Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Feel free to post pictures, information, articles or anything else related to other skink species.
Forum rules
Topics may be anything to do with other skink species, keeping within the forum rules. Topics related to other lizard species, apart from skinks, are not permitted, but these can still be posted on the general off topic forum.
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Fri Dec 29, 2017 10:59 pm

Fluffy has a new favourate food , I spoil her by snipping the heads off a couple of superworms and cutting the bodies in half, I then squeeze out the meat inside and she loves the stuff, licks my fingers clean and eats up to 4 superworms (just the meat) and a couple of medium disabled crickets per day .

She loves the 100L tub too, and uses every bit of the floor space and the furniture (fake rock grotto) and loves watching us from her spaceous tank and often when luxuriating in her water dish. She's relaxed about us that she now often sleeps ontop her hide rather than inside it.

Fluffy has an admirer (another wild water skink) we call Cheakie who visits every day and really studies Fluffy and me when Fluffy is on me while I'm feeding her and letting her crawl / climb all over me (Fluffy play time) , Cheakie is I believe another girl , but bigger by about 1/3 than Fluffy and I suspect heavily pregnant (and very good on the tooth - ate 5 large crickets + a medium dead silkworm today !) .
Has even started taking insects from my fingers occasionally , learnt by example by watching Fluffy that I'm "safe".
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Sat Dec 30, 2017 9:03 pm

Now know for sure we have two resident wild water skinks living in the house.

I was feeding Fluffy her new favourate food at lunchtime, superworm meat (she licks it off my fingers and LOVES the stuff !! and no risk of impaction as she doesn't get to eat the tough exoskeletons) and Cheakie showed up on the lounge seat next me, Cheakie loves crickets and silkworms , when I looked down to see another skink on the carpet next to foot staring up at me (this is the one who does the rounds of the house at warp speed and is a little skittish , my wife suggested naming this one who I think is also a female (and is about the same size as fluffy - so a bit smaller and lighter than Cheakie) , Speedie (as in Speedie Gonzales).

Speedie lives in the laundry and does the rounds of every room in the house and likes to keep her personal space (about 2-3 ft) and loves mealworms, refused to eat any crickets until she'd had her mealworms (5 satisfied her) and then she only wanted live but disabled crickets (2 large ones today). Speedie has an original issue tail.

Cheakie lives in the lounge room (hangs out behind the 6 piece modular lounge and likes to nap behind the fax machine (is warm there) and is very tame , taking insects from my fingers now and visiting every day.

Photos taken of Speedie and of Fluffy today.
Image
Doing one of her fav activities and sporting her newly regenerating tail .... it's coming on nicely ....

Fluffy licking the superworm goop off my finger tip .... nom nom nom ....
Image
Image
look closely and you can see her tongue in action ... :) .... yes it tickles too...

Fluffy showing her little blue tongue, licking lips ...
Image

Image
Speedie begging for more mealworms ....gimme gimme gimme !

Image
Speedie enjoying a yummy freshly killed cricket on the kitchen floor ....
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Thu Jan 04, 2018 10:54 pm

Fluffy has finally accepted BSF lavae , :) .... I'd rather buy these for her and be sure she's getting the calcium she needs and less fat that to feed her superworm meat (goop) or mealworm lavae or pupae meat (goop) or cricket meat (goop) , she's very lazy , has me worked out and knows I'll decapitate the bugs and squeeze the meat eat to let her lick it off my finger or her nose or off the end of the bug , just be sure she's getting the nutrition she needs to recover and regenerate her tail and replace the calcium she invested in the babies.

I still had to snip off the nose of the maggot and then squeeze out some the goop / meat inside to get her to eat them , but she then took the rest of the maggot and ate it too which was very pleasing to see , so she had 6 BSF lavae and the meat from 1 superworm yesterday .... a very hearty meal for the little lady. And another 8 BSF lavae today. Think I'm on a winner with these BSF lavae for my water skinks , the wild water skinks who have been visiting .

