BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

First off hi everyone I'm new.Now to business. I already have a leopard gecko who is great but mean . But now I've caught the reptile bug and want to buy a BTS. But I have one little problem. Parents. I have enough space in my room for a 40 gallon breeder sized tank and certainly can take care of another animal.I have the responsbilty and grade thing nailed. I just need to convince my parents to let me keep another reptile. Any ideas? I'm thinking something along the lines of "Hey mom/dad I was wondering if maybe I could get another lizard? The kind I have in mind would only get about as big as a bearded dragon and their just as nice too. etc." the bearded dragon if for scale refercnce because they've seen and held them before because my friend has 4 on top of a chamelion and a kingsnake.Please help.
Thanks

Sounds good. I have a suggestion, make a small report about them. Inlude how to care for them, natural back ground ect. Include pictures of their habitat ect. Make it like your blueys life depends on it cuz it kinda does lol. Your parents will be soo impressed they have to say yes. Also maybe get a book on BTS read it everywhere you go with them. They'll see you reading it in the car, instead of watching TV and if you are allowed at the dinner table. Periodicly through out the read state simple interesting facts like, "hey did you know bluetongue skinks use their tongues to scare predators!" ect. They will put one and 2 together and dont worry you'll win them over. Believe me I learned how to master convicing parents that the only way i was able to have 7 different animals of my own including a ferret, parrot, leopard geckos (which i bred and continue to breed), hedgehog and the list goes on. Just make sure they dont have anything to do with their care... they use that as thier trump card!!!! Now that im 19 and make my own money and i make sure i take care of them and help around the house asking them has become less of an issue. Good Luck! let me know if you have problems lol.

Man! I'm sure glad I'm on the MOM end of this now... but what Zbiz suggested would definitely get me to lean in your favor. Good advice... nice strategy... no begging and puffing up (from you... it may happen later with the Bluey ). I think they will say yes even faster if you've saved up most or all of the costs involved.. that's always a good sign of one of my "young adults" continuously being responsible for their decisions.

Good Luck!!

Ask for a monitor, then "settle" for a BTS.

Zbiz thanks for the advice but the thing is they really could care less about what the setup will be they just want to know how big it is lol. Thats how it was with my my gecko.And I have a job at the soccer park that pays triple minimum wage (like 15$+ an hour) so I have the cost down. They already know me to be what they consider "exsessive" when I was reasearching Leopard Geckos. Quote from my dad when I first asked for a lizard was "I don't want this to be a god danm snakehouse". But my geckos grown on him so now things are different and hes even asked me if I could keep two in the same tank. I'll ask tomorw.

I'm a full-grown woman with children (3) of my own and I have to use similar strategies for my husband---although I have additional cards to play . He tends to be supportive because I am the sole caregiver of all our animals and he knows I never overcommit because rehoming would be too traumatic. I also am excessive in my research and I commend you for that---I can't understand who would commit to ownership for an animal whose needs they don't understand!
Best of luck as you sound very responsible and forward thinking. My bluey is my son's pet but he does not take too much responsibility for him. I think we'll work on that this summer. I could threaten to get rid of the BT but he knows I could NEVER do that as I am quite smitten!

What if you just showed up with one? hehehe no no, that's not good advice... although that's what i did when i got my beardie....

Evil Nirvana: Just out of curiosity, how old are you?

Tell them its small{babies are} and under estimate full grown,say 16 "long , I'm not suggesting you lie to your parents ,but hey who didnt exagerate a little,also promote the fact that they're good for the garden as they eat snails,slugs and bugs, and they sleep for a coulpe of months a year{cost saving}how ever you present your case good luck,ps you could show them this site

I just kept asking my mom until she said yes. I told her how it taught responsibility and that I already have a leopard gecko.

I told my parents how it was gonna be and if they wanted me to continue running the vacuum they better let me get one.

my parents easily said yes........ after provin it was worth the money and care, but thats old old old news, good luck!

NomadOfTheHills wrote:Ask for a monitor, then "settle" for a BTS.

That's good.