplement schedule
- Hatchling and baby blue tongue skinks (0-5 months) – dust with pure calcium 3-4 times a week, multivitamin – 2 days a week.
- Juvenile to sub-adult blue tongue skinks (5-10 months) – dust with pure calcium 2-3 times a week, multivitamin – 1-2 times a week on separate days. Same schedule for gravid and weak blue tongues.
- Sub-adult and adult blue tongue skinks (10 months and over) – dust with pure calcium 2 times a week and multivitamin 1 day a week on separate days.
Please remember that you must always gut-load live feed, dusting is separate from gut-loading. All bugs except for Phoenix worms need gut-loading. Phoenix worms are also called Calci-Worms, Reptiworms or black soldier fly larvae, have an ideal 1.5:1 Ca:P ratio.
How much supplement to use for a blue tongue skink?
Only use a pinch of a powder to lightly cover the bugs or other food. Don’t use too much. It’s better to get a pure calcium without vitamin D (definitely no phosphorus!). Don’t add vitamins to water, only dust bugs and food!
Vitamin D should come from the diet and UVB lighting that you must have in your blue tongue skink’s tank. In a multivitamin, Ca:P ratio should be at least 2:1.
If you decide that vitamin D3 is required due to lack of UVB lighting, make sure that the supplement doesn’t contain more than 45,00-50,000 IU/kg of D3.
Thanks for reading this post. If you wish to see all the Ca:P ratios and a bigger list of foods, read this post.