New and with questions

[PsyKoViggy]

Hello.
My name is Jessie and i live in the UK, i am about to go out and buy my very first BTS.
I have been stalking these forums recently, and feeding has confused me.
I understand the ratio of fruits, veg and meat, but not the exact quantities i should be feeding, and i really don't want my skink to suffer with too much or too little food.
Also i am confused about how often to feed.
My skink will be fairly young, although i'm not sure how old exactly (i will ask at the reptile shop when i pick it up later and will add this information when i have it)
The only other reptile i own is a corn snake, whos feeding requirements are obviously very simple.
I will post pictures when i have them aswell.

Thank you

[Marie]

Welcome to the forum!

I think everybody feeds a little differently, but here's what I do (or did...or tried to do). When my skinks were under a year, I offered food daily, and I only fed them what they could eat in one sitting. Of course, they wouldn't eat every time food was offered, but I still gave them the opportunity. As adults, I only feed them every third or fourth day. I found if I offered food everyday, they would pick at the food and eat only the meat and not the veggies.

[Jenn]

How much is going to depend on your bluey. Heres a picture of my guys plates. Some of them clear their plates and others just take a few nibbles. I try and weigh my guys at least once a month and as long as no one is having any drastic weight changes (either losing or gaining) I don't stress. At the beginning I would offer your guy more vs. less and then as you get to know him, you'll have a better idea of how much to feed. Don't stress to much if he doesn't eat much at the beginning. It is the time of year where many aren't eating. Also ask the pet store what he's eating and how much to give you an idea of where to start.

[PsyKoViggy]

Thank you both!
Well, i'v got what i am told is a CF Indonesian. It seems alright with being held which is nice
It missed its dinner because we took it away just as the others were being fed, so i'll give it some food when it wakes up. Will take some photos then aswell.

[Tattoo]

Like Marie I began with the plan of offering food daily in the first year. My bluey made it very clear to me by around 5 months he was not interested in daily feeding. As far as amount I don't think he has ever consumed more than two tablespoons of food. Your bluey may not eat in the beginning ... some suffer relocation stress and this is normal. After a few months of watching his patterns around shedding you will understand his eating cycle. Make sure he has plenty of fresh water and check the care sheet for food tips and remember were here if you are still confused. Keep us posted!

[Jenn]

I can't wait to see pictures. Just so you know, most indos tend to be a little more skittish and flighty. So don't be concerned if she's nervous for a while. I've found that mind likes to be held in a blanket or a towel. It makes her feel more secure.

[PsyKoViggy]

Thanks again
It has plenty of fresh bottled water, although it seems a bit scared of the bowl because it's quite big. I'v put a small rock next to it to make getting to it easier though and will introduce it to the water if it doesn't find it on its own.

At the moment it is hideing with its head sticking out, but it did run up to the glass doors earlier when i came back from buying fruit so i don't think it'll be too skittish, but of course i'll do my best to make sure it doesn't suffer any stress, while also letting it get used to being handled and meeting new people and having my dogs walking in and out.

One more question, how long should food be left in the terrarium for?

[Jenn]

It's going to depend on your skinks. Most of mine eat as soon as they see the dish so I don't have to leave them in for long at all. Some skinks like their food like their food a little more crunchy and less fresh so their food is left in longer. I feed my guys on the cool side so if it does get left in their for a little longer then it's not sitting in 95-100 degree heat. As you get to know your guys better and he feels more comfertable, you'll start to notice when he likes to eat. Some prefer morning other evening. The important thing is to feed early enought that he has enough basking time afterwards.

[SailleSkinklover]

You know what, if you want to try and tame your skink and get it used to positive experiences with you, take her out to feed her. She'll then start to associate you with treats/food, etc. and won't be as skittish. My guy loves to eat boiled chicken, hard boiled egg, mango or turkey burger from our hands! It's really fun to feed them this way!
As for the days where I leave food in the cage, it depends on the food. Some days mine gets veggies and friut, and in winter I can leave it in there a whole day. In summer, I won't leave it because of fruit flies.
Cat food, if there's any left over, half a day at most because its rather smelly.
Check out the caresheet for what you should be feeding, (I just gotta say it... stay away from crickets, low nutrition very dry, and they're smelly!)and when you get yours just listen to the very good advice above! Offer food at least daily and soon your skink will let you know her schedule.
Oh, and Congrats on your new buddy, post pics when you can!

[PsyKoViggy]

Thank you! I feel like such a novice, heheh.
I'm a bit paranoid of doing things wrong so i am sorry if i'm asking too many questions.

photos!
not very good ones, i'll get a better one of my skink in the next few days.

my setup, i hope it's alright and would appreciate any suggestions!


my little skink being a bit scared of the camera, aww

[kvega92]

Beautiful

[PsyKoViggy]

bless it, it kept yawning and i couldn't stop going 'awww!'
anyway, i have a better picture because it came out to see what my puppy was, heheh

[SailleSkinklover]

Awwwww What a cute little Indo! Your set up looks OK to me!

[Tattoo]

What a sweet baby. I think your set up is very attractive. I would use feeding dish that was not so deep. Plastic round lids work great. They provide no height barrier for your little darling ... they can walk right onto the plate. I would provide a paper towel under the lid so food doesn't get spread around in the bedding or feed your skink outside of the viv.

[Funda]

Welcome to the forum jessie!

Your set up looks good, so you dont have to worry
and your little indo is the cuttest thing ever!!

f.C

[Shadowfax]

Cute skinker and lovely big eyes! I will second the suggestion to get a very shallow food dish, like a big yogurt lid or tupperware lid. Since skinkies don't have lips, it can be hard for them to pick up food in a deep dish (unless it is a snail or a big messy berry, in which case they seem to have an unlimited ability to pick it up in any corner and smear it EVERYWHERE!).

[PsyKoViggy]

After looking at the nutritional values of all the foods, as shown on the caresheet, i have become very confused about calcium and vitamin suppliments.
I wasn't given any vitamin suppliments when i bought my skink, so i assume they havn't been using them either.
Anyway, i wanted to know exactly what suppliments i should be feeding, how much and how often.

[Marie]

I only use calcium+D3 powder. I figure with variety in the diet, they should get all the other vitamins they need.

By the way, your skinky is a cutie! I also agree with what Shadowfax said about the food dish. I'm having a little trouble visualizing the size of everything, but you might also want to consider a larger water dish. Sometimes the blueys like to drag their bodies through the water...or poop in the water.

[Jenn]

I only use the calcium but that's only for my two very picky eaters. As they've gotten to be better eaters I've cut back on that.

[Tattoo]

I used Calcium w/D as well on a regular basis when my skinker was little. As he has grown I only use it once a week because I am diligent about his diet. I also use vitamin suppliment about once a week. They don't always eat what we want them to so he gets a small dose just in case. Size of water dish should grown with your skink ... I agree with that comment. I figured it was small now because he was small now. Hard to get a clear visual. Sounds like you are asking all the right questions!