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Fact-checked skink printables, a free sample to try first, and the books and kit our care guide relies on.
Skink printables
Fact-checked PDFs in A4 and US Letter, from REALLYBYTE.
Blue-Tongued Skink Care Planner & Log
Set-up planner, diet guide, feeding, temperature and weight logs, health checks
Skink Anatomy & Adaptations Worksheets
Labelling, tail science, adaptations, reading and quiz, with keys
Skink Habitats & Conservation Pack
Habitat sort, world map, island rescue reading and garden plan
Best valueThe Complete Skink Printables Bundle
All six packs, A4 and US Letter. Everything above in one download.
Free sample
A free 7-page skink printables sample (PDF). Pick your paper size:
Books & kit
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Kit for a blue-tongued skink set-up
If you are setting up from scratch, this is the equipment the care guide relies on. The links go to general Amazon UK searches, not to products we have tested, so compare specifications and check reviews yourself. Buy the thermostat and UVB lighting from reputable reptile brands. Please avoid heat rocks, which can cause serious burns, and never run any heat source without a thermostat.
| Item | What to look for | Search Amazon UK |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure | A front-opening wooden or PVC vivarium, at least 120 × 60 × 60 cm (4 × 2 × 2 ft) | 4ft vivariums |
| Thermostat | A dimming thermostat for the basking bulb. Not optional. | dimming thermostats |
| Basking lamp | A halogen flood bulb in a ceramic holder, with a bulb guard | halogen basking bulbs |
| Bulb guard | A mesh guard so the skink can’t touch the bulb | lamp guards |
| UVB | A T5 high-output UVB tube with reflector and controller, sized to about half the enclosure length | T5 HO UVB kits |
| Timer | A plug-in timer for a steady day length | plug-in timers |
| Thermometers & hygrometer | Digital probe thermometers for each end, plus a hygrometer | digital thermometer-hygrometers |
| Temperature gun | An infrared thermometer for checking the basking surface | infrared thermometers |
| UV index meter (optional) | Lets you check the UV index at the basking spot | Solarmeter 6.5 UV index meters |
| Substrate | Plain organic topsoil and play sand (Australian forms), or coconut fibre (Indonesian forms) | coconut fibre substrate |
| Hides | At least two hides big enough for an adult to turn around in | large reptile hides |
| Water bowl | A heavy, shallow ceramic bowl that can’t be tipped | heavy reptile water bowls |
| Supplements | Plain reptile calcium powder and a reptile multivitamin, used as directed | reptile calcium powder |
| Digital scales | Kitchen scales that weigh in grams, for regular weight checks | digital kitchen scales |
Books
A few printed references for going further. Publication details are taken from library records; newer editions may exist.
- Cogger, H.G. (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 7th edn. CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 9780643100350. Find on Amazon UK
- Wilson, S. & Swan, G. (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, 4th edn. New Holland. ISBN 9781921517280. Find on Amazon UK
- Pianka, E.R. & Vitt, L.J. (2003). Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of Diversity. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520234017. Find on Amazon UK
- Wareham, D.C. (2014). Blue-Tongued Skinks. i-5 Publishing. ISBN 9781882770991. Find on Amazon UK
- Walls, J.G. (1996). Blue-Tongued Skinks: Keeping and Breeding Them in Captivity. TFH Publications. ISBN 9780793820566. Find on Amazon UK