keeping a Wild shingle back skink? (bobtail)

[Rankins]

Blue tongues have been in the US reptile community for a long time. They haven't really been super popular so prices are pretty low.
Cool animals so not sure why they haven't been popular.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Also , expect your BTS to grow to between 600g and 800g. Some species are bigger growers (there is a dwarf species too). Most people regard them as bullet proof as pet, and an ideal starter pet lizard.

Shedding with them is a breeze.... essentially it mostly comes off over a day or two.

They are intelligent , inquisitive , social beings from my experience with them and every one of them has a unique personality. If you allow them to free range and have visitors, warn them to keep open bags off the floor , as a pet BTS will find an open bag on the floor simply irresistible and I can guarantee it'll investigate it's exterior and contents intimately.

 

[chameleon7]

okay i have found some options, its either a shingle back for $110, or a centralian blue tongue for $150. Now i like look of the centralian blue tongues more but if i were to put it in the outdoor enclosure i worry it would get respiratory problems as they are from dry central australia. i heard that people reckon shingle backs are more kind of emotionally advanced that bts's in a sense ill try to find the article, any way i'd like to hear what you think. Thanks! :mrgreen:

 

[kingofnobbys]

okay i have found some options, its either a shingle back for $110, or a centralian blue tongue for $150. Now i like look of the centralian blue tongues more but if i were to put it in the outdoor enclosure i worry it would get respiratory problems as they are from dry central australia. i heard that people reckon shingle backs are more kind of emotionally advanced that bts's in a sense ill try to find the article, any way i'd like to hear what you think. Thanks! :mrgreen:

I think either will be great pets .... a lot of how they respond to you is from how you raise them and how you treat them and if they get lots of very good pleasant human interaction.

You need to do some homework :
https://www.reptileone.com.au/Centralian-Blue-Tongue.pdf

http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:dcf2ad6d-6a49-409a-96c8-861104aa7e48
... very similar range as central bearded dragons who are fine here (coastal subtropical north coastal NSW ..... similar climate to your's in FSW WA.
Part of native range is coastal Pilbara, I can tell you from personal experience the humidity is extreme there in the cyclone season (high 80s % relative humidity and H O T gets a new meaning there ).




check BOM for climatic conditions (temps, UVI, relative humidity levels monthly) in the natural range (especially of the CBTS .... to check high and low temps each month, highest relative humidity each month , cf where you live).
If it's too humid , house indoors , you probably have aircon so that will reduce summertime relative humidity as well temperatures.
Here a link from the BoM that will get you started .... http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/awap/temp/index.jsp

I know of people who CBTSs here in NSW (in coastal locations) who do well and not have issues with RIs.

Either will species will likely be better brought indoors in the cooler months anyway , especially as little babies if you buy as babies or juveniles (highly recommended). When little house either indoors where the cimate is more stable.

 

[chameleon7]

okay sweet! do you think a 22 gallon tank for a baby will be okay through the winter? i know its pushing it :?

 

[kingofnobbys]

okay sweet! do you think a 22 gallon tank for a baby will be okay through the winter? i know its pushing it :?

I used two 100L stackable tubs that have slightly translucent (whiteish) see through sides that I converted to rearing tubs for George and Mildred, then when they were about 12 months old I built 2 full sized (4ft L x 2ft W x 16in D) tanks for them, then recommissioned the same 100L stable tubs to be Rex and Puff's rearing tubs, same deal when they reached about 1 yr old (double decker enclosure (2 x 4ft L x 2ft W x 18in D) tanks) , and now using the same 100L tubs for Peppa and Toothless.
Soon to build a 3 level enclosure for the 3 beardies , the old 2 level beardie enclosure or the two old full sized BTS enclosures will be mothballed .... not for long I expect.

My 3x 100L tubs have virtually been in continuous use for baby / hatchlings and juvenile BTS and beardies for near 7 years and only starting to age and become a bit brittle where the UV is most intense on the sides now. (Always good to have a spare, Wriggles lived in the 3rd one).
That's pretty good value IMO.

So a 22Gal tank will be fine as your baby's rearing tank for it's first year or so.

 

[chameleon7]

okay cool, i'll do my homework but it never ceases to amaze me the ease of care these animals seem to have, the 100 litre tub is a fantastic idea i think ill do that with some kritter krumble or just plain mulch? sorry for all the q's but do bts need a heat rock and a heat lamp plus how did u get the lights on the tub? :?: :study: :mrgreen: Thanks!!!

 

[kingofnobbys]

okay cool, i'll do my homework but it never ceases to amaze me the ease of care these animals seem to have, the 100 litre tub is a fantastic idea i think ill do that with some kritter krumble or just plain mulch? sorry for all the q's but do bts need a heat rock and a heat lamp plus how did u get the lights on the tub? :?: :study: :mrgreen: Thanks!!!

Once you have all the lights and fittings and stuff, you can easily set up a 100L or similar storage tub as a rearing tub in a hour or 2. Maybe 4 hours if you have to figure it out as you go.

Stackable see through tubs are great if you have restricted floor space or bench space.


