Northern Blue-tongued Skink
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| Tiliqua scincoides intermedia |
Northern Blue-tongued Skinks (Tiliqua scincoides intermedia) are the largest and heaviest of the Blue-tongued Lizards (Scincidae Tiliqua). They are native to Australia and found almost exclusively in the Northern Region. They generally live around 20 years and are commonly kept as pets.
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[edit] Appearance
As with most Blue-tongued Lizards the Northern Blue-tongued Skink has a very distinctive patterning. A true Northern will have no patterning on its anterior legs as it is a subspecies of the Eastern Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides) who also has no anterior leg patterns. Northerns also tend to be a bright orange to soft peachy orange or even a yellowish color with darker stripes along their side and back with a lighter creamier color on their stomachs. As their name would suggest they also have a bright blue tongue that is often used to warn off or startle predators. Their legs are short and small compared to the length and width of their bodies. They can grow to between 24in – 27in (61cm – 68.5cm).
[edit] Behavior
Northerns are very mild mannered and love to be handled when treated gently and with respect. They are easy to tame and can be good with small children even. Make sure they aren't hungry though as fingers can sometimes look like small mice. The only time they are aggressive is during mating season when they will act aggressively towards females if they are present. They are shy and will very much like to hide in their burrows. When they are just getting used to you a small piece of food can be used to lure them from their hiding spot so that they can be handled. This practice shouldn't be continued for long though or they may begin to associate you hand with food and bite and nip at you even when you have no food. If they feel threatened they will often open their mouths and show their tongues in an attempt to frighten you. When that doesn't work they will flatten their bodies in an attempt to make them selves look bigger.
[edit] Northern Blue-tongued Skinks as pets
Northerns are one of the most common Blue-tongued Skinks that are kept as pets because they are very mild mannered and easy to breed producing more in their litters then other types of Blue-tongued Skinks. They are also easy to find, inexpensive, and have very striking markings.
[edit] Lifespan
A well fed and healthy Northern can live 20 or more years.
[edit] Housing
Northerns are very temperature sensitive and need a living temperature between 75°f - 80°f (23.8°c - 26.6°c) letting the temperature get no cooler then 70°f (21.1°c). They also need a basking area between 90°f and 95°f (32.2°c - 35°c). Northerns will let you know if the temperature is wrong for them. If it is too cold they will become lethargic or inactive. If it is too warm they will become hyper and fidget spending lots of time hiding in their burrows.
While younger Northerns can be kept in small tanks (around 10 gallons) adult Northerns need lots of room to roam around and require at least a 50 gallon tank. Cypress mulch and aspen shavings or newspaper make good substrate. Never use cedar or pine as it can cause respiratory problems, eye infections and irritation, and other long term heath problems. Northerns also prefer logs to climb over and a number of different hides so hide boxes and hollow logs are a must.
[edit] Feeding and water
Northerns are omnivores and as such should get a good even supply of fruits, veggies, and meat. Large insects such as grasshoppers and snails are good as was well as fruits and berries. In the wild they'd eat carrion but pinkies and fuzzies are good for them. Mixed green salads and fresh vegetable mixes are a good source of veggies. Frozen vegetable mixes tend to have a lot of carrots and corn which are not particularly good for them as they turn to sugars quickly. Young Northerns will eat often but feeding may slow down to only 2 or 3 times a week as they get older. When they are hungry you should feed them as much as they want. They are good at letting you know this as they will stare at your hands (if you hand feed them) or their bowl when they're hungry.
Fresh water should always be present and the bowl large. Northerns will often soak in their water bowls, especially when they get close to shedding as it will aid in that process. Water should be changed often as they often have a habit of using a water bowl as a toilet.
[edit] Maintenance
Cages should be spot cleaned daily and the whole thing cleaned with new sub straits at least every other week if not every week. A clean cage is very important to a long and healthy life a Northern.
Temperatures can be maintained with basking bulbs, infrared heat bulbs, and ceramic emitters or under tank heaters and panels. Almost all of these things can be found at large pet stores in the section for fish or reptiles. Never ever use heat rocks as they can often burn the sensitive skin of Northerns when they malfunction as they often do. As with most diurnal species full spectrum light is required and can be achieved by using Active UV bulbs.
[edit] Breeding
The breeding season occurs once yearly. When I male finds a female he likes he will scent mark her and follow her around. Mating is very aggressive and the males with hold the female down by biting her. Damage to the scales and light bleeding are common. This is the only time males are aggressive towards females and therefore they can be kept together for the rest of the year as they will be quite compatible.
Northerns are ovoviviparous. Their gestation period is roughly 100 days with 15 to 20 babies born per litter. The babies look almost exactly the same as the adults with only slight variations to coloring. babies will wander off on their own and being eating insects and fruits just a few days after birth. If you are planning on selling them you should wait until after their first few sheds to make sure they are healthy and get used to being handled.
