🐾 LandCare difficulty: IntermediateLegal complexity: Low
Pink-tongue skink
Cyclodomorphus gerrardii · also called Pink-tongued skink, Pink-tongued lizard
The pink-tongue skink is a semi-arboreal Australian relative of the blue-tongue skink, named for its pink tongue and specialized for eating snails and slugs. Docile and long-lived, it makes a calm, handleable display pet for keepers who can meet its higher humidity needs.
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Quick facts
| Size | Medium: about 35-45 cm (14-18 in) total length, with a long, semi-prehensile tail. |
| Lifespan | 10–20 years |
| Social needs | solo |
| Native region | Eastern Australia (New South Wales & Queensland) |
| Origin | Old World |
| Climate | ⛅ Subtropical |
| Family | Scincidae |
| Genus | Cyclodomorphus |
Part of the Skinks & plated lizards
Smooth- to plate-scaled, often terrestrial and fossorial lizards — generally hardy, diurnal, and good-natured, needing diggable substrate, a basking gradient, and UVB.
Habitat & space requirements
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Habitat & enclosure
Native to humid forests and woodlands of eastern Australia (New South Wales and Queensland). House one in a terrarium of at least 90 x 45 x 90 cm (36 x 18 x 36 in); they are more climbing-inclined than blue-tongues, so include sturdy branches and elevated cover.
Provide a basking spot of about 32-35 C (90-95 F) with a cooler end around 24-27 C (75-80 F) and a night drop (not below ~20 C / 68 F). They prefer moderate-to-high humidity (around 70-90%), higher than most blue-tongues — light daily misting and a moist substrate help. UVB (zone 2-3, ~6-7% T5) supports their crepuscular/nocturnal activity and bone health. Provide a water dish.
Substrate
A moisture-retentive substrate such as a coir/soil mix or bioactive ABG-style blend, topped with leaf litter and cork for cover, holds the higher humidity they like. Provide a few inches of depth so the substrate can hold moisture without becoming waterlogged. A bioactive setup with isopods and springtails suits their humid-forest origins well.
Equipment & setup
Basking lamp on a thermostat, 6-7% T5 UVB, thermometer/hygrometer, sturdy climbing branches and elevated hides, a water dish, and a hand mister or misting system for humidity. Cork rounds and leaf litter for ground and arboreal cover. Good ventilation to prevent stagnant, overly wet air.
Diet
A snail and slug specialist in the wild, with curved teeth adapted to extracting them from shells. In captivity offer captive-bred or pesticide-free snails when available, plus a varied diet of insects (crickets, roaches, snails, earthworms), and some keepers offer occasional lean meat or quality wet cat food and a little fruit. Supplement with calcium and a multivitamin. Avoid wild-collected snails/slugs from areas that may carry parasites or molluscicides. Feed juveniles more frequently than adults.
Behavior & temperament
Generally docile, slow-moving, and tolerant of gentle handling, making it one of the more handleable skinks. It is crepuscular/nocturnal and semi-arboreal, climbing among branches at night. When startled it may open its mouth to display the pink tongue as a bluff. Keep singly outside breeding — they are best housed alone to avoid stress and competition. With regular calm interaction they become quite tame.
Health
Hardy and long-lived with proper humidity. Too-dry conditions cause shedding problems and dehydration. Obesity results from overfeeding fatty foods like too much cat food or meat — keep the diet varied and invertebrate-based. As with many skinks, metabolic bone disease arises without adequate calcium/UVB. Quarantine new animals and check feces for parasites, especially if fed wild invertebrates.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Give more humidity and climbing structure than a typical blue-tongue setup. Source captive-bred snails or a varied feeder rotation rather than relying on risky wild snails. Handle calmly and regularly for a tame animal. Mist lightly and watch for clean sheds as a humidity gauge. They are long-lived (often 15+ years), so plan for a long commitment.
Sources
- Cyclodomorphus gerrardii, The Reptile Database (reference)
- Pink-Tongued Skink Care (care guide)
- Wikipedia: Pink-tongue skink (wiki)