Mix of course KK + gum leaf litter will be great for either a SBS or CBTS , my skinks all enjoy digging through and tunneling through that kind of bedding, I think they enjoy how it tickles their sides and backs and bellies.
The finer grades of KK are pretty dusty, and will make them a bit sneezy.
I change out the BTS bedding every month or so.... gets soiled and damp and it's best to do a change out for hygienic and reptile health reasons I think. So don't dump the whole 20L bag in , a bedding layer about 2 inches thick will do for large juvenile BTS . Play it by ear for the skink when really little.

I used 3 layers of kitchen grade paper toweling for George and Mildred for their first 4 months. Spot cleaning was ubereasy this way, and it made it much easier for them to see their live insects and harder for the insects to hide.
I think you probably should hold off on the KK for starters for that reason, at least until the skink is larger and taking much larger insects .

Lights

UV coil 26W (UVB150s for the BTS) mounted under the lid in NanoHoods. Before I switched to nanohoods, I had those dome style clamp reflectors - they work fine too. I simply partly disassembled the nanohoods see https://www.amazingamazon.com.au/compact-top-nano-exo-terra-reptile-lighting.html ) (removed the reflector sheet) predrilled holes through back of the nanohoods and lids, then used hex head self tapping screws (only need 2 per fitting) to securely attach the nanohoods, reinstalled the reflectors ,a bit of cloth tape to stop the cable dangling.
Mounting a dome reflector under the lid is easy, I used C screws and cable holddowns. When I was using the pendulum style dome reflectors (based on this kind of fitting https://www.amazingamazon.com.au/dome-reflector-heat-lamps.html ) , I was able to get away with 13W UVB150s for the skinks and 13W UVB200s for the beardies, since UV light was closer to the bottom / floor.

Basking globe , bought those ceramic e27 sockets that are prewired and come with inline switches and a metal mounting bracket see http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Reptile-snake-terrarium-incubator-ceramic-heat-light-bulb-globe-socket-w-bracket-/132097759960?hash=item1ec1a3dad8:g:kwcAAOSw-0xYWHo6 , attached the socket to a piece of handy offcut of plywood I had stashed in the rafters in the shed from another project , mounted the "light board" on a couple of offcuts that I screwed to adjacent sides of the tubs , the light board sits in these straddling the tub, sortof tight fit on ends (so friction/stiction is all that stops it from sliding) , important to select a clear colourless incandescent spotty of the right wattage (I use 40W in summer, 60W in winter in the rearing tubs , wattage used is trial and error until I get about the right temp).
Also I made sure I could put the tub's lids on with the lights in .
My 2 rearing tubs are stacked.

Room for a Jumbo Hubbahut and a water dish and a "fake rock" grotto. But you'll not need a Jumbo sized hide until the skink is an adult.

At the start I used A5 sized mailing boxes for the baby BTS for their hides, simply cut a hole in one end - worked OK.


I have always provided extra heat via a heatpad (simple film type) which I sandwich between two layers of old ceramic tiles for my skinks and beardies . I control the temperature of these by a simple switching thermostat and run them 24/7 under the hides , all my lizards love their warm hides at night espec in the colder months.
I run these at 34 degrees C for the BTS and water skinks, 37-38 degrees C for the beardies. I've never needed more heating than a 5W or 7W heatpad overnight for lizards, but I run my aircon 24/7 in winter and set it at 24oC. see http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/White-Digital-Reptile-Thermostat-Heating-Control-AU-Plug-Incubator-Brooder-Snake/400749097988?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20140106155344%26meid%3Df135e52774454bc2adb633d8e341ed79%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D132097759960
The thermostat is your safety cutoff too. If the heatpad fails , the thermostat will cut power to it.

People will say overnight heating is not necessary for them , I my pets are spoilt and it costs next to nothing to run a 5W or a 7W heatpad 24/7 and if it helps them digest their food overnight , even better.

250ml bottle of F10SC and a 2L F10 spray bottle for making up the diluted F10 is a good investment, great stuff for sterilizing tubs and lizard furniture (I clean and sterilize everything monthly, and spot clean / sterilize as required daily).

Ventilation if you are keeping lids on the tubs / stacking the tubs.
making holes = Soldering iron , melt a cluster of 50 or so hole high on one end and low on the other end.

 

[chameleon7]

okay cool great info, so no heat pad or tile to bask on?

 

[Zombiepanda]

I started reading this out of curiosity and woah!! We grew up in the southern US with these little blue tailed lizards that my VERY southern family called skinks. Apparently they are not the same. The shingleback and BTS are soooooo cute!!!!!!

 

[chameleon7]

those blue tail skinks are soo cute!

 

[Rankins]

The blue tailed lizards in the southwest may be six lined race runners. I'm pretty sure that's what they are called. I use to catch them all the time in New Mexico.
It is amazing how easy it is to keep many lizards. I feed my gilas and beaded lizards once a week...they don't need any UV lights or basking areas...heat tape is under 1/3 of my enclosures. Then they sleep for 4 months and I only walk into the reptile room once a month during brumation. Some people would probably miss their reptiles for 4 months. But I have a bunch...so it's an appriciated break from it.

