# Blue tongue skink morphs in the UK



## DeadLee (Apr 7, 2010)

Hello,

I'm seeing blue tongue skink morphs more and more especially in places like the USA but I haven't seen a single one in the UK. Does anyone know of anybody working on breeding morphs?

Thanks in advance


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## Tiliqua (Dec 6, 2008)

There are not very many around and they tend to be low profile. The prices are fairly steep too. That handful in the picture would set you back around 25 grand, maybe more.

Mark.


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## greendale9061 (Aug 26, 2009)

If you are wanting a colour morph, best place is to try the EU shows. Hamm is coming up in 2 weeks.


I'm not that intressted in them, as can't justified paying thousands of £ for a BTS, unless its a rare species.


The handful of people that do keep them don't tend to publicise them, and keep their breeding secretive.


If you looking for different colour BTS and not after a gentic hiccup i.e. 
albino
leucistic
melanistic
striped
pattenless


Try T. Scincoides Chimaerea, their colours vary from 

Snow White
Silver with Pink Hue
Dark Grey
Olive Green
Caramel Brown
Dark Brown
Burnt Orange
Sunshine Yellow 


Thanks Kate


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

I know this won't be helpful but, even though I hate morphs, I do love the look of the melanistic blue tongues.



Gavin.


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## DeadLee (Apr 7, 2010)

Thanks everyone. I'm personally not looking to get one as I only have two pet lizards (one of which is a merauke blue tongue skink) so I'm no breeder or collector of high end morphs. I don't have the space or the finances. 

I was more interested in how common morphs are. I wonder if some day blue tongue skink morphs will be as common as say leopard geckos or royal pythons.


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## TheBadger (Mar 8, 2015)

DeadLee said:


> Thanks everyone. I'm personally not looking to get one as I only have two pet lizards (one of which is a merauke blue tongue skink) so I'm no breeder or collector of high end morphs. I don't have the space or the finances.
> 
> I was more interested in how common morphs are. I wonder if some day blue tongue skink morphs will be as common as say leopard geckos or royal pythons.


Probably not as they're more difficult to sex, and therefor more difficult to breed. Plus they haven't really taken off in the UK in the same way, yet.

Plus with export laws and so on, it's difficult to obtain species from Australia for example.

Personally I hope it doesn't happen. They're an awesome animal and they're interesting enough as they are. 

I like how nature designs animals, not people after money from breeding genetic hiccups.


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## Satch (Sep 25, 2009)

gavgav04 said:


> I know this won't be helpful but, even though I hate morphs, I do love the look of the melanistic blue tongues.
> 
> 
> 
> Gavin.


They do look good even I will concede (and like an animal that might actually exist in the wild :gasp

but I'd much rather have a great example or an Egernia Major Instead.


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## DeadLee (Apr 7, 2010)

Yep wild colouring does look good. Here's my guy Murphy. FYI I'm 6'2" so he's a big guy.


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## greendale9061 (Aug 26, 2009)

I don't think it will ever get as crazy as the Royal morphs - that market was been saturated.

Since the ban on Oz Import/Exports, each animal is precious and unique. The bloodline is already quite thin. Yes I agree they do look funky & cool, but conservation of a dying species is more of a priority I think.


There are very few Pure Northerns/Eastern etc... around nower days in the UK, as they all originate from a handful of WC imports back in the 70s and 80s. The market is a bit better in EU and big in the USA.


You tend to find melanistic/albino ones are normally in the indo breeds, as 60-70% of the BTS in the UK are WC or CF Indonesian skinks. If a skinks is found with unusal colours in the wild, its easy to ship them straight off to Europe/USA, as there are less restrictions.


To Be honest, I don't think there are enough Pure breeders of any BTS here in the UK. 


I know some people like to mix the species and create hybrids, this might be by inexperiences/lack of knowledge of the different sub species or just because they can and its an easy buck. 


BTS are falling in prices due to this, but the Pure breeds keep there value. I remember 8-10 years ago, average price for an WC Indo was £200+, now your closer to £60-80 trade mark. It was a rarirty to have one in your collection.


But saying that, I am a proud owner of a Caramel Northern or Hypomelanistic skink. She caught my eye last year at Hamm, and she costs a far few ££ too. I'm hoping by next year she will give me a beautiful litter of babies. 


Thanks Kate


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