Now know there are THREE inside the house , Cheakie (who hangs out in the lounge room behind/ under the lounge , and Speedie (aka Gustzy ??) who hangs out in the laundry (under the freezer and washing machine) , and a juvenile who has been seen in bathroom and laundry. BSF lavae are a hit with Cheakie and the juvenile, Speedie wants mealworms and crickets and doesn't seem to like the smell of BSF lavae.
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:18 pm

Cheakie just paid a long visit , was a VERY HUNGRY GIRL .... she really knows how to put the food away = 6 medium crickets + 8 BSF lavae (but they had to be cut open else they are YUCK !!! , cut them open and YUMMMMMM !!!).
She got a shock when she headed for the sunny window to bask, Peppa was already there doing the same , she loves looking at the world outside and taking in the warmth in the sunbeams (unfortunately UV doesn't pass through soda glass as used in windows).

I heard Cheakie make a very fast about turn and she back up on the lounge and peaking out from under the cushion and looking at me " OMG !!! there's a huge spiky monster there - help !!! " not that Peppa cared less that Cheakie was there as when my wife looked ( she was pancaking and her head was down and she having a siesta) - probably never even saw Cheakie , and too lazy to chase and catch her anyway.

Took 4 crickets from my fingers today .... big breakthrough in the trust department.

Image


Image
Pigging out on dead crickets and BSFL

Image
Oops ! well it smells and tastes like cricket ???

Image
I want it !

Image
I got it .... nom nom nom ....


Image
I'm still hungry ... gimme gimme gimme

Image
here you are , they are in that little white lid ... Cheakie making another food raid .... she's like an bottomless pit today - really hungry after being absent for a few days.

Image

Image
More , bit a bit more tricky .... she sussed it out in under 15 seconds , and got in and got them ....



kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:20 pm

Meet our newest resident wild house skink , a juvenile eastern water skink who is about the same age and size that Lucky was when I rescued him way back about 8 years ago \who I rescued from next door's cat as he dashed across my front lawn with that mongrel murdering cat in hot persuit , who was my first pet lizard as an adult and who I nursed back to health (or so the vet and I thought at the time.

This little skink has was watching my wife eat breakfast this morning and the watching me as I sat quietly on the lounge at about 11am - "he's" a cheakie wee thing and very skittish , while being very curious about things and already knows I am the giver of yummy bugs.
Image

Came out onto the lounge to investigate the strange objecs there - gives a good impression of "his" overall size (which is ytiny cf Cheakie, Speedie & Fluffy)
Image

And onto my wife fav cushion before I tossed a cricket to "him" ... is very good on the tooth , ate 2 BSF lavae & 4 medium crickets , then retired back behind the corner end of the lounge , likely hanging out with Cheakie - I think may be Cheakies son or daughter. (similar spot pattern on side of neck).
Image
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:31 pm

More of Cheakie this afternoon
Image
Chilling watching TV with me for a while.

Image
Enough ! that flashy lightning thing is annoying !!!

Image
size comparison Cheakie to the juvie
Image
The juvenile EWS.

Image
Cheakie having spell for eating for while .... "I'm feeling good , and it's nice to let it all just hang"

Image
Back for a few more bugs - I had to cut the BSFL open to get her to eat them, she likes the taste of their meat , not so sure about their smell out of the tub though.
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Sun Jan 07, 2018 2:11 am

This is how Fluffy slept last night , so comfortable with us now she doesn't bother hiding when she goes down for the night.
Image
In her big 100L tub last night at 3am when I went to bed.

I endulged Fluffy's curiosity this afternoon.

Peppa was having her mandatory mid - late afternoon siesta on her seat next to me and when I had Fluffy out for daily feed and play time she spied Peppa there and I fighting a loosing battle feed her as she was hellbent on checking out Peppa very closely, not the least bit scared of Peppa (unlike Cheakie who is bit wary of the big "scary looking spiky monster".

I'll let the pictures do their own talking :
Image

Image

Image

Reminds me of how Wriggles interacted with bluetongues and the beardies (Rex & Puff) .... is a very water skink thing it seems.

She also wanted to explore the coffee table and I allowed her to do so this afternoon :

Image

Image

Image

What I have to put up when I'm trying to get her to eat when she just wants to have fun ....
Image

Image

Image
Fluffy the gymnastic water skink who thinks she's a monkey ...

And after all that fun and her adventures , crashed , napping on my chest and ready to go to bed
Image

Image
put herself back into her 10L tub (on coffee table), had a drink and heading into her house - bed time.
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Sat Jan 20, 2018 3:12 am

Fluffy chilling on my upper arm after her big meal of 16 BSF lavae + 1 superworm and her desert of 4 mealworms.
Image

Get a load of her tail now .... I swear I can almost see it growing if I watch her long enough.
And look how good her right eye is now , her left eye is just as good , and I have to look VERY HARD to see where the back and side lacerations were too , her skin has healed so well .

... I'm very proud of how she has come on over the last 2 months.She's not so keen on being handled by or on my wife , but tolerates being petted by her and really studies her when she's in the kitchen or just sitting there watching TV or reading or doing stuff on her laptop.



Fluffy really enjoying her bath after a big feed tonight .... she goes really nuts in her water dish/splashing pool ....
Image
Image
Image
coming up for air after about 2 minutes of underwater fun
Image
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Sat Feb 03, 2018 3:25 am

Fluffy tonight after her dinner of 5BSF + 16bigBSFL + 15 mealworm pupae , and full time, nice and toasty and ready for bed

Image
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Sun Feb 04, 2018 4:52 am

Fluffy handsurfing after diner
Image


Napping on my chest near my neck
Image

finally made herself comfy and cozy on my hand
Image

.... I think she likes me :)
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Sat Feb 24, 2018 1:25 am

She owns me , this proves it
Image
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Brumate ? me ? hell no....I'm having too much fun.

Postby kingofnobbys » Thu May 10, 2018 8:46 am

Fluffy this evening after I'd dealt with latest consignments of 1000 medium crickets & 300 bsfl & sorted / fed the latest batch of 70 silkworms , and replaced the wheatbran the superworms are living in ==> messy coffee table and laptop ....

Image
Wanted to visit and look at the superworm and silkworm tubs , then checked out the laptop ....
Image
Image

checking out what I'm looking at .... look how well her back has healed :)
Image

and how good her bad eye looks now .... :)
Image

Fluffy says "howdy , wat ya doen ?"
Image
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Thu May 17, 2018 3:53 am

Hungry Fluffy

Image
Image
licking cricket juices from the inside of her feed bowl

Image
sniffing out a disabled (head squashed cricket) .... YUMMM !!!

making fast work of it
Image



If I fail to get her out she soon lets me know "she is not amused" by standing and scratching at the corner until I pay attention and comply with her wishes.
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Tue Jun 05, 2018 4:22 am

Out of crickets so back to mealworms and BSFL and BSflies until the new bulk order of medium crickets arrive (tomorrow ??).
She finds the worms a bit slippery , goes to bite them and they get away from her beforehand in the round worm escaper proof dish, so I have been snipping the heads off and she takes them off my shirt (chest) or from between my fingertips (handfeeding again and she's fine with that).

New behavior - she was dragging a shred of paper towel around this evening , when I watched closely , she was picking up one corner between her lips and dragging it / taking it with her and napping under it .... that's something I've not seen my skinks do before , I have seen the beardies "tuck themselves in" under there hides , and push paper up to give themselves privacy , especially when juveniles.

She's cleavour little skinky ....
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Sat Jul 14, 2018 3:48 am

Image
Took this photo of her ladyship Fluffy the Water Skink a few days ago..... those of you who saw her state when she was rescued and in her first month or so after will be surprised she's the same skink.
User avatar
Clark
Bluey Beginner
Bluey Beginner
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2014 12:13 pm
Country:
Location: South Jersey

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby Clark » Wed Aug 15, 2018 8:46 am

Will this skink be released outdoors where you found her or has she become a pet?

