Pink tongued skink diet information

[freves]

I recently acquired some pink tongued skinks, Hemisphaeriodon gerrardi, and am searching for more information regarding the diet. There is one UK based site that comes up with a google search. The few other tidbits of information that I have found regarding their diet have been somewhat contradictory. Does anyone have any personal experience with this species and/or know any good links?
Chip

 

[Coastal Groovin]

I keep blue tongue skinks. I always wanted to get pink tongues but with their main food source being snails and slugs I just aways skip them. What I can tell you for sure is not to feed them beef or dog food. This is never good for them. That said they do come from tropical rainforests so I would try food items that they might come in contact with in this enviroment. I would try feeding them night crawlers and garden grubs. With pools of water on the forest floor they may even come in contact with dead or dieing fish. And maybe even leeches. I would try all these mixing them with snail and slugs that should be their main diet. While none of this is proven my blueys eat all of the above so it might be worth you trying with your pink tongues. If you try these item please post here what they eat for you. Thanks Bill

 

[Decount062]

Hi,I kept a pink tongue for over 15 years,There was not much it would pass up as far as live food goes.Mine loved roaches,earthworms,snails,crayfish,pillbugs,live feeder fish,frozen thawed vitamin/mineral enriched shrimp in a pinch,it also enjoyed mice,as well as many types of fruit.Åll in all a rather easy species to provide a varied diet to.I have kept blue tongue's that readily accepted all mentioned foods,especially crawfish!,imagine a desert dweller not only knowing its edible ,but avoiding the claws like it understood what they were for.While it would never come upon one in nature,it still knew it was good food and responded accordingly.Hope this helps

 

[freves]

I appreciate the input. I was told to feed them high quality canned cat food twice a week and chopped earthworms once a week. The catfood is OK in a pinch but I have been focusing on more natural foods, mostly calcium and multi-vitamin dusted slugs, earthworms, and various feeder insects offered on forceps. I plan on attempting to culture land snails as well.
Chip

 

[fishkeeper]

Any updates on these guys? Prices have dropped quite a bit recently and I might be able to afford one or two next year when people start popping babies. They are quite neat!