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No federal permit to keepIndonesian blue-tongued skink
Tiliqua gigas
Reptiles › Lizards (Lacertilia) › Scincidae (Skinks)
The Indonesian blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua gigas) is a lizard in the family Scincidae.
Care at a glance
Species-specific values
Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.
| Humidity | 60–80 % RH Species recommendation | 206 |
| Cool zone temperature | 75–85 °F Source cool-zone wording; measurement surface versus air not explicit | 206 |
| Air temperature night | 70–75 °F | 206 |
| Basking surface temperature | 100–105 °F | 206 |
| Enclosure floor area minimum | 12 ft2 Source minimum; height at least 18 inches or 24 inches with internal lamps | 207 |
| Social | House individually. | 207 |
Care guide
Blue-tongued skinks and Australian/Pacific skinks
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Woodland, grassland and rainforest. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For Tiliqua, current ReptiFiles guidance calls for at least 12 ft² of floor area; this does not specify arboreal Corucia housing.
- Deep substrate, a basking spot and UVB.
Climate & lighting
Starting point only: Tiliqua moisture requirements differ by species and subspecies; the 40–60% default excludes Indonesian and arid forms. Check the species-specific values for this animal where shown.
| Basking spot | 95–105°F |
| Warm side / daytime | 82–88°F |
| Cool side | 72–78°F |
| Humidity | 40–60% |
- UVB: Recommended.
Diet
- Blue-tongues: omnivorous mix of lean protein, greens and vegetables. Solomon Islands skinks: strictly leafy greens and vegetables.
Social life
- Tiliqua should be housed individually; do not extrapolate that recommendation to every genus in this guide.
Health watch
- Obesity and retained shed; Indonesian species need more humidity than Australian ones.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It is a close relative of the eastern blue-tongued skink. They are endemic to the island of New Guinea and other various surrounding islands.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Indonesian blue-tongued skink” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
Researched for this exact species, not its family. Good care copies these conditions.12345
| Where it lives | New Guinea and Indonesian islands, using tropical forest and more open vegetation. It shelters on the ground under fallen leaves and in hollow wood. |
| Ground it lives on | Soil and fallen leaf litter, with hollow logs as refuges. |
| Climate | Tropical, with locality-dependent rainfall; numerical wild temperature and humidity ranges were not established. |
| Active | Diurnal. |
| Social life | Solitary; males can be aggressive toward other males. |
| Wild diet | Fruit, insects and mollusks. |
| Behavior to plan for | It uses ground cover rather than a tree canopy and may inflate its body, gape and hiss when threatened. |
What this means for care
- Provide leaf litter and broad ground-level shelters.
- Offer both plant foods and invertebrates.
- Identify locality before choosing a humidity regime.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 88°F (up to 90°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 71°F (down to 66°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 76–80°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 79–85% on average (driest month about 80%) |
| Rainfall | about 2618 mm a year, spread fairly evenly |
Measured at 78 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
Profile
Profile
Researched for this exact species. Sources are listed under In the wild above.
Keeper tips
- Maintain a humid tropical environment.
- Provide a terrestrial enclosure with substantial floor area.
- Use a hot basking surface while retaining a cooler zone.
- Do not impose winter brumation simply because some other blue-tongued skinks brumate.
Behaviors reported
- Does not normally undergo seasonal winter brumation.
Unique adaptations
- The body is elongated with relatively reduced limbs.
- The tail is proportionally long, reported at roughly 60-90% of snout-vent length.
Remarkable facts
- The species is native to New Guinea and surrounding islands.
- Adults are commonly about 18-24 inches long.
- Body mass can approach 1 kg.
