Pygmy blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua adelaidensis)

Short answers

Pygmy blue-tongued skink: How big does the enclosure need to be?

No dependable data on private keeping; zoos use deep-substrate enclosures with vertical tubes as a substitute burrow.

Pygmy blue-tongued skink: What temperature does it need?

Daytime approx. 22–28 °C (inferred from the natural climate, uncertain), basking spot approx. 30–35 °C, basks at the burrow entrance (uncertain), at night approx. 10–18 °C, varying with the season (uncertain).

Pygmy blue-tongued skink: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB is presumably needed (a diurnal basker, ~Ferguson zone 3); no published keeper figures (uncertain).

Pygmy blue-tongued skink: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: Not reliably documented in captivity (uncertain).

Pygmy blue-tongued skink: Is it suitable for beginners?

No – better suited to experienced keepers (difficulty: Expert).

Climate

Daytime temperature

approx. 22–28 °C (inferred from the natural climate, uncertain)

Night temperature

approx. 10–18 °C, varying with the season (uncertain)

Basking spot

approx. 30–35 °C, basks at the burrow entrance (uncertain)

Humidity

approx. 40–60 % (temperate grassland / semi-arid, uncertain)

UVB

UVB is presumably needed (a diurnal basker, ~Ferguson zone 3); no published keeper figures (uncertain)

Enclosure

Minimum size

No dependable data on private keeping; zoos use deep-substrate enclosures with vertical tubes as a substitute burrow

Substrate

The natural habitat: deep, unploughed grassland soil with vertical wolf-spider burrows as refuges and lookouts

Feeding

Food

Omnivorous, ambushing from the burrow entrance: mainly invertebrates, especially spiders and insects, plus a little plant matter

Feeding interval

Not reliably documented (uncertain)

Key facts

Adult size

SVL ~9–10 cm, total length ~15 cm (the smallest Tiliqua species)

Life expectancy

Not reliably documented in captivity (uncertain)

Origin

Endemic to the Mid North of South Australia (remnant natural grassland); rediscovered in 1992, with a population of only ~5,000–7,000 animals

Protection status

CITES Appendix I (since CoP19 in 2022; previously Appendix III from 22 June 2022) → EU Regulation Annex A. IUCN Endangered, and protected in Australia under the EPBC Act. No legal private trade; any keeping requires a permit and CITES documents – in practice this is reserved for conservation

Brumation

Yes – a natural winter rest period (winter in cool South Australia); the exact protocols are not published

Cohabitation

Single keeping. Each animal occupies its own burrow (an old spider tube), and the animals use tubes individually; there is no evidence for groups. Zoos provide individual tubes as burrow replacements. Bring a pair together only for controlled mating.

Notes

Despite the name, a pink tongue. Live-bearing. Extremely dependent on its habitat (old wolf-spider burrows). It does NOT belong in private herpetoculture; the husbandry figures are deliberately conservative and uncertain, derived from its natural climate – they cannot be backed by keeper sources.

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Related species

• Centralian blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua multifasciata) – Intermediate
• Common blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides) – Beginner
• Halmahera blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua gigas gigas) – Intermediate
• Indonesian blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua gigas) – Beginner to intermediate
• Irian Jaya blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua sp. „Irian Jaya") – Intermediate
• Kei Island blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua gigas keyensis) – Intermediate
• Shingleback skink (Tiliqua rugosa) – Intermediate
• Merauke blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua gigas evanescens) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Pygmy blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua adelaidensis) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (No dependable data on private keeping; zoos use deep-substrate enclosures with vertical tubes as a substitute burrow), substrate (The natural habitat: deep, unploughed grassland soil with vertical wolf-spider burrows as refuges and lookouts), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.