Wild Caught??

[Jelot92707]

i have finally gotten ahold of the first person to hae had Izzy my IJ and he ad told me that he got him from a pet store in new york about 4 1/2 years agos when izzy was still smaller about 15" (now he's 21") and so that leads me t believe that he was whild caught. So i have 3 questios!
1)What is the likelyhood that he is wild caught?
2)Have any ofr you guys out there had any experience on trying to tame or friendly up a wild caught BTS?and could you share your storie?
3)How hard is it to try and ;essing the skidishness of a wild caught BTS?

[Fatal_S]

I'd say it's almost guaranteed to be WC or CB (mother WC, Izzy Captive Born). I know people have managed to tame WC down, but I haven't had the chance myself, so I can't give much advice other than don't give up ^.^ I'm sure others will chip in shortly.

[Jelot92707]

Ya i'm hoping that i get some info from the old timers of BTS'S on here!!!

[NomadOfTheHills]

It shouldent be that hard., depends on your experience with reptiles.

I wouldn't call her WC now, at her age, she would be a LTC, Long Term Captive.

[Jelot92707]

Ya well he is tame in the fact that he doesn't hiss or try to bite or anything like that.he just always try to get away from me he never likes to be petted he try's to scurry away even faster when i do.when i hold him he "pee's" on me i just keep holding him like it shows on the care sheet.i've been trying to get him to be more comfortable with me for about 4 months now and i've gotten no where.

[aggiegirl]

I don't have years of experience but I would say that his shyness will lessen with frequent handling. You are lucky that he isn't bitey, etc. like some w/c blueys are. Even my c/b baby was a bit shy to start with. Now, she climbs into my lap to beg for bananas---and she is just a few months old. I find food to be a great motivator.
Look at the caresheet for ideas and just keep going. I also recommend keeping your skink in a well traveled area. Leave music on when you are gone. Desensitize the little guy to noise and movement. Make sure you have hides so that he feels secure but don't stick him somewhere where handling is his only stressful encounter. Fortunately for you, blueys are curious and your guy will probably get bored hiding away.
Watch how you hold your guy. Always make sure he feels secure by supporting his limbs and tail. Don't handle him around other pets, kids, and things that will scare him til he chills out with more holding.
Good luck and keep us updated.

[Tattoo]

Considering their potential lifespan four months is the blink of an eye. Keep up the patient handling and you and your friend will make progress.

[SailleSkinklover]

My guy is an almost guaranteed wild caught. He's a Merauke, and is somewhat skittish if I don't play with him for a couple of days. That said, he (from what I know of his history) was acquired by some 18 year old kid and kept in a tank with a Ball python. The temps were so low that they were both in brumation, but when he was fed, it was crickets and mealworms only! He was then rescued by the girlfriend of a friend of the 18 year old, (who ended up in jail) and then passed on to a friend of a friend of mine. They had him for about 4 months in a 20 gal, knew enough to feed him some veggies, (lettuce! ARRRGH!) then gave him and their white lined gecko to me for free, because I had gone over there and really liked him. (They wanted to focus more on snakes)

I found this site/forum, got my boy healthy, parasite free and cleaned up. As he's healthier, he's more active than when I first got him. He's put on weight and feels stronger when he wriggles around. He Huffs and Chuffs at me sometimes, but he's actually very good natured. He had a rough start to things, and he's still a wild boy sometimes, but over all, with supervision and patience, he is a top notch animal to share my life with. We love him!
I just make sure to talk to him before I touch him, so he's not startled. I'm patient with him, and if he's really Huffy, I'll leave him alone for a little while, then try again later. I try to never handle him when my hands are cold. I have only once ever gotten peed on, and I kept him out, so it hasn't happened since. (touch wood!) I give him treats when I take him out, like hard boiled egg and mango. I play with his feet, kiss his nose, and generally make a pest of myself when I handle him, so he gets used to it and realizes I'm not there to hurt him. We leave classical music playing for the lizards while we're at work so they're used to voices and noise. (sorry for the book!) I hope this helps?

[Jelot92707]

ya thanks everyone i think i'm just goona stick it out and if i can never get hm to be willing to be handled or anything then i'll just have to deal with it but i think i can get it to work thanks again!!!

[rachel]

patience is the key- i have a bts that i can guarantee is wild caught...just hang in there...you are very lucky it isn't bitey, dont worry, you will make progress...and always remember food is the way to any lizards heart! try hand feeding treats (like banana-mine LOVES it) and pretty soon she will be used to and enjoy handling as much as you do. hope that helps a little?