I AM a Pet Store Employee, and I Know NOTHING

[Lissa]

I've worked at a particular pet store chain for 2 years. We sell mostly fish and small animals, and once in a while a leopard gecko or maybe a bearded dragon.

A week ago, I was asked to fill in at another store, as one of their staff quit without notice. The store I am currently working at has a very large skink. Now, I know very, very little about skinks. What I do know I read on this site, or looked up else where.

I have no idea what species it is. I know what it's not: it's not a Western, Shingleback, Kei Island, Blotched, and is certianly not a Pygmy. I don't think it's an Indonesian (doesn't have black legs and has clearer markings), but I can't really tell the difference between Northern and Easterns. I keep thinking it's a Kimberly, because it have those itty bitty little dots all over it's head, but that's probably not likely, right?

The store has no record of where the skink came from, it's age, nothing. The only thing I can find is that it was brought to us by our "reptile/fish guy" just over a year ago, who is a breder and importer. I'm pretty sure he doesn't breed skinks, though, becuase... well, I'll be frank. He's very money-orientated, and from what I understand, skinks aren't really money-getters like bearded dragons or geckos. I have no idea if he's wild caught- he (She?) has all his toes, no scars (that I can tell, but never having seen a skink before I'm not entirely sure what a scar is verses what is a marking but there are no disruptions in pattern, no mising scales, nothing like a "scar" would look like on a dragon, which I know a lot more about), he has a full tail, etc. But, agian, we have no records on him at all. He's probably just over a foot and a half long, though Ihaven't measured him.

Now. I am not the type of employee who ignroantly goes about her way, petending everything is okay when an animal is not being treated properly. At the store I normally work at, I make DARN SURE all the animals are taken care of. The birds, mammals, fish, and the few reptiles we have, I treat as if they were my own. Even if it means coming in on my days off to make sure they are okay. I don't mind taking the extra step. But with the skink, I don't have a clue.

He's in a tiny little aquarium I KNOW is too small (if he lays out, his nose and tail almost touch both sides, and he can't lay out straight along the shorter side at all)- but I'm workingon convincing the manager he needs a larger enclosure. He had a tiny bowl of water he can't soak himself in (I changed that right away) and is on shredded aspen bedding. He is FAT, at least in my opinion. He has these little rolls around his legs, and he just looks like a chunky monkey. His body makes his head look small! I suspect he'd been fed nothing much more then mealworms and crickets dusted with calcium/D3 powder, even though there as a REALLY old head of romaine lettuce in the fridge (not something I'd ever feed to my own animals, or the ones at the store I normally work at, and certianly when it's not squishy and slimy!). I have no idea if he has mites or not, as I've no idea what to look for.

Sorry about the long rant, but I just wanted to set up the situation, so you can understand my question better. What I want to know is:

1. Is the bedding okay? It's not the spintered aspen, it's the broad, shredded stuff. I read that this is okay for skinks. Thoughts? How deep should the bedding be? It was just deep enough so it absorbed whatever he gave out, but I increased it until he could dig in it. Is that alright?

2. To change his diet, should I do it gradually or all at once? I'm planning on bringing in greens and things in to work for the critters, and so declair "war" on the poor diet of the animals there. But because it's such a dramtic change, I'm worried that it will cause him problems, like it would in some other animals. What do you think? Should I take away all his crickets and worms, and use cat food instead? We do have access to superworms, but I don't think he's been getting them. How much should I be feeding, if he's so fat? I'm sure he's malnourished, especially if he's only been eating crickets, but he's still (what I see as) fat. Should I look into suppliments for the short-term?

3. He is a vicious, vicious beast. Is this normal? He unted me across his terrarium when I was cleaning out his cage, hissing and showing that big blue tongue at me. I have ot admit, I'm a little sscared of him, so I wore gloves. I'm hoping a better home and diet will help his attitude a little. Or is it too late, and is he now and forever going to be a biter?

