LOST LIZARD OUTSIDE HELP

[chameleon7]

I just can't beleive it i know he isnt a beardie but i figured i would get more replies here, i just recently moved my shingleback skink to his outdoor enclosure, saw him on the second day but for the third and forth day he was out there i didnt see him, thought he was going into brumation since its winter here, so i figured he buried himself in his hay or woodchips, but i wanted him to skip his first brumation here, so when i went to move the flood light and find him, i couldnt, ive thoroughly looked through all his substrate and nope not there, looked through the whole thing and im 100% sure he aint there i just dont understand how he got out, i thought it was escape proof, i honestly just dont know where to go from here

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh that's too bad! I wonder how in the world he would have gotten out. What type of enclosure
is it?
How cold is it there? You could consider putting a heat lamp outdoors around where his enclosure
is in case he comes around & wanted some warmth. Have you looked under everything, or up in shrubs, etc?


Tracie

 

[chameleon7]

im not worried about it being too cold for him, he will probs brumate, thats why im worried if he gets out will burrow somewhere and hide (they live in my area. ive looked everywhere on the premises of our property, i could'nt imagine he would've gone far. its just so so so weird, i cant explain it, its every reptile keepers nightmare, its like he just vanished out of mid air, im so certain it was escape proof which gets me suspicious, our neighbor is a bit dodgy and its possible he may of heard i had one, but who would have the insentive to break in and steal a lizard? my only hope is that he will just come back as ive heard stories of shinglebacks doing that, ive heard they have a built in natural ability to find there way home, i just really hope i can find him. i waited a year to get one and have only had hime for a couple weeks. im absolutely gut wrenched, im on the verge crying ill try get some pics of the enclosure. Thanks for the replies...

 

[kingofnobbys]

See my response over at the other place.

Check on GumTree , if he's been stolen, that's were they are most likely to post ads to try to sell him as unless they are also in the hobby they wont know about the local herping message boards or the reptile classifieds (though I think that's now defunct) , also monitor the local classifieds in the local newspaper too. Also worth involving the cops , if they do a drug raid and shingeback is found , it's likely to be yours (wont be too many of them about as pets).
I'd also let the local pet shops in on the picture .... the thief might try to sell him to them.

 

[chameleon7]

See my response over at the other place.

Check on GumTree , if he's been stolen, that's were they are most likely to post ads to try to sell him as unless they are also in the hobby they wont know about the local herping message boards or the reptile classifieds (though I think that's now defunct) , also monitor the local classifieds in the local newspaper too. Also worth involving the cops , if they do a drug raid and shingeback is found , it's likely to be yours (wont be too many of them about as pets).
I'd also let the local pet shops in on the picture .... the thief might try to sell him to them.

there are no petshops near us that actually sell reptiles for 3 hours so thats a bonus, nothing to suspicious going on gumtree etc either but will keep a look out, thank you both for the replies

 

[EllenD]

I'm obviously not familiar with Australia, being from Pennsylvania in the US, where the only reptiles we find in the wild around here are snakes and a few different types of land turtles that live in the forest, and aquatic turtles. So I have no idea of how desirable one of those lizards are in your area, especially if they are found in the wild, so if theft is a likely thing I'd be notifying local law enforcement and having them make a report, as well as asking your neighbors if they have seen one, as they may think he's a wild lizard if they see him outside.

Do they have the capability to dig under the enclosure? Or is there any way for a predator to pick him up out of the enclosure? I don't know what the enclosure looks like...I don't think they have the ability to climb do they? If so, could he have climbed out? Are you sure he isn't burrowed into the ground for brumation, rather than just in the substrates?

 

[chameleon7]

the enclosure had a floor on it so he couldnt dig out.

 

[Gormagon]

Unless that mesh goes around all four sides (looks like the back wall doesn't have it) he got out through the space that the corrigated siding left open on the ends.

 

[chameleon7]

Unless that mesh goes around all four sides (looks like the back wall doesn't have it) he got out through the space that the corrigated siding left open on the ends.

if i hear you correct are u saying that he escaped through the wavy hole bit in the tin on the door (i dont know what you call it, i dont know my materials well.) if so they are way too small for him to get through i can guarantee that

 

[Gormagon]

Unless that mesh goes around all four sides (looks like the back wall doesn't have it) he got out through the space that the corrigated siding left open on the ends.

if i hear you correct are u saying that he escaped through the wavy hole bit in the tin on the door (i dont know what you call it, i dont know my materials well.) if so they are way too small for him to get through i can guarantee that

Is it nailed or tacked on every spot it touched wood? If not it can be forced to open wider. Skinks are one of the most crafty lizards out there.

 

[Chanza]

I come from Australia as well, and I didn't own shinglebacks, but I did own blue tounges at one stage, and I can tell you that they are very sneaky little animals! Considering you said that there are shinglebacks living in your area (if I read that correctly) hopefully your neighbour wouldn't of looked into stealing yours as he could've just grabbed one around the area. Also, your lizard may of been interested in some other lizards, as shinglebacks do keep the same mates for long periods of time. Considering it is winter for you over there, try looking under loose bits of foliage or metal. I always find heaps of wild lizards under piles of scrap metal as metal retains it's warmth quite nicely.

Hope you find the fella

Also are those mesh peices stuck or nailed down to the side of the enclosure? Otherwise that seems like his best way out. Also, I'm not sure how big it is but there is a small gap between the timber where the mesh meets the metal, I know it may of seem such a big effort for him just to get out of there, but he could've. He may of been interested in another lizard.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Any luck finding your blue tongue skink? I hope he shows up for you.
He is most likely somewhere in the nearby area, just sleeping underneath of something.
You could put flyers out, to see if that may yield any results also.


Tracie

 

[chameleon7]

no luck, south west reptile rescue has put up a facebook post for us, ive put a post up and we have gone door knocking, all i can do now is continue to look and hope. the bad weather will prevent him from coming out so im more likely to see him in spring or summer if he stays in the area. trying not to lose hope but he could be anywhere, there are gaps under our fence and a couple houses behind us there is a little bit of bush, hoping he will stay in the area hoping for the best thanks all for your support and replies, found out hoow he got out aswell, there was a literally tiny gap between the birdnet and tin, mustve squirmed his way through as the net has a bit of give, its just so strange that a lazy lizard like that would be so determined to get out, for him to get out of that hole would require a bit of climbing and strength. just such a mystery still. getting more suspicious of my neighbour :x

 

[EllenD]

Yep, he probably squeezed right through that gap, the mesh would actually stretch pretty far, farther than you would think.

If it's winter there I'd be looking under everything possible, as she probably crawled right underneath something and isn't moving. Shrubs, logs, pieces of wood, rocks, under sheds and any structures with a space underneath them, I bet she is close by and underneath something...Was she wild caught? I know you said you hadn't had her long, so if she was a wild caught adult she knows what she's doing. Get a flashlight and just start looking under everything possible on your property and then all around it.

I don't think anyone took her at all, she stretched that mesh out and got right through, probably tested it by sticking her snout/head through and once she realized she had her head through she wasn't going to stop.

 

[Gormagon]

Skinks are the best escape artist I have ever seen. Able to quickly get through the smallest crack or crevice in an instant....gone!!
We used to find them under old planks, cinder bocks and, stepping stones when I was a kid.