 

[kingofnobbys]

okay cool great info, so no heat pad or tile to bask on?

The clear colourless incandescent will provide most the heat for basking .'
If the you use a dome style reflector fitting for the UVB150 compact I've found they get too warm to hold but not hot enough to burn the skin and if about 4 - 5 inches from the basking spot it will help (adding about 4 to 5 oC by itself - my observation for 13W UVB200s and 13W UVB150s in my 100L rearing tubs), not enough heat to bask without the addition heat thrown by an incandescent globe though).

It's all a matter of trial and error and careful temperature measurement and recording and making observations .... you will find you'll need less wattage in the basking lamp , maybe not it all in summer when it's hot .
I often turn off George's and Mildred's basking lamp in summer and just keep the UVB150s and heatpad running.

The heat pad / tile sandwich goes inside the tub under the hide with a layer of strong thick paper towel over it (incase lizard does poo under hide - make for much easier cleanup - essentially lift the paper towel and replace with fresh clean sheet, job done).

None of my pet skinks or beardies have ever shown any inclination to brumate. The resident wild skinks with the exception of the one who lives inside disappear in May and start to reappear in late July (if it's warm) or more likely August or September. The baby skinks start appearing September or October (earliest I've seen them is Fathers' Day) , our house skink was pregnant over winter and kept on feeding and visiting and forageing for crumbs, so she and her 3 babies ( on this occasion got a headstart ).

 

[kingofnobbys]

those blue tail skinks are soo cute!

Closest LOCAL (in my immediate area) skinks size wize to those American Blue tailed skinks are eastern water skinks ( possibly my favourate skink of them all , and the very common in my area , and VERY CHEAKY little buggers too). The local alpha male water skink , who has been taking up residence near my front steps in the rainwater runoff pipes the roof gutters drain into and under the house (where most his heirem lives, I can identify each of my resident wild water and delicate skinks individually because they have unique spot patterns on their sides and necks and the a-male has scars on his head and back that stand out and are easily seen even from a distance - a lot of these from his battles to send would be alpha males packing).
He even followed our resident house skink inside a few times , she has been returning sometimes staying for weeks at a time. He has been returning as boss water skinks every spring and summer for 8 - 9 yrs so far, and he's a very impressive and very battle scarred individual , over 14 inches long nose to tailtip (when he a has a full tail that is - been a stumpy a few times (encounters with cats I expect)). He's very brave too - I've seen him send next doors dogs packing when they came sniffing around too close for his comfort - he charges at them and bites them). But with me he'll climb the steps to sit next to me and take mealworms and crickets from my fingers, now he's one skink who seems to be a bottomless pit when it comes to food .... if I stop giving him bugs , he'll use his skink jedi mind powers (the stare !!!) and beg me for more (failing that he'll try to help himself to the worm tub, I have to take the lid off and let him look inside to convince him I'm finished/ out of wormy / buggy treats , he then leaves).

Our house skink will take worms, crickets, and roaches from my hand, and takes a bit of convincing that I've run out and am not holding out on her, she'll try to push/prise my fingers apart to check I'm not hiding a coverted bug / worm from her. I have to show her "look no more bugs/worms" by spreading the fingers and turning the hand over. Now that's pretty cleaver of them .... and takes a bit of reasoning.


We had the regular house guess (an adult female water skink) and the big alpha male inside with us (their choice - I think they come following one of us before the back or front door closes) for about a week in the run up to Xmas (2014) and they were like entirely different lizards inside to when outside (I think they bung on the big tough skink act outside LOL) and they were both fascinated by the Xmas tree and pile presents under it.... particularly interested dangly shiny balls , which they kept "playing with" by patting them with their hand or bumping with their noses to make them swing..... They also had trouble both fitting on the modem's power transformer (is hot but at a perfect temp for water skinks at 35oC) , one would climb on and spread out , then only to be pushed off by the other .... was funny to watch .... this all happened with me sitting only 3ft away.

.There are times when I go outside with a tub of mealworms in hand and sit on the grass or the steps or garden paths and I am overrun by water skinks of all sizes and delicate garden skinks who literally mob me and come trotting up to me within minutes of my sitting. I've had up to a dozen wild skinks on occasion , under my crossed legs, on my legs, next to me (inches away), all taking turns at getting a buggy treat , some will even let me pet them in the top of the head of under the chin .

We also get visits from a wild BTS on a regular basis and from a massive male eastern water dragon (my wife calls him Croc and he comes to us if we call him by this name now), I give them buggy treats too, and have managed to befriend them over the years too.
My defacto pets ....

Best pest exterminators .... our neighbours all have redbacks and trapdoors and funnels webs even, none of these are found in our garden, shed, under our house , the lizards have eaten them all.

 

[chameleon7]

Okay thanks i'll keep doing my home work! Wow you really sound like a lizard whisperer, i once encountered a 3-4 inch skink in exmouth WA who had the heart of a lion and came up to me on the beach and licked a water droplet off my finger, it amazes me how people think they are such boring animals when in my opinion most of them are much more diverse/interesting than mammals! :lol: