Meet Benjamin, the Blue Tongue Lizard!

To keep a blue tongue lizard as a pet in Australia you need to buy one from a pet shop or private breeder. Ask your Department of Conservation or Environment about your local laws and whether you need to have a licence, before you buy your blue tongue.

Blue-tongue lizards are an entertaining pet. They love crawling into confined spaces and exploring every nook and cranny in their home.

It is important to provide your blue tongue with an enclosed hide box in his living quarters so he can feel safe and secure. Benjamin became especially attached to his hide box after we placed a small folded towel inside it -- he loves burrowing underneath the folds of his 'security blanket'.

There are six different blue-tongue species with a range of attractive colours and patterns. But all have that stunning bright blue tongue that can reach out delicately to taste something or spread out wide to licks the lips.

A young blue-tongue is extremely flexible. They love crawling inside boxes or through the cardboard tube from an old roll of paper towels. When Benjamin was small he could crawl inside a long narrow china vase and turn right around inside it. Once, when Benjamin was quite young, we tried putting a ribbon loop around his neck as a lead. Benjamin slipped his arms through the ribbon loop one at a time, and then just wriggled right through the loop and walked off!

Bluetongues need to be given proper heating and the correct type of ultraviolet light to keep their calcium levels up and their bones strong. We have a large sunning box with an escape-proof wire mesh lid for Benjamin. On sunny mornings we put him out in this box and he enjoys basking in the sun. We put a thick layer of leaf litter and bark inside the box for Benjamin to dig in. We also cover half of the lid with a towel so that he has an area to retreat to where he feels hidden and safe.

However, once these conditions are under control, blue tongues are quite easy to care for. The do not need to be fed as often as a dog or cat -- for an adult about every second day in summer or about weekly in winter. Young lizards need more frequent feeds. Blue tongues need a mixture of meat and plant foods in their diets. They also need access to a bowl of fresh water.

Blue tongue lizards are quiet, clean and gentle. A blue-tongue lizard will amply repay your care with its charm and endearing ways.