BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Since posting picures is the Law ... here are a few from this evening. Too tired for any witty sub text but photos none the less. Tattoo had a butter worm tonight (her second) and she shook it violently before consuming it. Is that a common occurance? It was very funny.





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He is a cutie! is he squinting though? he looks squinty, He's cute though!!! He's tough

THe head shaking while killing their supper is normal, some even death roll. He is very cute, nice colors.

Yeah, some even do the death roll with bits of vegetable
Gotta watch them killer vegetables, it's why I don't eat them!

What happened to his eye?

Great pics!

I third that -- is her eye okay? I don't want to scare you, because this is unlikely, but that looks nearly identical to how my skink's eyelids looked with UV burns. Hope it's just shed or something else easily corrected in your case.
Is she having trouble moving the lower lid?

Who taught her the Indian head massage technique?As soon as I saw that photo my head filled with"Riding along on the crest of a wave ......" I thought she looked really sleepy,but after the others had said dry eyes, I tend to agree. She has lovely dark to light flanks,

When she gets near shed she always rubs her eyes on things and starts to peel the scales around her eyelids. They seem to be the first things to shed. She has done that since I got her. After shed is over she goes back to normal.

As to the indian head massage ... she figured that one out on her own. For some reason she likes to climb up on my head and sit there. Likes the view I guess.

Ok ...now after thinking about all the eye comments I am officially panicked. My tank set up is as follows:
30 gallon critter cage (which is 12 inches high)
Aspen bedding
Zilla combo hood (the new one with 4 halogen spots and one T5 tube)
The florescent is a desert series - says it delivers 50 microwatts of UVB at 18 inches.
The halogen are 50 watt and 25 watt of their day series halogens (blue in color).

Tattoo had an eye infection when she arrived. She threw up in her container on the way to my home and I believe got conjunctivitis. We went to the vet (of course he had no clue what was wrong) but gave me some eye ointment. Her eyes opened right up after one day of tx and the inner eye lid went back in place. She was rubbing her eyes constantly when she arrived that's how I knew something was wrong.
Maybe she damaged the scales around the eyes from all that rubbing? I'm thinking of trying the removal of the T5 for another bulb. Could that be too strong?

Hmm, if she had conj. it could be just the leftover effects of it maybe? Or, just scratched eyes from all the rubbing....

Sounds like you have a ton of lights....what is the temperatures on the hot end and cool end?

what a cutie I love his/her coloring.. and all your lights that you said you have makes me think I don't have enough.. I only have the basking light
Kristin

No, one basking light is plenty if it gives you your 100 degree basking hot spot...

Tattoo wrote:Ok ...now after thinking about all the eye comments I am officially panicked. My tank set up is as follows:
30 gallon critter cage (which is 12 inches high)
Aspen bedding
Zilla combo hood (the new one with 4 halogen spots and one T5 tube)
The florescent is a desert series - says it delivers 50 microwatts of UVB at 18 inches.
The halogen are 50 watt and 25 watt of their day series halogens (blue in color).

Tattoo had an eye infection when she arrived. She threw up in her container on the way to my home and I believe got conjunctivitis. We went to the vet (of course he had no clue what was wrong) but gave me some eye ointment. Her eyes opened right up after one day of tx and the inner eye lid went back in place. She was rubbing her eyes constantly when she arrived that's how I knew something was wrong.
Maybe she damaged the scales around the eyes from all that rubbing? I'm thinking of trying the removal of the T5 for another bulb. Could that be too strong?

Seriously, I would NOT panic. Popsicle had conjunctivitis a few years ago. Since that time, her eyes will get really crusty and squinty before she sheds. To the average person, it would look like she has an eye infection. However, as soon as Popsicle sheds, her eyes are fine! My theory is that the tissue was somehow damaged when she had her eye infection. I think this might cause the old tissue to build up strangely around the damaged parts. When she is very, very close to shedding, she will rub those eyes a lot more. At this time, I take plain saline that is used for contacts, and I will squirt it on her eye. It seems to soften up the tissue and ease the itchiness. Popsicle shed two days ago, so her eyes are perfect, otherwise I'd take pictures to show you. Maybe I'll make a photo journal of this process to show everyone. I think it's hard for others to understand this process unless they see for themselves!

