Discoid Roaches for Blue Tongue Skinks: A Feeding Guide
- Role
- Staple feeder
- Protein
- ~20%
- Fat
- ~6.5%
- Moisture
- ~60%
- Chitin
- low
- Ca:P
- 1:3
- Calcium-rich
- No (dust it)
- Best for
- Most insectivores — beardies, geckos, frogs, monitors
Blue tongue skinks (BTS) are one of the most popular pet lizards out there, and deservedly so — they're docile, handleable, personable, and relatively easy to keep. But their diet confuses a lot of new keepers, because blue tongue skinks are true omnivores. They need a balance of animal protein, vegetables, and fruit, not just a bowl of bugs. So where do discoid roaches (Blaberus discoidalis) fit in? They're an excellent, lean protein source that works beautifully alongside the produce that makes up the rest of a BTS meal. Here's how to use them effectively.
Understanding the BTS omnivore diet
The standard blue tongue skink diet is usually described as a ratio:
- 50% protein (insects, lean meats, eggs)
- 40% vegetables and greens
- 10% fruit
Many keepers shift adults toward 40% protein / 50% vegetables / 10% fruit, which suits less active adult skinks well. The principle that matters is balance — BTS are not strict insectivores like leopard geckos, and an all-insect diet leads to nutritional imbalance and obesity.
Within the protein portion, discoid roaches are one of the best options available. They deliver clean, lean protein — about 20% protein and 7% fat — without the obesity risk of rodents or the problems of dog food, two protein sources that were historically common in BTS diets and are now considered suboptimal.
Why discoid roaches work for blue tongue skinks
Lean protein. At ~7% fat, discoids are among the leanest feeder insects. Blue tongue skinks are prone to obesity in captivity, especially the less active northern and Indonesian types, so low-fat protein helps maintain healthy body condition across their 15–20+ year lifespan.
Easy to gut-load. You can gut-load discoids with the very same vegetables you feed your skink — collard greens, squash, sweet potato, carrots. The roaches arrive pre-loaded with vitamins and minerals that complement the rest of the meal. It's gut-loading that does double duty.
The right sizes. Blue tongue skinks are medium-sized lizards that handle medium-to-large insects. Medium and large discoids suit most adults; small and medium nymphs suit juveniles.
Clean and low-maintenance. Discoids can't climb the smooth glass of a BTS enclosure, won't bite your skink, and don't smell or make noise. For anyone keeping a skink in a bedroom or living room, that cleanliness advantage over crickets is significant.
How many roaches to feed by age
Remember: roaches are the protein portion of a mixed meal, not the whole meal. Most keepers build a complete meal — protein, vegetables, and a little fruit mixed together — and the skink eats it all in one sitting.
| Life stage | Roaches per meal | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Juvenile (0–6 months) | 5–10 small-to-medium, with chopped veg and a little fruit | Every other day |
| Sub-adult (6–12 months) | 5–8 medium-to-large, with a generous portion of greens | Every 2–3 days |
| Adult (12+ months) | 5–10 large, as the protein component of a complete meal | Every 3–4 days (some keepers twice a week) |
Offering the meal in a shallow dish — chopped greens, diced squash or sweet potato, a few pieces of fruit, and the roaches mixed in — ensures balanced nutrition every sitting.
Species differences that affect feeding
"Blue tongue skink" covers several species, and they don't all eat the same way. It's worth knowing which one you have:
- Australian species (eastern, northern, etc.) tend to be more active and have a slightly faster metabolism, so they tolerate a bit more protein and frequency.
- Indonesian species (e.g. Merauke, Halmahera) are less active, need higher humidity, and benefit from more hydration-rich items like hornworms alongside their roaches.
- Northern blue tongues are notably prone to obesity in captivity, so lean protein like discoid roaches and disciplined portion control matter most for them.
Across all of them the principles are identical — balanced omnivore diet, lean protein, calcium supplementation — but adjust frequency and portion toward the lower end for the less active, obesity-prone types.
Sizing roaches to your skink
Discoid roaches come in a range of sizes, and matching them to your skink keeps feeding safe and efficient:
| Skink stage | Roach size |
|---|---|
| Juvenile (0–6 months) | Small to medium nymphs |
| Sub-adult (6–12 months) | Medium to large nymphs |
| Adult (12+ months) | Large nymphs and adults |
Even though blue tongue skinks are larger lizards with wide mouths, the eye-width rule still applies as an upper limit — a feeder shouldn't be wider than the space between the skink's eyes. With discoids' soft, low-chitin bodies, this is rarely a concern at appropriate sizes.
