BD or BTS

Hello speaking from your old pal New Zealand here! I've been interested in Lizards for several months now and been switching between particular lizards to get.

Because of our ****** importation laws here in NZ the only options I have widely available are Beaded Dragons, Blue tongued Skinks and Leopard Geckos. I'm a little apprehensive about Leopard geckos most as I know you need live insects (which I would prefer not to have). I know the others need insects but it's the live part I'm talking about.

I want people to tell me which they think is better. Stuff like cage size, lighting requirements and diet. Personality isn' too much of an issue as long as they're okay with being hugged.

I'm pretty sure you need live insects for beardies and bts as well. Well, bts can have frozen snails, but live is still a major part of their diet.

You don't need insects or live food for BTS, cat or dog food (without sea food) with veggies and fruit should be fine

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I'm pretty sure the leopard gecko is the least huggable, but idk about exotics

BredliFreak said:

You don't need insects or live food for BTS, cat or dog food (without sea food) with veggies and fruit should be fine

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I'm pretty sure the leopard gecko is the least huggable, but idk about exotics

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I wouldn't recommend feeding cat or dog food to them except in emergencies. Wrong kind of proteins and fats that they are not equipped to process or metabolise properly.

General answer :
BTS and beardie, get one of each as a baby and a hatchling (sorry but you'll have to feed insects them especially when little as they both need mostly live insect protein to grow as babies and juveniles - you can't avoid this (canned bugs and pellets wont cut it).
Both species are wonderful as pets , and both can become extremely affectionate and megatame.

The bluetongue wont need as warm a basking spot as beardie (35oC vs about 40oC) and less UVB (5% vs 10%).
Same size enclosure for adults (4' x 2' FOOTPRINT), and both are OK in large plastic storage tubs (I use 100L HomeGallery TuffBoxes as my rearing tubs) for the first 6 - 8 months.

Bedding - BTs love burrowing through fibrous beddings , a mix of expanded and dried coir peat & course Kritters Crumble is great for a BT, who will need a shallow water dish to drink from (a BT will drink a few times a day). A beardie is better on tiles or paper towelling some use screened playsand and claim to have no problems with impaction. I use tiles and paper towelling for my beardies. No water dish for a beardie , I lightly mist mine occasionally or give them a drink from an eyedropper if it's really hot.

A beardie will need to have some opportunities to climb ( a rough bark covered branch or big bit of trunk bark is perfect , they like climbing high) , a BT will not need much in the way of places to climb, as they aren't so well equipped as beardies for climbing.

Similar greens, veg and fruit for both.
Both will grow to about the same weight as adults , so are substantial animals as adults both love exploring and the chance to go free range in the house and yard (if it's safe to let them).

Both great lizards to keep.

Here's a couple of links to just about everything you need to know about keeping BD's and BTS.

I don't agree with everything contained in either article but each should put you on the right path.

http://www.thebeardeddragon.org/

http://bluetongueskinks.net/care.htm

Hope this helps.

George.

ps. Just to let you know, there is nothing wrong with feeding good quality dog or cat food (no fish). I've been keeping both BD's and BTS successfully for many, many years and use either/both as a staple, supplemented with selected vegies, fruit, snails, insects and mice. Never used a vitamin or calcium supplement either.

Why exactly do bts need live food?, if is for enrichment?

our blue tongues mainly eat fruit and veg plus meat and the weekly mouse,but I throw in a few crickets every now and then.They love them and the exercise is good for them.