Zach - Cool side temp from 78 to 85 F and hot side from 95 to 105. I have a temp gun and check around the enclosure. I started with a 75 W on the hot side and it was way too hot. Went to the 50 W and it seems to be right. The basking rock I can hold my hand on even 12 hours of light.

As Marie said I have used saline on a q-tip and rubbed it over her eyes cause they seem dry and those tiny scales seem all roughed up. The only time her eyes look perfect are right after shed. I am still questioning the Desert Series florescent. Hmmm ...

Hey Marie ... would love to see those pictures of future popsicle eyes to compare to Tattoo's eyes. I am trying not to but I am afraid I am not being very successful.

Here is the hood so you can see why so many lights

Tattoo wrote:Ok ...now after thinking about all the eye comments I am officially panicked. My tank set up is as follows:
30 gallon critter cage (which is 12 inches high)
Aspen bedding
Zilla combo hood (the new one with 4 halogen spots and one T5 tube)
The florescent is a desert series - says it delivers 50 microwatts of UVB at 18 inches. The halogen are 50 watt and 25 watt of their day series halogens (blue in color).

Tattoo had an eye infection when she arrived. She threw up in her container on the way to my home and I believe got conjunctivitis. We went to the vet (of course he had no clue what was wrong) but gave me some eye ointment. Her eyes opened right up after one day of tx and the inner eye lid went back in place. She was rubbing her eyes constantly when she arrived that's how I knew something was wrong.
Maybe she damaged the scales around the eyes from all that rubbing? I'm thinking of trying the removal of the T5 for another bulb. Could that be too strong?

That was the sentence that caught my eye{sorry for the punn} your cage is only 12 inches high ,so the little fella could be too close for the specified distance by the manufacturer

Yere id say a drop of sorbaline cream around the eye , seems a tad dry .Mite be my eye sight ..Preety color

cheers

Leigh wrote:

Tattoo wrote:Ok ...now after thinking about all the eye comments I am officially panicked. My tank set up is as follows:
30 gallon critter cage (which is 12 inches high)
Aspen bedding
Zilla combo hood (the new one with 4 halogen spots and one T5 tube)
The florescent is a desert series - says it delivers 50 microwatts of UVB at 18 inches. The halogen are 50 watt and 25 watt of their day series halogens (blue in color).

Tattoo had an eye infection when she arrived. She threw up in her container on the way to my home and I believe got conjunctivitis. We went to the vet (of course he had no clue what was wrong) but gave me some eye ointment. Her eyes opened right up after one day of tx and the inner eye lid went back in place. She was rubbing her eyes constantly when she arrived that's how I knew something was wrong.
Maybe she damaged the scales around the eyes from all that rubbing? I'm thinking of trying the removal of the T5 for another bulb. Could that be too strong?

That was the sentence that caught my eye{sorry for the punn} your cage is only 12 inches high ,so the little fella could be too close for the specified distance by the manufacturer

Hey Leigh ... I am in touch with the manufacturer about this again even though they have assured me twice it was the right choice of bulbs. For now have gotten a few florescent fixture and put in a Reptisun 5.0 bulb. Sure made my eyes feel better ... I can only imagine how much better Tattoo must feel. Thanks

DeadEye wrote:Yere id say a drop of sorbaline cream around the eye , seems a tad dry .Mite be my eye sight ..Preety color

cheers

Deadeye ... I applied a drop of eye ointment to each eye and have a new skink. Tattoo seems to have dry eye problems since her bout with conjunctivitis. I am wondering if when she stops growing it will be better as it will only be a shed to contend with and not growing as well.

Is this the cream you were refering to? Looks like I can get it in the states. I used a dry eye ointment (white petroleum and mineral oil for humans) and rubbed it on the outside of her eyelids. If you think your suggestion would be better I would gladly get some. Thanks for all the help mate.