A sample weekly meal plan
Here's what a well-rounded BTS week looks like with discoid roaches as the primary protein:
Meal 1 (e.g. Monday)
- 5–10 discoid roaches (gut-loaded, calcium-dusted)
- Chopped collard greens and butternut squash
- A small piece of mango or a few blueberries
Meal 2 (e.g. Thursday)
- Scrambled or hard-boiled egg (with crushed shell for calcium)
- Chopped turnip greens and sweet potato
- A small piece of banana
Meal 3 (e.g. Sunday)
- 5–10 discoid roaches
- Chopped mustard greens and zucchini
- A few blueberries
This rotation varies both protein sources and produce, hitting all the nutritional bases over a week. You can substitute other proteins for variety, but discoids serve as the reliable, nutrient-dense core. When you want gut-loaded roaches on hand, All Angles Creatures stocks discoid roaches in every size from small nymphs to large adults.
Other protein sources, compared
- Discoid roaches (recommended staple): ~20% protein, ~7% fat. Clean, lean, gut-loadable, convenient. The best all-around insect protein for BTS.
- Hornworms (excellent supplement): ~85% moisture, low fat, eagerly eaten — great for hydration, especially for higher-humidity Indonesian species.
- Silkworms (premium supplement): ~1% fat, decent calcium. Excellent but pricier and harder to source consistently.
- Hard-boiled or scrambled egg (1–2×/month): complete protein with calcium from crushed shell. A classic BTS protein.
- Lean cooked turkey or chicken (occasionally): acceptable for variety — plain, unseasoned only.
- Dog or cat food (avoid): too high in fat, sodium, and preservatives for regular feeding.
- Crickets (adequate but annoying): nutritionally fine but bring smell, noise, escapes, biting, and short lifespans. Discoids beat them in every practical way.
Supplementation
- Every insect feeding: dust roaches with calcium + D3 powder.
- Once weekly: dust with a reptile multivitamin.
- UVB lighting: provide UVB for natural D3 synthesis (debated for some species, but generally recommended).
Transitioning a skink onto discoid roaches
If you've adopted a skink that was raised on crickets, dog food, or an all-meat diet, switching it to a balanced plan with discoid roaches as the protein core is usually straightforward — blue tongue skinks are food-motivated and rarely fussy. A few tips smooth the process:
- Mix roaches into the existing meal at first, so the skink encounters them alongside familiar food.
- Offer roaches when the skink is genuinely hungry, not right after a big meal.
- Use movement to your advantage early on — a roach placed in the dish or gently moved with tongs catches the skink's attention.
- Be patient with an ex-dog-food eater. A skink used to soft, calorie-dense food may take a few sessions to accept whole insects, but the long-term health payoff is worth it.
Once a skink learns roaches are food, most will take them eagerly for life.
Hydration for blue tongue skinks
Diet and hydration go together. Provide a shallow water dish large enough for the skink to soak in if it wants, refreshed daily, and keep it on the cooler side of the enclosure so it stays fresh longer. Much of a skink's water also comes from its food — the vegetables and fruit in each meal, plus high-moisture feeders like hornworms, all contribute. This matters most for the higher-humidity Indonesian species, where a hornworm or two worked into the rotation helps keep them well hydrated alongside their discoid roaches.
Common BTS feeding mistakes
- All-insect diet. Blue tongue skinks are omnivores; insects alone cause imbalance and obesity. Always include vegetables.
- All-dog-food diet. Too high in fat and sodium — replace with whole-food proteins like roaches and eggs.
- Overfeeding. BTS are food-motivated and will eat everything offered. Stick to the schedule; obesity is a real risk.
- Ignoring calcium. Even on a varied diet, BTS need calcium supplementation — dust protein items and offer calcium-rich greens like collard and turnip.
Blue tongue skinks thrive on the simplicity of a balanced omnivore diet with discoid roaches as the protein backbone. Get the ratio right, keep the roaches gut-loaded and dusted, and your skink gets clean nutrition for a long, healthy life.
Want to keep your own roach supply going? See my discoid roach breeding guide, or browse the full exotic-animals care library. For diet and health references, the Merck Veterinary Manual's reptile section is a reliable non-commercial source.