# Getting a Pink tongued skink



## snakeluvver (Jan 2, 2011)

Hi my birthdays in July and I am planning to get a pink tongue! Just some questions:
Are they ok to handle?
Who here breeds them?
What do you feed them exactly? (some care sheets just say snails)
Can you keep more than one in the same tank?
Am I better off just getting a blue tongue as a starter?
Thanks in advance 

---------- Post added 02-Jan-11 at 09:10 PM ----------

Oh and is a 60cm cubed enclosure okay for one or two?


----------



## hornet (Jan 2, 2011)

i have kept them and found them no different than keeping blueys, just give them more humidity and something to climb on. I would love to get more in the future they are great captives and like blueys if you handle them from a young age they calm down well. Feed them as many snails as you can and supplement with the same diet as blueys


----------



## snakeluvver (Jan 2, 2011)

So would a mixture of snails, crickets and veggies be ok?

Oh and what sized portion?

Also how would I supply the humidity? Just a bowl of water or a mist?


----------



## hornet (Jan 2, 2011)

i used to mist them daily, they are a rainforest dweller so dont be afraid to give them a good soaking. Just feed them as much as they will eat once or twice per week as adults, every 2 days as juvies. You in brisbane?


----------



## snakeluvver (Jan 2, 2011)

Sunny coast. I know pink tongues are native here, I've seen one in the garden.
So is a 60% veg 40% meat diet ok? And where can I get snails?


----------



## hornet (Jan 2, 2011)

catch them in the garden, if you have seen a pink tongue you can guarantee you have a good supply of snails  if you find any for sale locally let me know


----------



## snakeluvver (Jan 2, 2011)

Oh and one more feeding question lol. If I have a large supply of snails will I need to feed them any thing else?


----------



## shortstuff61 (Jan 2, 2011)

One of the pet stores here routinely house 2-4 young looking ones together. Although pet store protocol isn't always the best!


----------



## hornet (Jan 2, 2011)

snakeluvver said:


> Oh and one more feeding question lol. If I have a large supply of snails will I need to feed them any thing else?


 
no you shouldnt need to, as far as i know their diet in the wild consists almost 100% of slugs and snails so they should do fine on that in captivity


----------



## JasonL (Jan 3, 2011)

They will also naturally eat smooth skin Caterpillars / Beetle larvae. They are great to keep, though I wouldn't say they are anything like BTs. New borns are a little tricky as they go downhill fast if kept too hot or dried out. If you live within their natural range then only very mild heat should be supplied, a heat mat ect would be fine for adults and no heating at all for newborns
I would def go the PT over a BT, but I am bias...


----------



## snakeluvver (Jan 3, 2011)

What temp would be best in the warm end for adults?
And hopefully this is the last question lol, can I house more than one in a tank? What size?


----------



## hornet (Jan 3, 2011)

I only kept adults so i cant comment on the husbandry of juvies but i kept my adults as i do with blueys with just a few small differences, daily misting for high humidity and no heat


----------



## snakeluvver (Jan 3, 2011)

Okay just to check:
I have my eye on a 60cm cubed terrarium, is this okay for an adult?
I will feed it only snails?
It needs no heating?
Large water dish daily misting?
I think that's it. If the answer is yes to all of the above, then I am ready


----------



## hornet (Jan 3, 2011)

you could probably house 2 in that size viv. No heating but as jason said if you do provide heating only give them very mild heating. Feed mainly snails if you can, freeze some and when you defrost them de-shell and sprinkle with vitamin and calcium powder. I gave mine a small water dish but i dont think they really need it as long as you mist daily. I gave them a deep substrate of coco peat about 5-10cm deep which they loved to burrow in and also helped with keeping the humidity high. Something to climb would also be great as they are fairly arboreal by nature (they have a prehensile tail)


----------



## Snakeluvver2 (Jan 3, 2011)

Before you buy the lizard you should go and buy Breeding and Keeping Australian Lizards so you can reference some more info. 
Another note it you may want to start breeding snails (bit hard but it's part of the fun)
I know there are some pet stores in Brissy that sell snails, I'm sure they would do bulk and deliver as well.
You should be able to grab some great information from Sonya Snailfarming In Australia and you maybe able to find you can get breeding packages, also ask her if you can get some live ones delivered if your finding it hard to find collect them from your yard.


----------



## hornet (Jan 3, 2011)

actually snails are alot easier to breed then i originally thought, just need to get conditions right


----------



## Snakeluvver2 (Jan 3, 2011)

That's great news 
I always loved the look of Pink Toungues


----------



## snakeluvver (Jan 3, 2011)

If for some reason I cannot supply snails every feeding day is there any alternative meal?


