skink diet

Question
I have always wanted a blue tongued skink as a pet, but I keep reading that you should feed them a pinky every once in a while. I am a little squeamish about pinkies, and was wondering if there's anything else I could substitute this with?  I want my skink to be healthy, and live a long life so if I did have to feed him pinkies how often would I have to do that? Thanks for your time.
-Julia

Answer
Hi Julia,

In addition to their temperament one of the nice things about keeping a BTS is the fact that they are omnivorous. There is a very broad selection of food choices that can keep your future BT healthy without ever having to feed pinkie mice. There is nothing in pinkies from a nutrition standpoint that cannot be found in other sources. They are, in fact, a bit fatty and because they do not have full bone development they are not the best source of calcium either.

As a protein source you can offer any of the standard feeder insects and earthworms. Cooked egg, chicken or lean beef can also be offered as well as a good quality canned cat food.

If you feel you still want to offer the occasional pinkie then I would suggest using a frozen(thawed) one which you may be less squeamish about. Frozen rodents are routinely sold for feeding snakes.

This is the diet chart from one of the best sites for blue tongue care. It can help you plan the diet for your BTS.

http://bluetongueskinks.net/foodchart.html