Bazinga! I got a blue tongue skink! =o

[Gail]

i was thinking my next reptile would be a leo but now im thinking i want a BTS :shock:

Go for it, they really are interesting pets. A bit of advice though, take your time and find a docile captive born baby. Irian Jaya are the most common and cheapest type of bluey, they are also WC in huge quantities and can be difficult to tame.

Also, make sure to read about their personalities and temperament. Different species have different temperaments, some are more crabby then others. While most tame down very well, they have a higher tendency to be unfriendly then a beardie but very few are actually mean. Most all will huff when first handled, especially young ones.
I though I was prepared for the hissy fits but it was quite unnerving at first. Having a 6" devil lizard that sounded like a leaky tire giving you a stare down.

 

[ShannyBeard]

Well said, Gail. I was scared, scared to put my arm into the skink viv at the reptile shop on Saturday. I've never handled one and I had just admired him from outside the viv. The shop owner said he was tame, but I was still very nervous. He went to crawl up my shoulder and head is big enough to take my whole ear off. :shock: I can't imagine trying to tame a wild caught.

I also read that people will keep them cold intentionally because they are slower when they are cold. So if you are handling a cold skink it may not be the same as when it warms up!

 

[Gail]

I can't imagine having room for one more skink, but if you do breed those two amazing skinks and you can ship to Florida, I would love to have one. That's one of those long-range-we-shall-see things, a future possibility. I can only imagine we would want to get a baby some day.

Babies are super cute and so feisty, of course you will want one One thing about Northerns, they are all captive bred. They come from Australia and their export is no longer allowed. The indos, IJ and meruakes come from Indonesia and are still imported in large numbers. It can be difficult to find a quality Indonesian species that is captive bred.

I'd love to have a shingle back someday but they too are from Australia and the number available in the states is pretty low so they are expensive. Then there are Westerns, another Australian species but they aren't available in the states. Makes me want to move to Australia.

True that a cold reptile will be slower and some dishonest people will keep them cool at reptile shows. You never, ever buy a cold reptile. Always see it when warm and active. Bluey's can inflict a nasty bite, more of a large bruise then drawing blood though. If he ever starts licking you repeatedly in one spot, move away, he may be getting ready to take a taste. They think everything is food and if you smell right, they will have a nibble and some will hang on. Good thing they don't have sharp teeth.

 

[ShannyBeard]

Thanks for the advice on biting - I don't ever want to get bitten by this guy for sure! He has a huge mouth and I bet he could really clamp down hard. I looked up the Fire skinks and they were truly beautiful but I don't think they would be for me!! They are too much like what used to be outside when I was a kid and those just freak me out. They seemed very aggressive when we would approach them! :evil: Then again, I want to always keep an open mind... I just want to stick to nice and sweet reptiles. HAHAHA

We let Bazinga explore today and he tried to put on Ginger's leash :laughing6:

 

[Gail]

I had a fire skink years ago, he wasn't mean at all. Check youtube for wild bluey videos, they are pretty ferocious. I was told not to use leashes for these guys, can't remember why but they really aren't fast enough to worry about them running off. I used to take mine out to play in the flower bed and she never moved more the a quick slither.

 

[ShannyBeard]

He's not fast at all that's for sure. We've been letting him check out the living room and he really doesn't get far at all, but he does slink along steadily so he could get away if we stopped paying attention. Then again he's exactly quiet. We can pretty much guess where he is because of the rustling...

 

[TASTIGER]

i was thinking my next reptile would be a leo but now im thinking i want a BTS :shock:

Go for it, they really are interesting pets. A bit of advice though, take your time and find a docile captive born baby. Irian Jaya are the most common and cheapest type of bluey, they are also WC in huge quantities and can be difficult to tame.

Also, make sure to read about their personalities and temperament. Different species have different temperaments, some are more crabby then others. While most tame down very well, they have a higher tendency to be unfriendly then a beardie but very few are actually mean. Most all will huff when first handled, especially young ones.
I though I was prepared for the hissy fits but it was quite unnerving at first. Having a 6" devil lizard that sounded like a leaky tire giving you a stare down.

thanks for the advice!!