4. Anything else you can tell me to look for! I checked his temps, and I THINK they are okay (80 on the low side, 100 on the high side, measured using the temp gun I brough in to work from home). His humidity was about 15% when I went in, but with the bigger bowl of water it's at 29% when I checked this morning. I added a basking rock on the warm side and a hide on the cool side (he didn't have either). His home is so small right now, I'm worried about adding in anything else, and crowding him. Should I put in a fake plant or two anyways, or leave it as is until he can get a bigger home?

Thanks so much for your help!

[Blotch]

Pictures! see if you can get a pic or 2 of the skink and post it up here so we can have a look!

1 - shredded aspen is fine.
2 - Diet change can be done however you want - when it's hungry - it should eat. Amount - about a tablespoon should be good enough.
3 - He's not used to human contact obviously. To fix his attitude - you should handle him more. The more you handle him - the better he'll get.
4 - get the bigger enclosure for him. That's the main thing you should be worrying about.

Also as i said earlier - get a pic or 2. it'll help to know what he is exactly.

It also sounds like he'd be a good pet for you!
He's obviously caught your eye, maybe you're meant to have him? They are easy to keep, and great to interact with once they get out of their hissy fit stage.

Luke.

PS - my apologies for a brief reply - I was late for an appointment and ended up calling to postpone it.

[jasjmm27]

Well, for one, you are in the right place for answering these questions!

I doubt you have a Kimberly there...UNLESS you happen to be in Australia???

If you are outside of Aus, then a "speckly face" COULD be a Kei Island...? Without pictures, no one can tell...even with pictures it can be hard!

Sounds like you have a pretty healthy, if not obese, bluey there. Obviously he can be treated better and have better conditions, but from your descriptions it sounds like he is a fighter, both literally and for his own health!

Blueys don't, necessarily, NEED to soak in their dishes, though some may enjoy that...mine barely like to stick their tongues in the water to drink! So, a huge water bowl isn't necessary, though not bad either...

1) Aspen "chips" are great...from your description it sounds like you have exactly what is recommended the most on this site (and what I use). The depth of the substrate is a good question...I was wondering that myself...it seems that my blueys like the substrate deeper and deeper...I would say at least as deep as the animal is thick, I like to add an inch or so above that, though!

2) Changing the diet gradually is probably the best...offering a little less of his current staple now and adding in more of the "good stuff" each feeding. Since he is overweight, you can skip a few feedings and only feed him once every 2-3 days...OR as little as once a week...skinks can go months without food (and do during brumation/winter months) and a little diet won't hurt him... On the contrary, feeding less will make him hungrier and more likely to accept "better" foods that you may offer. Crickets and mealworms are both a bit rough for blueys, but won't hurt him all that much...just be sure to supplement every few feedings. If you have WORMS, as in earth worms, those are great feeders for blueys, almost as good as snails! High quality cat food is a good substitute for live prey/protein as well...

3) Some blueys can be vicious, it is probably because he is uncomfortable in the small cage, can't hide, and likely wild caught? Or, it could just be him...it is relatively normal, though he can probably be tamed with some TLC and a bit of time...I would be scared of a mean bluey, too! They can have some strong jaws! I wouldn't say it is ever too late...just needs time and love.

4) everything else sounds good to me...everything I can remember, anyway. I am glad that he found a "guardian angel" to help him into a better situation at least while he stays in that store! Oh, I think adding a fake plant that he can crawl through/hide in, would be great...like a fake vine?


Welcome to the forum and I hope you get lots of useful help here!!!

[Hockeyrulz48]

Yea get some pics up and we should be able to tell you what it is. Keep trying to get him in a bigger cage, it sound like you are doing a good job so far.

[sheslikeheroin]

aspen chips are good. for the veggies use collard and dandelion greens. onl;y use really high quality cat food if you plan to use it. like the others said more pics would be really helpful in identification. i agree wiht blotch that he will probly be a good pet for you.

[Bird_Brain]

Excellent advice so far!

Can you post your location? As said before, pictures would help a lot (plus I just want to see the bluey )

[Tattoo]

Being that the skink could be wild caught and nobody knows anything about it could it be a pregnant female? I know it's the wrong time of year but stranger things have happened.

