If you are looking for one of the easiest reptiles to keep with vast variety of foods to feed them, then blue tongue skinks are you best best. Blue tongues skinks can eat anything from vegetables, to crickets, mealworms, and fruits. But you might have been wondering, can blue tongue skinks eat raspberries? The answer is YES!
Raspberries are famous berries with a beautiful red hue and tart, sweet, and juicy taste. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, but can blue tongue skinks eat them?
Blue-tongue skinks are omnivores. This denotes that they can consume fruits, vegetables, and insects. But even so, they tend to favor insects such as grasshoppers, snails, and slugs over any plant.
Owners may be wondering what and what not to feed their beloved pets, if some foods are good for them, and if they are risky to offer. This article will answer the questions you ask about raspberries and blue tongue skinks.
This article has been reviewed by Dr. Dilber. Read more about our knowledge control process here.
Contents
Can Blue Tongue Skinks Eat Raspberries?
Yes, you can feed some raspberries to your blue-tongue skink. You can provide them with any type of fruit as long as they are consumed in moderation.
Aside from raspberries, the list includes strawberries, apple, blueberries, pineapple, banana, peaches, plums, kiwi, and many more. Just make sure that they can be consumed easily, it is best if they are chopped or crushed.
Blue tongue skinks a lot of berries in the wild. Raspberries are generally safe for them to eat. While fruits must make up 5% – 10% of the diet of skinks, owners need to watch how much they eat as too much can be bad for the skink’s health.
Diet Of Blue Tongue Skinks
Blue-tongue skinks are omnivores, and so, they can consume a wide range of meals. They can be given insects such as crickets, worms, snails, and slugs. In the wild, they usually depend on plants, fruits, and vegetables in certain amounts. However, they have an apparent preference for insects.
Nonetheless, they will still eat a variety of fruits such as pineapple, wild berries, banana, apple, plums, figs, pear, papaya, kiwi, mango, nectarines, watermelon, cantaloupe, star fruit, etc – all of which are in moderation.
There are many options to include but it is important to note that citrus fruits must be avoided as they can cause gastric problems. They can also eat vegetables and herbs such as carrots, alfalfa sprouts, watercress, and parsley.
When it comes to feeding frequency and amount, it depends on the age of the reptile.
At 0-6 months: Offer insects and a tiny quantity of greens every day. However, do not serve too many greens.
At 6-12 months: Offer insects, greens, and vegetables every other day.
At 12 months and up: Give them bugs, greens, and vegetables three times a week.
How To Feed A Blue Tongue Skinks With Raspberries
The adults must be fed every two to three days while the young ones are every other day.
To feed your skink raspberries, follow these steps:
- Wash the raspberries thoroughly.
- Chop them up into smaller pieces, to the size that can fit inside the mouth, so your pet could easily ingest them.
- Remember not to add any other flavoring, seasoning, or preservatives.
- Combine vegetables with the fruits.
- Feed the prepared meal to your pet skink.
Raspberries have low calcium to phosphorus ratio which makes them not the best fruit option to feed your skink. If consumed excessively, your blue tongue skink can develop thyroid problems as they are high in goitrogens.
What Other Fruits Can Blue-Tongued Skinks Eat?
Your pet skink can eat the following fruits in moderation:
- Apple
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Papaya
- Mango
- Fig
- Cucumber
You can feed the following fruits to your pet occasionally:
- Pineapple
- Pear
- Peaches
- Star fruit
- Pomegranate
- Plums
- Nectarines
- Kiwi
- Honeydew
- Guava
- Grapes
- Cranberries
- Cherries
- Cantaloupes
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Bananas
- Apricots
Giving fruits is a fantastic way of giving treats or garnish in their meals, especially when you are training them. However, do not give it to them in large quantities. You should always keep the amount of fruit you give your skink to a minimum.
Foods That Blue-Tongue Skinks Should And Should Not Eat
Blue-tongue skinks can be relatively easy to feed as long as you know what to give and what to avoid. They can eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and protein sources. Protein and vegetables, on the other hand, should take precedence over fruit since they provide higher nutritious value.
Best Foods For Blue Tongue Skinks
Aside from fruits, the best foods to feed your pet are vegetables that include arugula, bell pepper, asparagus, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cabbage, green beans, alfalfa sprouts, kale, lettuce, mint leaves, mustard greens, pumpkin, and zucchini.
Good sources of protein include mice, crickets, earthworms, grasshoppers, hornworms, mealworms, Dubia roaches, cooked and shredded chicken, duck, turkey, and eggs.
They can also consume applesauce, cilantro, dandelions, cat food, and dog food.
Worst Foods To Avoid For Blue Tongue Skinks
The vegetables to avoid are corn, mushrooms, potatoes, onion, eggplant, rhubarb, and buttercups. Fruits to avoid, especially in large amounts, are avocados, kiwi, citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons, and tomatoes.
Blue-tongue skinks should not eat protein sources such as fish, tuna, ham, and any raw meat. They should also avoid parsley, yogurt, peanut butter, nuts, and pasta.
These foods can be difficult to digest and may contain high amounts of fats, carbohydrates, salt, heavy metals, oxalates, and goitrogens that may be harmful to skinks. If consumed, they may develop health complications.
Last Sentences
Blue tongue skinks can eat raspberries. Berries, squash, apples, and papaya are the greatest fruits. However, remember to keep fruits to a bare minimum and let them eat vegetables largely. The fruits and vegetables to be avoided are avocado, rhubarb, tomato and onion.
Many varieties of bugs, such as crickets, silkworms, hissing roaches, and locusts, are also excellent sources of lean meat. We hope you learned some new information about the blue tongue skinks that may be helpful as you continue to nurture your pet.