How long do blue-tongue skinks live
Blue-tongue skinks live 15–20 years in captivity with proper heat, diet, and an annual reptile vet check. The main risks are obesity (they love food), improper temperatures causing sluggish digestion, and tramatic injury from drops or dog/cat encounters. A committed keeper gets two decades of companionship.
Enclosure: bigger than you think
Adults need a minimum 4×2×2 ft (120×60×60 cm) enclosure — longer is better, they are ground dwellers. Substrate: cypress mulch, aspen, or paper; avoid loose sand (impaction risk) and cedar. Provide a hide, a basking spot, and a humid retreat for shedding. Secure the lid — they are strong and escape-prone.
Heat, light, and shedding
Basking surface 95–105°F (35–40°C), ambient 75–85°F (24–29°C), with a UVB bulb (10–12% or mercury vapor) on a 10–12 hr cycle. Without UVB and heat, they stop eating and develop metabolic bone disease. Humidity ~40–60%; a moist hide prevents bad sheds, which can constrict toes and tail tips.
Diet: the easy omnivore
Feed a mix of high-quality canned or soaked dog food (low-fat), cooked egg, insects (roaches, crickets), and chopped vegetables/fruit. Variety matters — a green-leaf and protein rotation keeps them fit. Dust insects with calcium. Adults eat every 2–3 days; juveniles daily. Avoid avocado, onion, and processed human food.
Beginner mistakes to avoid
- Undersized enclosure — adults need 4 ft of floor.
- No UVB — metabolic bone disease follows.
- Overfeeding — obesity shortens the life.
- Loose sand substrate — impaction risk.