Introducing...Milenko!! Lots of pics.

[JuggaMidget]

I've had him for 2 years it'll be 3 in jan. I got him from paradise pets in new jersey. the pics first pics with the crappy camera are from when I first got him. He was very tame when I got him the first day I had him out with me he crawled in the crook of my arm and fell asleep

[Lisa]

Jaysus!
He's a beauty. But in all honesty, I wouldn't feed him for a year. I can see you're only tiny yourself so that might skew things a bit, but I believe he's seriously overweight.

[Justin]

well i think he looks like a healthy lizard if you ask me!!!

[thesilverbeast]

im not sure if he is "seriously overweight" if you look at his legs and length his proportions are pretty good, if he was overweight his feet would look small, they look quite large, even with his size.

one thing is his chin, its a fat chin though.


(also, i have no idea what im talking about im just guessing really)

[Leigh]

im not sure if he is "seriously overweight" if you look at his legs and length his proportions are pretty good, if he was overweight his feet would look small, they look quite large, even with his size.

one thing is his chin, its a fat chin though.


(also, i have no idea what im talking about im just guessing really)

That last line's a classic mate

[Zach]

Jaysus!
He's a beauty. But in all honesty, I wouldn't feed him for a year. I can see you're only tiny yourself so that might skew things a bit, but I believe he's seriously overweight.

Welcome! I agree that he is overweight. Wonderful looking animal though and I hope you will share more pictures in the future.

One of the biggest BTS we've seen.

This one, Bode, and Mama I think are the largest mass wise that I know of.

[JuggaMidget]

so if you guys think that he is seriously overweight what should I do cut down his feedings to once every three days?

[KyleWeiss]

Once every three days or simply cut what he's eating in half, don't let him feed until he's stuffed his face and there's still food on the plate when you serve him. Also, watch what you're feeding, maybe up the greens and down the meat, change the meat to something leaner, etc...

KW

[Dragontears]

He's a whole lotta man! I bet he could take Mamma

Do you have a weight on him? Mamma is 23 (24?) inches and weighs around 990grams. (I haven't weighed her in months though so I'm not exactly sure on the weight)

[Lisa]

At his age, (well from adulthood, eg 12months onwards), they really don't need to be fed more than once a week. Twice max, if you have a slow growing or picky bluey, but I don't think yours falls into that category lol.

Due to their metabolism and their captive bred lifestyle, it is very easy for blueys to put on weight, but much harder for them, and it takes longer, for them to shed it. Once you're into summer (traditionally a slower month for them, they kind of do a reverse brumation) I wouldn't be feeding him more than once a week. You won't be depriving him, and he'll live a longer life

[Leigh]

Hey there Lisa, do reckon that hungry skinks live longer or do you just mean don't let them be a spoilt couch potatoe.

[Lisa]

Hey there Lisa, do reckon that hungry skinks live longer or do you just mean don't let them be a spoilt couch potatoe.

Couch potato. Fat is not healthy. It puts pressure on the kidneys, liver, heart. I just think a normal weighted skink is a more healthy skink than one that is overweight, and their internal organs will hold out longer than one that has his working overtime. Like people I guess, but because they can't tell us if they have a problem, by the time symptoms appear it can be too late to reverse or halt the damage.

None of this is aimed specifically at Jugga's boy, I don't think he's going to have a heart attack or suffer kidney failure tomorrow, but he's young and now's as good a time as any to change his eating habits. Cutting back to only feeding once a week, less in summer, none in winter, is a good start

We all joke about 'big boned' blueys, and having a laugh is good. But occasionally we need to get honest and be serious for the benefit of our scaley friends. There are way more overweight blueys than big boned ones out there.

[NomadOfTheHills]

Bravo.

I beleive I brought that up once and got the ol' big boned response lol.

[JuggaMidget]

so you're saying that I shouldn't feed him at all in winter? won't feeding him once a week or less be dangerous for him? Especially since he's used to eating every other day? Will he still get the proper nutrition?

[Leigh]

I wouldn't worry too much, he's big, and being slightly over weight there's a lot stored up, the aussies reckon they can go up to 3or4 months without eating with no problems, If they brumate don't feed them all winter

[Lisa]

so you're saying that I shouldn't feed him at all in winter? won't feeding him once a week or less be dangerous for him? Especially since he's used to eating every other day? Will he still get the proper nutrition?

They go into like a torpor in winter. Being cold blooded animals, winter just doesn't do it for them so they go have a nap for a few months. Occasionally if you get a nice run of warm weather they will come out for an hour or so, but generally they sleep the winter away.

So no, he won't lack nutrition, they are designed to go long periods without food. Their metabolism slows right down, so they don't even lose alot of weight over winter.

Same as in summer, it's too hot for them, so they don't do much then either. Autumn they eat up and prepare for the cold months, winter they sleep, spring they get horny and make babies, summer they recover from it and on it goes.

Alot of people wonder why their bluey doesn't eat as much in summer and get worried, but it's like reverse brumation. There's a name for it but it's too long and complicated for me!

That's why I reckon autumn and spring are your best months to get him slimmer.

[KyleWeiss]

Well said, Lis. You're on fire with posts today.

KW

[Lisa]

Well said, Lis. You're on fire with posts today.

KW

I can't take all the credit. It's the alcohol. POETS day (Friday) and all

In all seriousness but, this is a place of information and knowledge. I love a joke as much as the next person, but at the end of the day we're here to impart our experience

[Leigh]

Well said Lisa, nice to hear you get a Roman Spear on fridays too I'm at work for another hour n a half 12.00 now, not enough time to get through all the posts.

[Fatal_S]

so you're saying that I shouldn't feed him at all in winter? won't feeding him once a week or less be dangerous for him? Especially since he's used to eating every other day? Will he still get the proper nutrition?

They go into like a torpor in winter. Being cold blooded animals, winter just doesn't do it for them so they go have a nap for a few months. Occasionally if you get a nice run of warm weather they will come out for an hour or so, but generally they sleep the winter away.

So no, he won't lack nutrition, they are designed to go long periods without food. Their metabolism slows right down, so they don't even lose alot of weight over winter.

Same as in summer, it's too hot for them, so they don't do much then either. Autumn they eat up and prepare for the cold months, winter they sleep, spring they get horny and make babies, summer they recover from it and on it goes.

Alot of people wonder why their bluey doesn't eat as much in summer and get worried, but it's like reverse brumation. There's a name for it but it's too long and complicated for me!

That's why I reckon autumn and spring are your best months to get him slimmer.

I think I've heard that because it's cool out the animals wont digest their food, and it might go bad int heir stomach and cause problems. Now as I did not hear it here, and it was about reptiles in general not just BTS, is this true?