Buyer question
Is an Eastern blue-tongue skink good for beginners?
Yes: our Animal Library rates the Eastern blue-tongue skink 4 out of 5 for beginners (good first large lizard).
Source: the Eastern blue-tongue skink page in the Everybarn Animal Library. Eastern blue-tongue skink in the Animal Library
The detail
The eastern blue-tongue skink comes from eastern Australia and is a sturdy, broad-headed relative of the northern, often with darker coloring and a heavier build. It is a calm, long-lived lizard that suits a keeper ready for a large enclosure.
- Best fit
- First large lizard, patient keepers
- Handling
- 5 out of 5 (Calm, handles well)
- Setup complexity
- 4 out of 5 (Big tank, UVB, heat)
- Feeding ease
- 4 out of 5 (Varied omnivore diet)
What to weigh
Easterns are less common in captivity than northerns, so good captive-bred animals can take time to find. They need space, UVB and a varied diet for decades.