Can't decide between..

[sickygnar89]

a blue tongued skink or a bearded dragon. I really want both but I know I can't right now. I just want to maybe get opinions from members who have either one. Which one would be a better choice? Are blue tongued skinks very active? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[contracteryin]

Well, I don't have either one, but a local pet store has both, and I spend hours there and from what I have seen, blue tongued skinks have mild action, but I think they're pretty to look at. I honestly think both are great choices, though I'd personally choose the skink just for the fact *around here* they're harder to find. In the end, it's your choice though

 

[im faster]

Dragon.

 

[fuzzylogix]

it just depends on your interaction and what you want from a reptile. i have both and love them in different ways. beardies are more active and sometimes comical to say the least. blue tongues are much heavier bodied and low profile, and generally considered lazier. they are both generally easy to handle and tolerate it with no issues. you also have to consider your setup and how much room you need for both. an adult beardie will do fine in a 55 gallon, while a blue tongue will need much more floor space. juvenile blueys need at least a 40 gallon and my adult female IJ/Merauke has a custom enclosure that is 5 foot long by 3 foot deep. diet will be different as well. my blue tongues eat ground turkey, greens, hard boiled eggs, f/t hoppers, even all natural cat food. i will throw in a discoid now and then just to watch them chase it as well. my baby beardies eat mostly protein including mealworms, dubia, and crix. i always offer my baby beardies greens as well. my adult beardies eat more leafy greens than protein, but they eat dubia too. do your research and see what fits your situation. and if you are still having issues deciding, just do what i would do... get both

 

[sickygnar89]

Thanks everybody for your input. I've researched beardies for awhile now and have always planned to get one. But then I heard about blue tongued skins and became interested. I started researching them and then that's when I couldn't decide which one I wanted lol. I wish I could get both, but as of right now, I don't have enough space.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

I've had both and they're great. It's my experience that dragons are more social in the aspect of taking out to visit other folks and taking to reptile events. Both are great pets tho and it's a tough choice. Skinks are entertaining to watch with their funny burrowing antics. Mine pushed a little rubber ducky around. But there's nothing like watching a dragon bob and wave While tank sizes are similar, a skink needs more width than a 55 to turn around when they're full grown. Good luck with your choice.