BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Does anyone have any first hand information on Peter's banded skink (Scincopus fasciatus)? They've recently become very available and I was curious as to whether or not anyone had any experience with them as I'm considering a trio.

I have no experience with them Nathan, but have heard they are very similar to sandfish. I think they are very cool looking skinks, and am really hoping that some people I know will get them while they are available so that I can watch how they go!

They do look a lot like sandfish, but I've heard they are omnivorous which may possibly lead to some difference in behavior. Something about how they're built also leads me to believe they move about more slowly. Regardless, they are very cool looking animals.

They are very cool looking. I have enough on my plate at the moment though! One for Kim maybe?

Mark.

I don't think Kim will be interested in them until there's only 3 left in the United States and they're at least a thousand each

I've been considering these but would have to import from the U.S.
Their foot structure is quite different than sandfish skinks so I'm wondering how close/far from each other in terms of lifestyle and husbandry parameters.

scaredofbees wrote:I don't think Kim will be interested in them until there's only 3 left in the United States and they're at least a thousand each

I've seen that happen with a few species in the past.
Will they be $25 each next year or totally disappear from the hobby and be in great demand?

As stated previously, there's definitely a resemblance to sandfish, especially with that shovel-like snout. Their toes and limbs a much shorter, so perhaps they don't do all of that fast tunneling that sandfish are known for?

While trying to find more info on these guys I came across a Japanese blog of an owner. Based on my interpretation of the site translation, the owner bought one excited that it would swim through the sand like a sand fish, but he compares it's movements to a blue tongue lizard. http://blog.livedoor.jp/hachikura_ohmiya/

I've seen pairs as low as $350... might be worth a look... get my mind off of my current shingleback woes.

Two of my friends have bought some animals. They are nocturnal, much larger than sandfish, hide all day, eat mainly insects, naturally tame, most have at least some scale damage, and at least so far seem to do well in captivity. They probably won't last very long as they are being shipped into Togo from where they are being collected in another country. If you like them then the current prices seem good. They are cool looking but I'm not getting any, but not because they are not rare enough for me. I cannot afford rare species. Most of the animals I've added over the last couple of yrs are like under $100 each. The biggest reason is because I hardly ever have any luck in getting these obscure species to breed.

KL

I was just teasing about the rarity thing, Kim. I know that rarity is not a criteria for you to be interested in a species... an unfortunate byproduct, perhaps. Thanks for the info, though. This is a bit more than has been offered by even the people selling them. The nocturnal thing is a bit of a downer, though.

scaredofbees wrote: The nocturnal thing is a bit of a downer, though.

That's the main reason i haven't pulled the trigger with these guys. Diurnality(?) is pretty high on my list of criteria when deciding on species i want to work with. They look like a great little species though and the price is quite reasonable.

How large are they?

They are neat...but I wonder how temperature sensitive they are. Also sandfish are quite omnivorous as well.

From the photos I've seen with them in people's hands, I'd say 8 or 9 inches, but they appear quite thick, so it's a "big" 8 or 9. I know nothing about temps, but if I decided to get some, I'd make sure the enclosure was large enough to offer a wide gradient, see what they do, and make adjustments from there.

They're dropping in price now. Single animals as low as $150, matched pairs for $325.

Very cool. I'm glad to hear you are getting some. I am very interested to hear how they go.

They do look pretty cool,and sound quite interesting,the nocturnal part isnt a bad thing either,when blueys are asleep u can interact with the bandeds

Id be interested in hearing more about them

If there are still some around in a couple weeks once my disposable funds recover from tax season, I'll probably pick up a pair or trio and see what happens. The majority of reptiles I keep are desert dwelling, so equipment, enclosures, substrate, lighting, etc. are already sitting around.

Then again... I've been getting the itch to get back into Northerns over the past couple years, so who knows? If only I knew of some reputable sources with pure bloodlines and good looking animals. Oh, well, I guess I'll keep searching

I heard that some wholesalers were selling them for $100 each. If anybody has interest in them I think it's a good opportunity at these prices. I almost bought some but I have been buying quite a bit lately. I'm wondering why importers never brought them in before now. It's not like it's a newly discovered species.

KL

James got the story today as to why they haven't been brought in for so long. Ill get him on here to explain as I don't remember. I saw them on a wholesale list yesterday for 95 each. Jeff if you get a chance, john at azrc has some at the shop right now. You might want to swing by and see those things in person. Let me know if they are worth buying

But if they are.worth buying, wouldn't I just buy them.