By Ben Rodgers
Editor
SUAMICO – At first glance this month’s Animals of the Month look like the perfect creatures to be featured in a spooky movie, but in reality that’s far from the truth.
Skinkers and Blu are two blue-tongued skinks that mostly lounge around their habitats at the NEW Zoo.
Nearly two feet in length, the calm critters are more apt to lie in the lights all day instead of chase their prey.
This makes them the perfect lizard for educational programming at the NEW Zoo.
“They’re so calm and docile,” said Kim Riley, zookeeper. “They’re super easy to handle, they’re a really great introduction animal for kids and can be a gateway for snakes.”
Blue-tongued skinks can be a little intimidating for the uninitiated. They are roughly two feet long, have a head that looks like it belongs on a snake and, of course, have a blue tongue.
“The blue tongue acts to scare away predators,” Riley said. “If they’re being threatened or something comes after them, they hiss and out comes that tongue.”
Much like Wisconsin has native animals like squirrels, chipmunks and deer, in Australia the blue-tongued skink is a common sight.
This means the only time they are likely to hiss and stick out their tongue in defense is when they are threatened by a kookaburra, snake, dog or cat.
Because they are so common, Riley said blue-tongued skinks are a popular pet for those who enjoy reptiles.
She said they also have a unique upbringing. Blue-tongued skinks are generally born in litters of six to 20, but the average is closer to 10.
They are also completely independent from birth, meaning it’s hardwired in their lizard brains to go after food from birth, as soon as they get the chance.
“They can be very tenacious about their food sometimes,” Riley said. “They have strong jaws, so they tend to go after things. In the wild, they can easily crunch through a small snail, smaller lizards and things, so they’re pretty opportunistic when there’s food.”
At the NEW Zoo, Skinkers and Blu get a salad every day topped with vitamins and a dose of protein three to five times a week.
Their protein snacks are typically crickets, worms or tiny mice called pinkies.
“They can get very excited about food,” Riley said. “They know exactly what you got going on and they’re all for it.”
Skinkers is an old man at 21 years old (they can live up to 30 years in captivity) but still tends to go after food quickly, Riley said.
Blu, 11, shares a habitat with a bearded dragon, so he is the calmer skink of the two.
Both have an easy life at the NEW Zoo and serve their purpose of educating visitors and garnering interest in reptiles.
“It really opens up a whole world for kids and adults alike that they otherwise wouldn’t get to realize,” Riley said.
To check and see the next time the blue-tongued skinks will be featured for educational programs, visit newzoo.org.