BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hi I have had my first bluey -WICKED- for about 3 years (which I got as a baby) and the other -BILL_ fully grown when I got it for 2 years, not sure how old it is.

They have co habited together for all that time. It has gotten much warmer here the last week and they have come out of brumation. A few days ago Bill was madly chasing Wicked around and trying to bite it, and Wicked was swishing her tail back and forth. I had read the care sheets, and thought, aha, maybe they may mate. However, last night and today Wicked has been chasing Bill around, attacking it very aggressively, and Bill keeps running away, but Bill now has several bites on the tail and neck.

So, are they fighting, and should I seperate them, or are they mating and if so, which one is which as the have both been chasing and attacking each other. I will seperate them until I get a reply as I am very worried about them.

Also what is the best thing to do with the bite marks on Bill. The are a few scales missing and a lttle blood, do I clean them or leave them.

Thanks in advance
Shaz

BUMP, coz this is important.
Sorry i can't help you but im sure someone will!

Kris

Can you post pictures of both, they'll help a load for the gurus to give you a better answer, good idea to keep them seperated for the time being, wash the cuts for now with salty water if you've nothing else, and try to keep them clean. Can you introduce them to each other with a screen or bit of glass between them to see if there's any definate mating traits, good luck,oh and did you want them to mate?

Hi there are pics in my gallery here of both wicked and bill. They are from last year, are they okay? Thanks for the advice

they sound like males,ill have a squiz at your pics ,not sure if u have blotchys or easterns,my guess from your discription is male,females can bite back but generally wont chase a male to bite him,but there is no definates with blueys

nice easterns,i cant tell by your pics as to what sex they r ,plus they r old pics,so im sticking with there behaviour which sounds like 2 boys if they chasing each other,then again i have 2 kimberley northern females that do that as well so like i said,who knows,lol,the kimberleys didnt bite though,but arent housed together so wont harm each other

sounds like 2 males.

ZACH: You should definitely save this thread as a perfect example ... after two years of cohabitating . . .

Good idea.

It's a common excuse to use a long period of time as a reason for cohabitation to be acceptable.

Simply at any time they could turn on each other. Even if you had a pair, they should always be supervised when mating. If not, the female has no place to run and hide and the male can breed her senseless causing horrific damage.

The reason they have now started to fight is that they are now sexually mature and breeding season is upon us in AU.

I have seperated them and they each have their own tank. I want to have a go at breeding, but I guess 2 boys isn't going to work!! I will try to buy a proven female, and go from their. Are they like a cat or dog, and ovulate several timea a year or is there only a small window of opportunity to breed? I appreciate the advice. Thanks

Breeding season is SE Australia is approx from Sept thru to Nov. I'm talking Easterns & blotched.

Males are usually first to appear from brumation and after feeding and shedding (about 6 weeks) will roam relentlessly looking for females.

Obviously females have eggs in the oviducts during this time and this is the only time of the year they are receptive.