BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

a while ago last year some time

i had just got out of the shower and had a towel wrapped around my waist
when i heard a indian minah(bird)
was squawking outside my bedroom window.
It was the kind of squawk that they use when alarmed,and i peeked out the window to see it on the fence squawking down at something on the other side
in the neighbors yard
So i went outside and around the side of the house ,towel only still wrapped around my waist nothing else,and looked over the fence to see the bird attacking an adult eastern bluey!
I ran around to side gate and went into neighbours and grabbed the poor bluey,
but unfortunately the bird had pecked out an eye already.
The poor bluey had been caught in the open near a minah nest.
I took it up too see some vet freinds of mine at a clinic and they gave me
anti biotics and eye ointment to treat the bluey,and kept it for a few weeks
till the coarse of anti biotics was finished.
I then released it back in the neighbors garden all better - 50% vision though
sad but if they can still feed then there to be released if wild

sadistic indian minah

Poor bluey! Good on you for taking care of it. It's nice to see someone willing to go the extra effort to take care of a wild animal.

poor bluey i hate when they get attacked by birds

Rat traps work better on Minahs (they are introduced pests in Aus) than they do on rats. Hint Hint.

Scott

Poor Bluey. Good job on the rescue. Hope you decided to wear some clothes to the vet at least...

I've seen a minah bird in a pet store, and thought it was really neat. It would copy the cat and dog noises. They can be very beautiful.

Nice job helping the eastern off to the vet. Evil bird. I guess the truth is anything that attacks a bluey would be in our bad books right? Nature sure can be cruel.

I'm not a big fan Of those Minahs. Freaking things are everywhere!

Wow! How big do the minahs get? Do they commonly attack adult blueys or was it due to the nest's proximity? I've seen lists of natural predators but I don't remember ever seeing these listed. So glad you rescued the Eastern. Poor thing might have lost both eyes if you'd taken the time to dress properly!
Obviously, living in the US, wild minahs are not an issue. I did have my blueys out back one day and looked up to see 6 mockingbirds gathered in the tree looking at my guys. This was especially disturbing as they don't usually hang out in "flocks" and I was hanging out with them. Kinda had flashbacks to Hitchcock's movie (The Birds!) Oh yeah, you youngsters might've missed out on that one!

They are un-natural predators.

Foxes probably take the biggest toll, along with wild dogs, feral cats, and natural predators ie. Kookaburras, Currawongs etc.

In urban situations it is cats, dogs, and I think you'lle find that foxes are significantly under rated as predators given that there can be 7 times as many per unit area as in country areas.

Here is an interesting website on blueys in Sydney.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/scribblyg ... efault.htm

Scott

Scotts1au wrote:They are un-natural predators.

Foxes probably take the biggest toll, along with wild dogs, feral cats, and natural predators ie. Kookaburras, Currawongs etc.

In urban situations it is cats, dogs, and I think you'lle find that foxes are significantly under rated as predators given that there can be 7 times as many per unit area as in country areas.

Here is an interesting website on blueys in Sydney.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/scribblyg ... efault.htm

Scott

i remember seeing that a while back and rolling my eyes at the northern Blue tongue that looks alot like a centralian. Ahhh well.

Put that down to the fact that not many people in Aus actually has firstly ever heard of a Northern Bluey, and secondly wouldn't know what it was if they tripped on it.

Scott

thanks people,i know anyone would do the same though if they take the time to be on a blue tongue forum!!

Blueys are def on the menu for alot of predators,
i read a paper written on predatation by kookaburras
of skinks 300mm long observed taken!!

i have found ripped up blueys in my backyard with my sisters dog standing over it

but they battle on they are the hardiest skink on the planet

Hey Blotch, that pic on the link looks like DeadEyes Western avatar.

yer that sure does look like his avatar

probably is his avatar.