SpeciesBlue-tongued skink
Blue-tongued skink
Tiliqua scincoides
A ground-dwelling skink with a calm temperament and a broad diet. Above all it needs floor space and the chance to dig.
- Group
- Lizard
- Level
- Intermediate
- Origin
- Australia and Indonesia
Where the species comes from
- World region
- Australia and Indonesia
- Countries
- Australia and the Indonesian Tanimbar and Babar islands
- Habitat
- Scrubland, open woodland, grassland and dry savannah
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- A ground dweller that digs: deep substrate and plenty of floor area.
- Temperature
- Basking spot at 38 °C, ambient 26–30 °C, cool corner 22 °C, 20 °C at night.
- Humidity
- 50–60 %, with a moist corner.
- Lighting
- UV-B needed, twelve hours.
- Substrate
- At least 15 cm of soil-sand mix with leaf litter.
- Furnishings
- Several hides, bark pieces, flat stones. Hardly climbs.
- Water
- Large shallow dish, also used for bathing.
- Feeding
- Omnivore: snails, insects, vegetables, some fruit, occasionally egg. Two to three times a week.
- Behaviour
- Diurnal, calm, likes to dig. When threatened it shows its blue tongue.
- Handling
- Well tolerated; the species counts among the most easy-going lizards.
- Cohabitation
- Alone. Even pairs often do not get along in the long run.
- Health
- Obesity from overly generous feeding; check for mites in the skin folds.
- Seasonal cycle
- Winter rest of six to eight weeks at 15–18 °C.
- Safety
- No permit required. Powerful jaws: Offer food with tongs.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit required. The species does not belong to any of the groups listed in Art. 89 of the Swiss Animal Welfare Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
Species protection applies
Depends on the subspecies: T. s. scincoides and T. s. intermedia have been in CITES Appendix III since 22 June 2022, listed by Australia. T. s. chimaerea and T. gigas, which is often sold as a blue-tongued skink as well, are not listed. Record the subspecies in writing when buying; for the listed ones, proof of origin is required (Art. 10 BGCITES)
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 5 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not prescribe centimetres but multiples of body length. For this species, item 28 (Shingleback and blue-tongued skinks): floor area 7 × 4 body lengths, height 3 body lengths. The floor area applies to at most two animals; each further animal requires an additional 2 × 2 body lengths.
For this group, body length means the snout-vent length, without the tail. The largest animal in the enclosure is what counts. The enclosure may not be smaller even if fewer animals live in it than the table names.
| Snout-vent length | At least |
|---|---|
| 25 cm | 175 × 100 × 75 cm |
| 30 cm | 210 × 120 × 90 cm |
| 35 cm | 245 × 140 × 105 cm |
Animals may temporarily be kept in smaller enclosures: for quarantine, for the treatment of illness and injury, for acclimatisation, for breeding and rearing, and for winter or cold dormancy or aestivation (preliminary remark D on reptiles).
This is the legal lower limit, not a recommendation. An enclosure that meets exactly these dimensions is permitted, but not good for that reason. The details under “Husbandry at a glance” describe how the enclosure should be furnished, not how small it may be.
What the enclosure must provide
Provide species-appropriate heat and light zones, UV-B where needed, suitable substrate, retreats, climbing or digging options, water and natural rest periods.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