----------



## hornet (Jan 3, 2011)

i fed mine beef heart (in the frozen fish food section at the pet shop). Dog/cat food is also fine. Not sure if they take veggies like blueys tho


----------



## snakeluvver (Jan 3, 2011)

Are crickets okay?


----------



## kat2005dodi (Jan 3, 2011)

Hi, I have had a Pink Tounge for about 4yrs now, I keep in an enclosure outside over Summer and bring him inside over Winter. He is probably not as calm as my Bluey, but that could just be the individual. I feed mine, a good mix of egg mixed with a little mince, pinkies, bugs, fruit (banana/tomato etc) and veges (peas and corn or sometimes mash that I make for myself) pretty much what ever he eats. I bought mine from a pet shop in Brisbane, Enjoy you llizard.


----------



## hornet (Jan 3, 2011)

i cant see why not

---------- Post added 03-Jan-11 at 07:27 AM ----------




kat2005dodi said:


> Hi, I have had a Pink Tounge for about 4yrs now, I keep in an enclosure outside over Summer and bring him inside over Winter. He is probably not as calm as my Bluey, but that could just be the individual. I feed mine, a good mix of egg mixed with a little mince, pinkies, bugs, fruit (banana/tomato etc) and veges (peas and corn or sometimes mash that I make for myself) pretty much what ever he eats. I bought mine from a pet shop in Brisbane, Enjoy you llizard.


 
so they do eat fruit and veggies? Good to hear, got any pics of you guy ?


----------



## Tiliqua (Jan 3, 2011)

With all due respect, you guys are making things way too complex for what is possibly the easiest skink to keep.
A 60cm square terrarium is great and will house a pair comfortably. If they naturally occur in your area, you will not need heating, I didn't heat them in Sydney nor have I ever provided UV and have bred them on a number of occassions. 
Both juveniles and adults will readliy accept tinned cat food such as whiskas meat varieties. I provided snails when possible and they seemed to put on more condition when provided with snails only for a few feedings in a row.
Juveniles are more difficult to keep than adults, as thye come out the size of garden skinks when born, and snails need to be diced small (I've witnessed one baby choke on a piece of snail and pass away in my hand). So i used tinned food on juveniles. 
Humidity is about as important to these guys as it is eastern blue tongues, it really isn't a huge issue. 
There's a great caresheet in John Weigel's book 'Care of Australian Reptiles in Captivity', which I used as my starting point 13 years ago and still holds well to todays keeping standards.
Enjoy!


----------



## Snakeluvver2 (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks Tiliqua


----------



## snakeluvver (Jan 3, 2011)

Just did an internet search and found good priced outdoor pits. Can pink tongues live in them happily?


----------



## Tiliqua (Jan 3, 2011)

Yeah mate, outdoor pits and aviaries are fine. However 3 things:
1. They are a much sleeker/slender lizard than the average bluey, so make sure the enclosure has a bottom or the walls are sunk into the ground to prevent squeezing out or climbing
2. If they breed outside the babies are the size of garden skinks, so good luck finding them all in an outdoor pit
3. The head to hind leg length of the average adult is about 40% of the total length, they are a small to medium sized lizard. Smaller lizards are better indoors in my opinion, as you see all their eating, basking, breeding behaviours up close. Also if anything goes wrong with the animal, (etc a physical wound, scale rot etc) it's easier to notice if they are indoors and maintained on their own.


----------



## snakeluvver (Apr 3, 2011)

My only concern is I've just researched cocopeat / coirpeat and I'm worried about nematodes. Will they be an issue with pink tongues? If so, can I just keep them on reptile bark?


----------



## snakeluvver (Apr 14, 2011)

Also, I have a fish tank with a glass lid, would it be ok with the glass lid or would I need to fix in a mesh lid?


----------



## snakeluvver (May 1, 2011)

^^^^^ can someone answer those questions please.


----------



## Tiliqua (May 1, 2011)

> I'm worried about nematodes. Will they be an issue with pink tongues?


 About as much a worry as they are to any other lizard on cocopeat. If it worries you that much worm your animals.


> would it be ok with the glass lid or would I need to fix in a mesh lid/QUOTE]
> Mesh lid. Allows ventilation, keeps unwanted hands and animals out and if correctly fitting won't allow any escape for them. Nice to see your researching, maybe read the article from a back issue of 'Reptiles Australia Magazine' written by Jason Luke. Don't complicate things.


----------



## snakeluvver (May 1, 2011)

Thanks for the info Tiliqua, where can I get someone to fix a mesh lid onto it? 
I bought John Weigel's book, its helped me a bit


----------