 

[Gail]

I'm taking a hiatus from this site. If you guys needs me, come over to http://www.bluetongueskinks.org/forum/index.php , my username is waldo

 

[ShannyBeard]

I'm taking a hiatus from this site. If you guys needs me, come over to http://www.bluetongueskinks.org/forum/index.php , my username is waldo

Thank you! I am glad I can catch up with you there, since bearded dragons are not our only reptiles now! :mrgreen: Awesome. I have been lurking on that site but I haven't joined yet. I don't have anything to contribute and I am still trying to get a feel for that forum. All forums are so different!!!!

 

[Gail]

You should join and introduce yourself a Bazinga. Everyone there is really nice and they love new members. I don't contribute anything either but I do ask questions occasionally. Its a pretty heavily moderated forum, they don't let members come on and spout nonsense like what happens here. If someone gives bad or incomplete advice, they are called out and asked not to do it again.

 

[ShannyBeard]

That's cool. I will have some questions as I set up his viv. It's not like a beardie viv that's for sure. :shock:

On these forums, I will report a post that has bad advice. I have learned that calling someone out and being argumentative doesn't work. I'll post the correct info as nicely as possible, report the errant post, and I have also PM'd the OP to warn them if the advice is bad enough.

And you know what else? You can tell someone the right way, safe way, most effective way to do something. They can take your advice or leave it, but it is up to them. It's wrong to bicker and try to force someone to do what you want. If they don't want to take your advice, it's their freaking lizard. As sad as that is, too darned bad. There is no use making a 6 page thread that is just one big fight. Give advice, make sure they understand it, be available to answer follow up questions, and move on. :silent:

 

[ShannyBeard]

And I just put that in my signature. LOL! Maybe it will remind me when I see another sad thread that can't be saved by reason.

 

[Gail]

Their care definitely is different. I can't wait until I get to start putting cages together for my two, it nice having time to get it right but I hate having to wait for them.

Calling someone out or being argumentative here is worthless. The owner, administrators and mods here don't take sides. They don't for the most part, support people who are giving correct advice. Its a free for all and its messy.

At the other forum, its the owner/mods who call people out and if you were to start a argument over bad advice, you would get a talking to also. People are allowed to have disagreements but rude behavior absolutely is not tolerated. Panicky, newbie "advice" isn't allowed either.
I got told off once myself for giving inappropriate advice. The hardest thing for me was learning they are more into letting a skink be, don't get all panicky and start self diagnosing every little thing. Too many years here had me going "OMG, its sick, start meds or it will die!!"

I've given up helping here. Many people are willing to listen to reason but more and more people are seeking advice only to argue with what they are told. I don't offer advice because I care about the owner but because I care about the dragons. I feel too many people are expecting to be coddled and have advice sugar coated to protect their little feelings. I'm incapable at this point to do that and if their dragon gets sick or dies, its their own stupidity that caused it.

 

[ShannyBeard]

I've given up helping here. Many people are willing to listen to reason but more and more people are seeking advice only to argue with what they are told. I don't offer advice because I care about the owner but because I care about the dragons. I feel too many people are expecting to be coddled and have advice sugar coated to protect their little feelings. I'm incapable at this point to do that and if their dragon gets sick or dies, its their own stupidity that caused it.

I have to say I care about both the owner and the dragon, or whatever creature it would be. I tend to believe that people are generally well-intentioned, but have defenses and egos that can get in the way. Sometimes just the way advice is given or said can be the dealbreaker - the difference between someone becoming open-minded and understanding OR offended and unwilling to listen. There are threads that I have read where I really think the person would have listened if the advice had been given with some compassion and less judgement.

You can't save every animal, pet or dragon out there, and it can't be a crusade.

 

[Gail]

I guess I shouldn't have said I don't care about the owners, its just that I care about the dragons more. I don't mind hurting someones feeling if its what it takes to get the message across but I always try to be nice unless a person id flat out neglecting their pet.