Hey all, my skink is carving up my hand when he tries to crawl up my arm when i'm holding him. I went to cut his nails today but they really aren't unusually long, they just look really sharp. Right now I use shredded aspen as substrate, but i also have a bag of coconut bedding in my closet.
1. Is it normal that they have sharp nails?
2. Would the coconut substrate grind/dull them at all?
3. What are your collective experiences/suggestions?
Nails
Forum rules
In this forum all are welcome to ask blue tongue skink-related questions, share information, ideas, tips, experiences, and pictures with fellow BTS enthusiasts.
If you are wondering if your BTS is acting normally or might be sick, this is where you can get help with that.
This is also where you can have some FUN while sharing the enjoyment you get from your blueys!
In this forum all are welcome to ask blue tongue skink-related questions, share information, ideas, tips, experiences, and pictures with fellow BTS enthusiasts.
If you are wondering if your BTS is acting normally or might be sick, this is where you can get help with that.
This is also where you can have some FUN while sharing the enjoyment you get from your blueys!
-
Payday1897
- Bluey Beginner

- Posts: 69
- Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2007 6:06 pm
- Country:
Nails
My BTS can read. (I think)
- evil pixie
- Bluey Follower

- Posts: 281
- Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 8:05 pm
- Country:
- Location: Michigan
- Contact:
If it's nice in your area, take him outside on the cement. You should have a basking rock in there to provide him with some grit. You can also trim off that sharp tip too, that might help.
The Humane Society took Michael Vick's pit bulls, asked for public money to help them, then decided it would be best to kill them... adopt from No Kill shelters http://www.roas.petfinder.com
•Blue - Northern BTS
•Severus - Silver Tanny
•Cheyenne - Pit Bull/Lab
•Sunny - Pit Bull/Beagle
•Gryffin & Tucker - Kitties
•Blue - Northern BTS
•Severus - Silver Tanny
•Cheyenne - Pit Bull/Lab
•Sunny - Pit Bull/Beagle
•Gryffin & Tucker - Kitties
- PICJESS
- Chunka Burnin Love

- Posts: 207
- Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2005 1:06 pm
- Country:
- Location: Seffner, FL
- Contact:
Mr. Booger has short nails but are very sharp, like kitten nails. He scraches me to pieces too. I've tried cutting the shart point off, but it doesn't help. Chunka on the other hand has thick nails that stay pretty blunt. I guess it just depends on the skink. Cement walking may help but I've not really found anything to help with Booger's nails. I just have to be careful when handling him, and I can't wear a tanktop when I do or he REALLY does a number on my chest neck and shoulders! Good luck!
Jess
2 Gigas : Mr. Booger and Chunka
2 Cats : Storm and Cali
1 Mutt : Jetta (black pointer mix)
1 husband : Rock <3
1 baby girl : Daisy <3
2 Gigas : Mr. Booger and Chunka
2 Cats : Storm and Cali
1 Mutt : Jetta (black pointer mix)
1 husband : Rock <3
1 baby girl : Daisy <3
- Lucifer_Spades
- Bluey Addict

- Posts: 1407
- Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 10:35 pm
- Country:
- Location: Body and Heart-Colorado Soul-OZ
I have suggested before, and it seemed well recieved, lightly abrade the tips away with a fine grit sand paper and it might help.
~*Luce*~
The original Ginger-Ninja! Ka-pow!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
0.0.3 Irian Jaya
Mizu, Izuru, and Battosai (On a Canadian Cruise)
0.0.1 Tanimbar Island
Toulouse (On a Canadian Cruise)
1.1.0 Cats-Simon, Lexi
1.0.0 Husband-Ricky
2.2.0 Kids-Kira, Tiernan, Chayton, and Esmé(aka "The Heathen Hoard" or " The HHH Club")
The original Ginger-Ninja! Ka-pow!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
0.0.3 Irian Jaya
Mizu, Izuru, and Battosai (On a Canadian Cruise)
0.0.1 Tanimbar Island
Toulouse (On a Canadian Cruise)
1.1.0 Cats-Simon, Lexi
1.0.0 Husband-Ricky
2.2.0 Kids-Kira, Tiernan, Chayton, and Esmé(aka "The Heathen Hoard" or " The HHH Club")
- Blotch
- Bluey Addict

- Posts: 3230
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 2:10 am
- Country:
- Location: South Eastern Victoria, Australia.
- Lisa
- Blue Mountains Beauty

- Posts: 1072
- Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 4:04 pm
- Country:
- Location: Blue Mtns, NSW, Australia
I don't think the type of substrate has a huge bearing on keeping their nails short. What does is use. And they don't get to use them all that much in a tank! So get him out and about as much as you can, even if just around the house. They have to walk on them to wear them down, and a couple of laps of a 4x2 doesn't really cut it, no matter if you have fluffy substrate or sandpaper.
And yes, some have thin sharp ones and some have thick blunt ones. They get thicker and blunter as they get older. (Like men, how they get more and more ear and nose hair as they get older
)
And yes, some have thin sharp ones and some have thick blunt ones. They get thicker and blunter as they get older. (Like men, how they get more and more ear and nose hair as they get older
1 Eastern, JUBBY, born January 2004
1 Blotchie, RALPHIE, born March 2006
1 Nutjob, SANTOS L HALPER (SANTOS), born February 2006
1 Shingle SHE'S THE FASTEST, born Feb 2008
1 Blotchie, RALPHIE, born March 2006
1 Nutjob, SANTOS L HALPER (SANTOS), born February 2006
1 Shingle SHE'S THE FASTEST, born Feb 2008
- Leigh
- Leigh of the Law

- Posts: 6695
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 4:23 am
- Country:
- Location: Bristol, England
Lisa wrote:
And yes, some have thin sharp ones and some have thick blunt ones. They get thicker and blunter as they get older. (Like men, how they get more and more ear and nose hair as they get older)
Thats too true, I recon gravity pulls it down out of your head to fall out your nose, Bloody hurts pulling more than five at a time
brings tears to my eyes thinking about it 
MMMmmmmm... Something???????
- wastedindustry
- Bluey Beginner

- Posts: 71
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 5:45 am
- Country:
- Location: Bristol, UK
- Contact:
Nose hair trimmers for the win. Tried tweezers once and it hurt like an absolute b*stard.
Lilly's nails scratch the hell out of me as well - she has little kitten claws by the looks of them, and if I were to clip them they'd probably grow back just the same. I imagine they're designed like that to allow climbing on stuff maybe?
Either way I'm planning on letting Lilly have sharp claws if she wants - I imagine picking her up is uncomfortable to her, so I have to suffer a bit if I want to have that privilege!
Lilly's nails scratch the hell out of me as well - she has little kitten claws by the looks of them, and if I were to clip them they'd probably grow back just the same. I imagine they're designed like that to allow climbing on stuff maybe?
Either way I'm planning on letting Lilly have sharp claws if she wants - I imagine picking her up is uncomfortable to her, so I have to suffer a bit if I want to have that privilege!
0.1.0 Merauke Bluey - Lilly
0.3.0 Guinea Pigs - Pippin, Chewie, Grannie
2.0.0 Rats - Billy-Bob Casanova, Sniff
0.1.0 Hamster - Reaper
0.0.23 Stick Insects - Unnamed
0.0.2 Olive Millipedes - Itchy and Scratchy
- Leigh
- Leigh of the Law

- Posts: 6695
- Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 4:23 am
- Country:
- Location: Bristol, England
Return to “General Discussion and FAQ”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 159 guests
