BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

I had to go pick up buggies for my crew today, and I asked if they had any BTS in... just out of curiousity, NOT to purchase. Well, there was one and "she" was very.. VERY ..unhappy! It was sooo sad.. as soon as the guy opened the enclosure, "she" started hissing and puffing up. I mean REALLY putting up a display... definitely skeeered'd me!

The guy left me with "her" ..tank open and all... to go and help someone else. His last words were, "You're on your own!"

I tried to talk to "her" and show "her" I meant no harm, but "she" wasn't having it. "She" very nearly got me a couple of times and I finally just gave up, so not to stress "her" any further. "She" was side-winding me like a "Scaredy Cat" does and really hissing.

"She" looked fat enough, clear eyes, no open wounds, missing toes, stumpy tail.. none of that... but "she" was beat up pretty badly along "her" back and ...well, "she" was very defensive.


Now, I wish I had drove the other direction and didn't even go in there today. The site of "her" haunts me. I frequent this herp store pretty often and have even traded some of my own Cresteds with the owner, but I've never outright bought anything from him.. other than feeder bugs.

Is "she" better off being a beacon of sorts, for other BTS that may end up in there.. ? I mean, if she lives there for awhile... it's less likely he'll replace her, right? Man!! I hate these situations to no end!

Short of asking him to GIVE her to me, I can always just prepare a special meal for her when I go in for my feeder bugs... at least she'll be getting a good meal occasionally.

Blahhhh!!!!


Okay, ranting over. I'm such a softy, dang it! (And I am sooo ordering my buggies online again.)


~Aminah

I'd say try to educate the owner of the store maybe suggest he/she come here. If it's that wily it's probably wild caught and my have diseases that might not be appearent yet, so I would suggest steering clear as it will probably cost a great deal for vet care and may die anyway.
Poor Baby bluey, someone needs to thwap some people.

You could try talking the owner into giving her to you, either free, or for a "token" fee. LeaBilby may be able to give you some pointers if you PM her - she got her Eastern, Kiah, out of a bad situation because she was able to talk the owners around. They were decent folk, who'd unwittingly received a skink that had been mistreated, and were willing to surrender it to her for the animal's own good.

Try to educate. The more education, the better.

If neither of the above work, as hard as it may be, then having her as a beacon is the best option. Though not the best for the individual skink, it is the best in the long run. A poorly kept, wild caught skink that is bought out of pity is just going to be replaced with another. In that case, I'd buy your supplies elsewhere, too.

Thanks!

Yeah.. I had no intention of purchasing her. (I'm actually looking forward to a baby Northern from one of the breeders on this site. ) The situation just made me feel so sad. I truly am a big softy when animals are involved... not so much for humans and seeing her so upset got to me.

I'll definitely talk to the guy tomorrow. At least he "pretends" to listen pretty well... whether he actually does or not, well..

And I will definitely be ordering my crickets online again... I just got tired of the smell and having to keep so many alive for such a long time.


~Aminah

Nothing some time, patience and a front-opening tank wouldn't cure, at least better for "her" stress levels. Good luck.

KW

Wow Kyle, you surprise me! I thought your normal 'one may die or live in squallor, but others will benefit' bit might come out. And here I was thinking the blood of the true revolutionary, and the crusaders before them, ran hot in your veins!


Aminah, I am the same as you. It's a hard thing to get out of your mind. I too cannot bear to see an animal neglected or suffering. I don't like to give patron to dodgy petstores, but it is very hard to walk away. I cry when I see a stray dog at the local shopping mall!
I do my bit by not purchasing anything from petstores if I can help it.

Well, from what I gathered it looked somewhat okay if not a bit rough, probably not being fed as great as it could be (sneaking in meals I felt was quite punk rock...)

Not to mention, the skink's attitude is kind of shows it has a fighting spirit, and buying it isn't going to be the first thing on some impulse buyer's mind, unless they need finger removal.

Plus usually I go on and on about people that want our permission to buy sub-standard, wild-caught animals from the nearest neighborhood pet chain, I really can't say much about the sad animals that take up residence in pet stores that shouldn't be bought. It's like I've said before, they have a purpose, keeping another animal from taking it's place. So there.

KW

KW

KyleWeiss wrote:Well, from what I gathered it looked somewhat okay if not a bit rough, probably not being fed as great as it could be (sneaking in meals I felt was quite punk rock...)

Not to mention, the skink's attitude is kind of shows it has a fighting spirit, and buying it isn't going to be the first thing on some impulse buyer's mind, unless they need finger removal.

Plus usually I go on and on about people that want our permission to buy sub-standard, wild-caught animals from the nearest neighborhood pet chain, I really can't say much about the sad animals that take up residence in pet stores that shouldn't be bought. It's like I've said before, they have a purpose, keeping another animal from taking it's place. So there.

KW

KW

OK, so just a little bit of the revolutionary in your blood then

Some people need finger removal. From their backsides. Like the petstore workers

It's FINGERS in their backsides they need to get out? Man have I been telling people the phrase...

KW

KyleWeiss wrote:It's FINGERS in their backsides they need to get out? Man have I been telling people the phrase...

KW

Fingers, Heads, themselves, there's usually something mate

So... after a normally "rough" night of sleep.. I'm still sad about that darn BTS being in there... but I REFUSE to purchase her.

After the comments here and as sad as it will be for me to do it..
I'm going to take a nice meal to her today and talk to the owner and his partner about her care... give them a copy of the care sheet from here... and walk away.

I'm almost crying now, just typing this... dang it! I dreamed of her out in the grass wandering around. I dreamed of getting my fingers slammed in a ca... no, I believe it was a BTS' jaw and yet still, learning a way to pick her up without her getting all bent out of shape about it.

I have to be strong... for her and what she stands for!

I'll leave my card and if they tire of her sitting there waiting to amputate their digits, they can call me. In the mean time, I'll do my research for rehab'ing terrified, bitey BTS and prepare for the worst.

Thanks you guys!!

~Aminah


P.s. The vision of her latched on to the behind a screaming employee there is priceless!

I know it's a hard decision. I hate going in pet store's anymore. But I think you're doing right. Who knows, maybe they'll call you up in a couple weeks!

Good luck. I feel that everyttime I walk into a petshop I want to start a bts rescue. Infact that has crossed my mind lately. After having rocky I realized what great class pets skinks can be and I thought wouldnt it be great to start a program and be able to give a bts to a teacher who can use it to educate students. They could tie it into the curriculum like I did with my students. Then skinks could go to good homes and we could educate a younger generation of BTS. I wrote a grant proposal for class pets in the builidng and I got one for five learning support classrooms. Good luck with your decision

Well when I go into the pet store I am a big reptile buff so I always find some snake or lizard I want to save. I had volunteered at the local zoo for awhile and they let me work ith the reptiles where I got to know some pre-hensile tailed skinks. So I will save any animals. I picked up a baby possum a couple of months ago that looked dazed on the side of the road but I couldnt help him he had been hit. He lived for 24 hours, at least I gave him a soft place to sleep and plenty of plain yogurt. I am very tender hearted and can't stand to see an animal suffer.

This really is a hard one for me, but I feel that she will be a great lesson for them (owners) and whoever sees her there. She is very obviously unhappy in that place... and btw, it IS a front loading tank.

All I can do is get some organic greens out of my backyard, a summer squash and some Spot's Stew... fix it up nice... and take it to her when I go in to talk to the owners today.

Thanks for all the encouragement and such... it's making me stronger

~Aminah

P.s. I'll take my digicam along and ask if I can get a shot or 2 of her. I hope she doesn't eat my camera!