BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Just curious how people vary their blueys diets throughout the year and the reasoning (obviously for breeding purposes, looking for more specifics). I wondering how much the composition of the diet changes, how the amounts vary and if you vary it based on sex etc.

I know some people do this, wondering how common it is or if most breeders feed a standard diet throughout the year and don't change the amount of protein vs veggies. Thanks!

I feed what is in season for the most part from spring-fall, however in the winter I reduce the amount of veg and focus more on meat based food as it gets harder to find fresh veggies. I would say I feed 50% veg, 10% fruit, and 40% meat in the spring. 45% veg, 10% fruit, and 45% meat in the summer. 40% veg, 10% fruit, and 50% meat in the fall. 30% veg, 10% fruit, and 60% meat in the winter if not more.

This winter I went to nearly 80% canned dog food, and they did fine. That being said, I did not get any breeding activity this year at all; but I also did not cool them very well. My own dumb fault.

My outdoor blueys

Spring (Sept, Oct, Nov) - start with snails, introduce some dog food, Oct, cut up apple, df, veges mixed in DF. Nov increasing amounts of DF, veges, apple, whatever else is available.

Summer (Dec, Jan, Feb) - lots of DF, veges, various fruits, drupes of native plants within enclosure. Any poor unfortunate creatures that wander into the enclosure have a short life expectancy. Any remaining snails from the garden, leftovers from dinner etc.

Autumn (Mar, Apr, May) - DF, DF and more DF. They will browse plants in the enclosure like ruby saltbush that start to produce fruits and flowers like Correas, other than that they go off fruits and veges and will eat on warmer days. Little eating by May.

In general mostly animal based foods early when coming out of brumation, increase amount of veges and fruits and variety in summer, tend back to proteins in Autumn. Virtually no feeding in Winter (brumation from May to September).

This pattern mimics food availability cycles in Southern Aus.

Scott your post was extremely interesting! I've never given much thought to varying diets based on the time of year, great question Kat.

In spring if feed 60%veggies40%meat summer 50/50 of each winter 90%meat and 10%veggies just so that they put on weight for the winter.

xxmonitorlizardxx wrote:In spring if feed 60%veggies40%meat summer 50/50 of each winter 90%meat and 10%veggies just so that they put on weight for the winter.

What information or research is this based on? You don't brumate, but rather feed all year?

Ha... I don't purposely brumate but he does anyway. Or atleast becomes atleast 85% less active. So like bears preparing to hibernate I preare him for winter.