- Three subspecies are recognized.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The Indonesian blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua gigas) is a lizard in the family Scincidae. It is a close relative of the eastern blue-tongued skink. They are endemic to the island of New Guinea and other various surrounding islands. They are found typically in the rainforest, and in captivity, require high humidity. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Range: Indonesia (Ambon, Ceram = Seram, Ternate, Halmahera, Ke, Aru), Papua New Guinea, Jobi, Admiralty Islands, New Britain, Bismarck Archipelago. — The Reptile Database |
| Appearance and size | Tiliqua gigas has an elongated body and very small limbs, which is typical of most skinks of the genus. They typically get up to 46-61 centimetres (18-24 inches) in length and weigh up to 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds). They are known for their thinner, elongated tails, and avoiding participation in seasonal brumation as they regulate their breeding cycle on a wet and dry season. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| History and naming | Named after the giant “Gigas” in Greek mythology, the child of Uranus and Gaea. The name is applied to taxa that are giants of their kind. — The Reptile Database |
Data and studies
Researched care notes
Researched care notes
Findings checked against veterinary, zoo, welfare, keeper and peer-reviewed sources. Air, basking-surface and water temperatures are kept separate, and where sources disagree both are shown. “Study” notes report what a paper measured, not a universal rule.
Blue-Tongued Skink
Researched for this genus; applies to its species unless a species note says otherwise.
- Surface: ReptiFiles distinguishes a general basking surface of 37–40°C from 40–46°C for Tiliqua scincoides; these are localized surface recommendations, not whole-enclosure air settings.1
- Air / night: the guide gives Australian species approximately 18–24°C and Indonesian species 21–24°C; apply the identified species' requirements rather than merging them.1
- Humidity / taxon difference: Northern and Eastern T. scincoides receive 40–60% RH guidance, versus 60–80% for Indonesian T. gigas; uncertain identification prevents choosing a single genus-wide value.1
- Study: eleven adult T. scincoides showed increased plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D after four weeks of either two or twelve hours of daily UVB exposure.2
- Study limit: this UVB experiment measured a biochemical response under one diet; it does not establish a universal safe lamp distance, UV Index, or supplementation dose for every Tiliqua species.2
- House individually; ReptiFiles warns that territorial disputes can seriously injure co-housed skinks of either sex.3
- Provide substantial horizontal movement space plus sufficient height for furnishings and safely installed lighting; cage footprint alone does not describe the usable setup.3
- Feed a varied omnivorous ration containing suitable plant and animal foods; younger skinks need a different balance from adults.4
- Prepare firm vegetables in finely chopped, shredded or mashable form so they are easier to consume.4
- ReptiFiles — Blue Tongue Skink Temperatures, UVB and Humidity
- Godke et al. (2025) — Measuring the Rise and Fall of Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations with Ultraviolet B Exposure and Withdrawal in Blue-Tongued Skinks (Tiliqua scincoides)
- ReptiFiles — Blue Tongue Skink Enclosure Size Requirements
- ReptiFiles — Blue Tongue Skink Food
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Sex identification in juvenile and adult Indonesian blue-tongued skinks (Tiliqua gigas) through cystoscopy and accuracy of contrast radiography Vetere A et al., Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2023
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
Sources for this sheet
- AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources) Peer-reviewed researchCurated, referenced longevity and life-history records for thousands of species; maximum lifespans are often from zoo animals.
- Myhrvold et al. (2015). An amniote life-history database. Ecology 96: 3109 Peer-reviewed researchPeer-reviewed compilation of life-history data for over 21,000 birds, mammals and reptiles.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management and husbandry of reptiles Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional, metabolic and endocrine diseases of reptiles Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- ReptiFiles: Blue-tongued skink care Experienced keeper or breederWell-researched care guide.
- ReptiFiles: Blue-tongued skink temperatures, lighting and humidity Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- ReptiFiles: Blue-tongued skink enclosure size Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Clint's Reptiles (YouTube): Blue-Tongued Skink, The Best Pet Lizard? Expert educator & keeperClint Laidlaw, PhD in Biology Education and MS in Evolutionary Ecology; owner of Clint's Reptile Room and a longtime keeper. His "Best Pet?" series reviews each species' care in depth.
- The Reptile Database Peer-reviewed researchScientist-curated catalog of every reptile species, with taxonomy and literature.
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
- Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat) Zoo, university or veterinaryThe official database of species listed under CITES.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
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