Northen Blue Tongue Skink

Question
Hello. I have a Northern Blue Tongue Skink and have a question about his habitat and feeding. On the back of every substrate package it tells what is best for your particular reptile. The problem is, it says it's the best, don't use the other, and vice versa. Is it really that important, or can I just use good old rocks, dirt, and mulch from my own yard? Second, could you give me the low-down on feeding? Can I give him human foods i.e. deli turkey, ham; or should I stick with crickets, worms, etc? I gave him some worms out of the yard, and they seem to have given him diarrhea.

Answer
 I steer clear of most pet shop substrates, but there are some that do work for some reptile species.  I never use wild caught prey, they usually contain parasites, and many have amounts of herbicides and pesticides in their system.  Buy prey online, it's the cheapest and livefood is farm raised and parasite free.  Get him to a vet to diagnose the parasite and get properly treated.  I have a link that I found a few months ago with a caresheet that beat the one I had used hands down, great information, complete, and should give you the answer to all your questions regarding habitat and diet.

http://www.bluetongueskinks.net/care.htm