Discoid Roaches for Blue Tongue Skinks: Feeding Guide

Feeding Discoid Roaches to Blue Tongue Skinks

Blue tongue skinks (BTS) are one of the most popular pet lizards — and for good reason. They're docile, handleable, personable, and relatively easy to care for. But their diet confuses a lot of new keepers because blue tongue skinks are true omnivores, meaning they need a balance of animal protein, vegetables, and fruits — not just insects.

Where do discoid roaches fit into a blue tongue skink's diet? They're an excellent protein source that works beautifully alongside the vegetables and fruits that make up the rest of the BTS meal plan. Here's how to use them effectively.

Understanding the BTS Omnivore Diet

The ideal blue tongue skink diet is typically described as a ratio:

• 50% protein (insects, lean meats, eggs)
• 40% vegetables and greens
• 10% fruit

Some keepers adjust this to 40% protein / 50% vegetables / 10% fruit for adults, which works well for less active adult skinks. The key principle is balance — blue tongue skinks are not strict insectivores like leopard geckos, and they shouldn't be fed an all-insect diet.

Within the protein portion of the diet, discoid roaches are one of the best options available. They deliver clean, lean protein (20% protein, 7% fat) without the obesity risks of rodents or the nutritional problems of dog food — two protein sources that were historically common in BTS diets but are now considered suboptimal by most experienced keepers.

Why Discoid Roaches Work for Blue Tongue Skinks

Lean Protein

At 7% fat, discoid roaches are among the leanest feeder insects. Blue tongue skinks are prone to obesity in captivity — especially northern and Indonesian species that are less active than their Australian counterparts. Low-fat protein sources help maintain healthy body condition over the animal's 15-20+ year lifespan.

Easy to Gut Load

Discoid roaches can be gut-loaded with the same vegetables you'd feed your BTS — collard greens, squash, sweet potato, carrots. This means the roaches arrive pre-loaded with vitamins and calcium that complement the rest of the skink's meal. It's gut loading that does double duty.

The Right Sizes Available

Blue tongue skinks are medium-sized lizards that can eat medium to large insects. Medium and large discoid roaches are the ideal sizes for most adult BTS. For juvenile skinks, small nymphs and medium nymphs are appropriate.

Safe and Low-Maintenance

Discoid roaches can't climb the glass walls of a BTS enclosure, won't bite your skink, and don't make noise or smell. For keepers who maintain blue tongue skinks in living spaces (bedrooms, living rooms), the cleanliness advantage over crickets is significant.

How Many Roaches to Feed a Blue Tongue Skink

Remember: roaches should make up only the protein portion of the meal, not the whole meal. Most BTS keepers prepare a complete meal that includes protein, vegetables, and a small amount of fruit mixed together.

Juvenile Blue Tongue Skinks (0-6 months)

• How many roaches per meal: 5-10 small to medium roaches, mixed with chopped vegetables and a small piece of fruit
• Feeding frequency: Every other day

Sub-Adult Blue Tongue Skinks (6-12 months)

• How many roaches per meal: 5-8 medium to large roaches alongside a generous portion of vegetables and greens
• Feeding frequency: Every 2-3 days

Adult Blue Tongue Skinks (12+ months)

• How many roaches per meal: 5-10 large roaches as the protein component of a complete meal
• Feeding frequency: Every 3-4 days for most adults. Some keepers feed twice a week.

Many BTS keepers offer the complete meal in a shallow dish — chopped greens, diced squash or sweet potato, a few pieces of fruit, and the roaches mixed in. The skink eats everything together, ensuring balanced nutrition in each sitting.

The Complete BTS Meal Plan

Here's what a well-rounded blue tongue skink feeding week looks like with discoid roaches as the primary protein source:

Meal 1 (e.g., Monday)

• 5-10 discoid roaches (gut-loaded, calcium-dusted)
• Chopped collard greens and butternut squash
• Small piece of mango or blueberries

Meal 2 (e.g., Thursday)

• Scrambled or hard-boiled egg (with shell crushed in for calcium)
• Chopped turnip greens and sweet potato
• Small piece of banana

Meal 3 (e.g., Sunday)

• 5-10 discoid roaches
• Chopped mustard greens and zucchini
• A few blueberries

This rotation provides variety in both protein sources and produce, hitting all nutritional bases over the course of a week. You can substitute other protein sources (silkworms, hornworms, lean cooked turkey) for variety, but discoid roaches serve as the reliable, nutrient-dense core.

Other Protein Sources for BTS (and How They Compare)

Discoid roaches (recommended staple): 20% protein, 7% fat. Clean, lean, gut-loadable, convenient. The best all-around insect protein for BTS.

Hornworms (excellent supplement): High moisture (85%), low fat, eagerly eaten. Great for hydration — especially useful for Indonesian species that need higher humidity.

Silkworms (premium supplement): Ultra-low fat (1%), high calcium. Excellent but expensive and harder to source consistently.

Hard-boiled or scrambled egg (1-2x per month): Complete protein with calcium from crushed shell. A classic BTS protein source.

Lean cooked turkey or chicken (occasionally): Acceptable protein source for variety. Use unseasoned, plain cooked meat only.

Dog or cat food (avoid): Once a common recommendation, now considered suboptimal. Too high in fat, sodium, and preservatives for regular BTS feeding. If used at all, choose a grain-free, high-quality formula and offer rarely.

Crickets (adequate but annoying): Nutritionally acceptable but come with the usual problems — smell, noise, escapes, biting, short lifespan. Discoid roaches are superior in every practical way.

Supplementation for Blue Tongue Skinks

• 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 BTS species but generally recommended for all)

Common BTS Feeding Mistakes

• All-insect diet: Blue tongue skinks are omnivores, not insectivores. Feeding only insects leads to nutritional imbalances and obesity. Always include vegetables.
• All-dog-food diet: Too high in fat and sodium. Replace with whole food proteins like discoid roaches and eggs.
• Overfeeding: BTS are food-motivated and will eat everything you offer. Stick to the feeding schedule — obesity is a real issue.
• Ignoring calcium: BTS need calcium supplementation even with a varied diet. Dust protein items and offer calcium-rich vegetables (collard greens, turnip greens).

Blue tongue skinks thrive on the simplicity of a balanced omnivore diet with discoid roaches as the protein backbone. Browse our selection of gut-loaded discoid roaches in all sizes, shipped with our live arrival guarantee.

— Matt, Founder, All Angles Creatures