maximum amount of handling?

[mangodude777]

whats the maximum amount of handling your BTS? i think i'm handling mine too much.

[mangodude777]

there I made the thread more clear

[NomadOfTheHills]

There is no maximum amount, it depends on each individual skink, and their reaction to it. This is a hard question to answer, and depends on many factors.

Can you give us an example of how long you handle, and at what frequency?

[mangodude777]

I handle mine 15-30 minutes at a time. and i take him out every 10-40 minutes. he does'nt seem to mind and i think he likes to sit on my lap.

by the way, do you think blueys can learn to love there owners?

[NomadOfTheHills]

Yes, that is too much.

And no.

[mangodude777]

okay thanks!

[Jenn]

I don't know about love but my guys know my voice and scent (Baylee freaks out whenever I change lotions) and they know I'm the source of food and the way out of their cages.

How often you have your guy out really depends on the skinks. There are times I have my guys out for hours but it's not a sit on my lap and have a cuddle outing. They go outside in their out door pit or have exploring time in a safe room. It's important to remember that they aren't a dog or a cat and their need for human interaction is not the same.

[mangodude777]

do they enjoy being handled?

[mewzic-7123]

i dont think they "enjoy" being handled, but rather they get used to it and to them it could be a daily routine

[Lisa]

What Jenn said. There's a difference between handling and interaction.

I think it's good to get them out of their tanks (who'd want to be cooped up in such a small place all day, every day?!) but there's more options than just holding him.

Regardless of how many generations captive bred, they will for now always be wild animals. Tolerant of humans, but capable of living without us.

Whilst most of us refer to them as out pets, part of the family, etc and treat them as such, they ain't dogs or cats! That's part of their appeal.

[Jenn]

do they enjoy being handled?

My kei's and indo's don't really enjoy being handled. Baylee is more tolerant to it then the other two. My northerns and easterns are more my cuddle buddies but even then it's not the same cuddling as my cats. If we are having a "cuddle" it normally means I'm on the couch watching TV and they are exploring the couch and blankets. They might end up sleeing on me or against me but while I like to think it's because they love me, it's most likely because I'm a good heat source. All of my guys are handable and everyone but Izzy and Cordy put up with my kissing them on the head but mostly our cuddles happen on the way to or from their out of the tank time.

[Fatal_S]

I'd make a big suggestion here: if you're going to handle your skink a lot, do it in one or 2 bigger chunks, dont keep taking them out again and again, it's too stressful for most of them. I take Pryce out once a day usually, but sometimes for a few hours. In that time he gets to explore some safe place, gets to deal with my petting and kisses, and also gets fed. I've had a few days where I have to split his outing and feeding times up, but I'd only ever take him out twice unless there was something major.

As for your bluey learning to love you... don't count on this. They learn that your not dangerous, and they may like that your a source of food and explore time, but that's probably as far as any attatchment goes. I know for a fact that Pryce doesn't give a rat's arse about me, but that's fine, cause I love him, and I'm very happy with him being exactly the way he is. He puts up with my cuddles to get to the fun stuff, but he's be just as happy without the 'me' part. It's a fact that makes reptiles a horrible pet to some people, but the perfect pet to others.

[Leigh]

As mentioned , you {the owner} are a means to an end

Skink looks at you approaching=heres that big safe funny lookin' upright twonk again, has it got food,will it make me fly somewhere , or will it just poke,prod, and annoy me for a while?

Skink sits and makes up its mind= I will put up with it for now, or, no sod that I'm off to hide,laters....


I tend to leave mine in the tank on most days and tickle and stroke him on the head and back. As I'm not lucky enough to live somewhere warm and sunny, I worry about away time from the UV and heat source,so mostly take him out of the tank to go to the garden{weather permitting}which depending on what time of year and week day it is can be 15 mins or a couple of hours in the sun. Next doors has just had a bloody great big conservatory built so I've lost time off the end of the day as the sun dips behind it .

[Tattoo]

Yes ... we delude outselves into thinking our love us. Well you know us humans ... we like to try to humanize everything. I handle once a day for feeding, pooping, exploring and a bit of a cuddle. Seems to work well.

[Zbiz]

with 3 baby blue tongues its kinda hard to get all three accustomed to you at the same time. But its been goin well for me. Babe my huge 326 gram 3 month old comes out everyday he is a sweeeet heart. Winny my littlest one usually comes out everyday and my fiesty Joker comes out everyother day just cuz i really have to be on my toes when he comes out... he needs full attention or he'll eat someone(lol). They are all getting better with handling and im starting to remember not to wear my best clothes while holding them they still like to drop logs...lol if you know wat i mean. They all get about 30+ mins when they are out. It works for me and you can usually tell when they are fed up with you. If i wanted a pet to have hours of cuddle time id get another sugar glider lol. They are reptiles remember!

[SailleSkinklover]

Part of the appeal of having reptiles is their "independence" if you will. They won't miss a day or two of cuddling, if you're too tired when you get home from work, or if you just get really busy.
Remember, in the wild, baby lizards are pretty much completely independent of Mom once they're out of her, (or out of the egg, depending on the species) The only reptile that I can think of that cares for the young are alligators and crocs! And even then, only up to a certain point.
That said, for me, Blueys are perfect because they are intelligent enough to recognize certain things, they're cute, and they're fun to have walking around the animation studio. Yet they are independent and tolerant, of not being poked and flown to certain areas, and they don't even necessarily need daily feeding once they're adults. A great Low-maintenance pet!

[aggiegirl]

Blueys tolerate handling better than many herps. I have a cresty and he always looks stressed when I hold him. My blueys get out at the same time each day and they actually come out of hiding and start looking around at that time---they will even try climbing out. They also recognize me and react when they see me walking by. (My older bluey will follow me in the cage.) Of course, that is because Mom is the source of treats. (They ignore the kids/hubby and move away from the dog.) Nothing like a little fruit or a nice juicy roach to win a bluey's favor!
When we are outside and they sometimes get scared, they often times hide under my legs---of course they hide under baskets, books, or other things I drag into the yard with us.
Pele' may even enjoy having my middle daughter scratch under his chin. I know some members think their blueys like having their backs scratched. And, both of my blueys like a warm lap. Not classic affection but it is preferable to the affection my ferrets showed. They would make noise and destroy things if I didn't play with them. Love my blueys---even if they just tolerate me!

[mangodude777]

thanks guys i've been cutting down on the handling

[Fatal_S]

Getting another bluey is a great way to cut down on the handling of one. *wink wink nudge nudge*