Did the Bluey actually bite you or just warn you? Any bluey in a tiny cage that is stressed would hiss and possibly display their tongue. I have never cleaned my bluey's cage while he is in it. That would not make him happy.

Sounds like you are on the right path ... maybe this is a pet that has come to you for a reason. Could this be your newest pet? Would love to see some pictures. Thanks for caring and searching for answers. Everyone here appreciates your efforts.

[Lissa]

I'm in Canada, where (I think) skinks are fairly rare. I've never, ever seen one before in any of the local pet stores, or even at the local annual herp trade show. I saw something that looks kin do flike a skink at the local zoo, but if it is a skink, it's not a blue tongue.

I am trying to get him the larger enclosure, but limited space + cost of tank for the store + mostly uncaring bos may equal futility. If that's the case, I may switch him (without asking, bua hahaha) with the little bearded dragon below him- the beardie's enclosure is about twice the size of the skink, and the beardie is only four weeks old.

I've no intention on bringing him home- would probably just encourage the store to bring in another, which I certianly don't want. Also, I've a full house and don't have the physical room for yet another large terrarium.

The "bluey" didn't bite me, but only because I am fast! I work mostly with parrots- you gotta be fast when the creature you're working with can open you up eaier then a can-opener with a can of tuna! He doesn't even like people approaching the glass- hisses and moves away while displaying that pretty blue tongue. I tried to remove him to clean the cage, but he struggled so much when I picke him up that I was afriad he was going to hurt himself! Luckily, I did pick him up from behind (didn't know there was a special way to hold a skink until I read the info on this site), but who knew such a fat lizard had so much fight in him? In the cage, he'd race to where my hand was and try to bite. I had to be pretty fast to clean up the cage. Another employee said they usually block him with a peice of carboard in one side, clean the side he's not in, then chase him over to the other to continue cleaning. This didn't seem like a very good idea to me. Once I'm more comfortable with him, I'll try handling him. Right now, I'm just to worried I'll hold him wrong and pop a joint or something.

I sincerely doubt it's a gravid female- the store had had the skink for over a year, and got him as a "baby" (small, apparently). He's been by himself the entire time (which is good, from what I've read?). So, unless baby skinks mate and store sperm for long periods of time (can they?), I doubt he's/she's gravid.

We're not actaully allowed to take pictures of the animals in the store (strange, because at the one I normally work at, the manager/owner encourages it!) but I'll try to sneak some in. Probably won't be able to post them until next Tuesday, though, when my next shift is. I'll try to get a pic of his enclosure too, maybe get some advise on the set up.

And I'll add in a piece of fake vine (I think there are some laying around the back room I can clean up for him) so he can hide.

[Blotch]

you'd make a good skink owner lissa! Hopefully you fall in love with him and give in to the bluey charms.

[Leigh]

You sound like you've got the basic requirements for him to be happier, he/she will be hissy if they've chased him around a tiny viv with cardboard, you might try offering him some bits of cooked chicken/ snails/dusted superworms with tweezers to start with, that'll associate human hands with treats, you given him a hide and a chance to bury away from attention,plants are also good for them to hide in/under and crawl through, to be fair he'd need a 3ft by 2ft cage, if wild caught it'll take a while and some nervy handling to get him tameish(some never come round) they all have different personalities, have you checked the leg folds arent built up stuck shed, I give mine a small bowl to drink from and a large dish on stilts to soak in and hide under, mines an IJ and doesnt need to have a really dry enclosure.As mentioned they can go months without food as long as there's fresh water, if you think he's been fed crickets and mealworms only, he will be fat,introduce the good diet (the food section here and the caresheet are exellent starting points)Let us see the beast and we'll be able to give an I'd. Good luck I think you can make his life better from the sounds of it.

[Tattoo]

Glad to hear the skink can't be gravid. I bet the thrashing when you lifted it out of the tank was due to lack of support to it's body. If you don't hug them close to you some of them flail like a pinwheel in the wind. Sounds like the poor guy has had an unfortunate life. Glad to hear you are there to sort him out.

[Blotch]

I've found it's not the actual lack of support to the body that gets them thrashing but the lack of support beneath their feet - prodominantly the back feet.