New here and need some sdvice

[Llynya]

Hello all, I stumbled across this place and read a couple of threads and seems to me you guys actually know what your talking about. I recently purched a BTS from a local pet store and was given some 'general' steps to follow to take care of him. He was a bit aggressive when I got him and they told me daily handleing and proper care will tame him down. He has his own cage 48inc long 18inc wide and 19inc tall. It allows for air current to flow through it with vented sides glass front and back, metal bottom. His bedding is Aspen wood chips about 3inc deep in some places more were he piled it at. He's got a rock water dish he can climb in if he wishes, water changed daily. A half log thing that the pet stores sell for hiding, but he usually just burrys himself. I have a UV strip bulb and a red night heat lamp. I'm thinking of adding a undertank heater to help keep temp since winter is coming on. He gets a steady supply of mealworms, occasinally wax worms. He was eating crickets, but they mostly escaped the cage so I stoped. He doesn't like veggies and wont eat them unless I take away his worms and the only fruit he'll eat RARELY is Kiwi. Anyways... after a while he was being kinda nice and he's ride on my shoulders and liked car trips to go get his food. Then about 3 weeks or so ago he decided to be all mean again. He's hissing and thrashing and does not want to picked up at all. The pet store told me to feed him pinkies, which he ignored, and wet cat food, which I found arguing information on. So now I'm all confused and don't know what to do now. I don't even know if He really is a He. No one seems to know how to sex them. Please, any advice would be most welcome.

[Fatal_S]

Welcome. First, have you read the caresheet, or just browsed the forums? The caresheet on this site has nearly any info you could possibly need. For heating, I'd suggest a heat lamp so he can have a basking place. For food, use meats like cooked chicken or turkey and shop up his greens and meats into a mash, so he can't be picky. For his attitude, he may have been going into shed, or maybe he's trying to sleep for winter, or maybe he got scared of something. Try to think of reasons and see if you can fix them? And just keep handling, eventually he'll give in. Lastly, for sexing, you can't really tell. There is probing, but it's often dangerous for the animals and few people can do it well. Keep an eye out for hemipenes or sperm plugs or just assume male, he wont mind. Once again, welcome to the insanity, and post pictures soon.

[Zach]

Welcome!

Yep, get a hot basking spot for day time, an ditch the night time red bulb. They need that natural cool down period at night where their bodies cool and they slip into a deeper sleep. If you keep that heat on them 24 hours a day, their bodies are continually going full steam even if they're asleep. Many believe that this can reduce their lifespan significantly because their organs are going full steam 24/7.

As far as taming, the animal is most likely wild caught if you purchased him from the pet store; most wild animals are, well, wild! They can get acclimated and used to human handling, but will likely always be a bit skittish. The more handling the better.

Ditch the worms for now. Most BTS love wiggly worms, but if that's all they get, they might only go for that when you try to offer something else. Try some HIGH GRADE cat food with some greens mixed in; preferably collard greens which are rich in calcium.

Good luck!!

[Llynya]

I had just read the forums, then my roommate was reading through the care sheet for me and I need to go through it some more. I think I'm going to have to go with the cat food and hide all the other stuff he wont eat in it. The pet store told me they had him for almost a year, and was at one of their other locations for just over a year. So I know he's at lest two. We found the food listing on the care sheet, Thank you for taking the time on that! I'd been trying to ask the pet store what foods are best, and they kept telling me the worms crickets and pinkies. I didn't even know there were so many types of BTS's!! I'll have to get some pictures up so I can ask for help on identifying him. I've gone through a shedding with him, almost right after I got him, but he hasn't again since. It's been about... 5 months, is that normal? I even had one store person try to tell me he was lonely and needed company. Can you just imagine the problems arising from that...

[Fatal_S]

Gah, pet store people can be a dumb bunch. Then again, I'm applying to work at one... Good job on not listening and looking up the proper information. Your skinker will definately benifit. For shedding, 5 months seems fine. My babies shed very often, once a month at least, but my 14 inch northern only sheds every 2-3 months. I wouldn't worry about it for a long while yet. And do post pictures soon, we love pictures here, especially when we get to identify a type! So go throught the caresheet, play a lot with your guy, and post many pictures.

[mewzic-7123]

when was the last time he had shed? some times mine gets really frisky when hes shedding. pay attention to his behavior for the next few days see what happens

[Leigh]

hope all is going well,as others have said,you wont go far wrong if you stick close to the caresheet, diet is a hard one to get right,they can be a pain to train into healthy eaters,read as many past threads as possible because I'm sure most if not all your questions have been thought of before, the sheet gives good examples so you shouldn't need to add calci-dust and vit/minerals, I wouldn't bother with the under tank heater unless he's in the garage and the temp drops below 16c, post pictures sooner than later as this will avoid grief from the picture loving forum users hee hee. This site comprises of the best info /people and mixed senses of humour on the planet. Enjoy your stay, I know you'll be back as you've already been bitten by the Bluey bug.

[DeadEye]

Yere Welcome

Be very mindfull of over heating like zack touched on, terrible thing to see a skink cook ...Its like heat stroke but there bodies .... just stew and its very disteresing to there sytems .


read the faq ya be right .