Great job bringing her back to good health.
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Wed Aug 15, 2018 10:01 pm

Clark wrote:Will this skink be released outdoors where you found her or has she become a pet?

Great job bringing her back to good health.


Outdoors for her (in her old territory is going to be under my house), Fluffy and I have been acquainted for at least 4 years , and she's been one of the wild skinks I regularly hand fed (wormy treats and crickets too).

I have adopted her …. she's mega tame and super friendly and full of personality and has become a member of the family and is thriving under my care , she's my favorate pet lizard . She's mega spoilt and loves crawling all over me and the coffee table and the lounge next to me , and comes when called by name now.

I'm hoping to find a boyfriend for her later this year even if I have to buy a juvenile and wait for him to grow a bit before introducing the pair ( there aren't very many water skinks breeders about , I only know of 2 or 3 people who are captively breeding water skinks ).
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Thu Aug 16, 2018 11:50 pm

The day she was rescue 14Nov2017 : very lethargic, blind, and initially thought she was dead
Image
Image
I didn't expect her to see the first 24 hours out.

2 days after she was rescued and had been in my intensive care hospital / isolation tub and forced fed Critta Care by feeding tube, starting to show a little interest in freshly killed crickets.
Image

Image
Enjoying a cuddle under my hand last night.

A rare moment with her as she is a true livewire and rarely stays still for more than a few minutes …. too many strange and interesting things to investigate and explore. Never dull moment with her … she may be small , but she's got a huge personality and is full of character and super interactive.
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Wed Oct 03, 2018 3:40 am

Nearly a year since Fluffy was rescued.

Fluffy will have a friend sharing her tub soon …. I've been on the hunt for a captive bred juvenile male eastern water skink but can't find any breeders locally (nearest are in SE Qld and SA , I don't want to ship the skink).

This afternoon while I was dealing with my latest batch of 1000x medium crickets & 250x BSFL & the feeding the silkworms , I had the 30L plastic archive box sitting on the floor next to the lounge and full of crickets I'd just dumped out the calico bag they came in when I heard a loud plunk , looked down to find and regular visiting resident adult water skink who I never noticed was watching me from the lounge , had leapt off the lounge to get to the crickets.

---- thought we had a wild skink in residence for the last few weeks (as all the rogue crickets have been vanishing and I've not seen any roaches and I'd heard it behind the lounge and seen it taking a peak).
I am sure she is the same skink who has been visiting inside my house for a few years now.

There she was in the tub and chasing crickets , so I took the opportunity to catch her and put her in cricket tub for while I decided if I should make a pet of her , she wasn't overly keen about being grabbed but didn't drop her tail (good sign) and settled in the tub with a feed of 6 crickets and a superworm (which were immediately dispatched killed by being bashed against the side) .

Pretty sure this one is Gutzy , will verify this when I can get some closeups of the left and right sides of her body and head (they all have unique markings) and I'll be able to compare old photos and with new. Yes I am pretty sure this one is a girl , she's a little bigger than Fluffy and in very good condition , and is a sister or daughter or aunti of Fluffy's. She may be pregnant too (explains her very strong appetite).

She's now installed in Fluffy's (Lucky's and Wriggle's) old 10L hospital tub and seems to have settled in OK, enjoying the waterdish and spending a lot of time soaking in her water dish , and is very curious and interested in what we have been doing and was transfixed when I was hand feeding my big beardie Peppa and the when I was giving food treats to the bluetongues George and Mildred.

Thinking finishing off her taming , she's already pretty tame as I have been hand feeding her on the lounge for a few years each summer , she's going to be become a pet because the girl from next door has moved back with her baby and her dammed murderous cat (I don't to risk Gutzy having a deadly encounter) and we've seen another cat in our yard (likely hunting grrrr …. I wish i had a rifle so i could shoot it).

Put Gutzy on the coffee table In her tub and introduced Fluffy to her this evening , Fluffy looked and then dismissed her (turned around and crawled straight back onto me), Gutzy was on the otherhand very interested in how Fluffy was crawling all over me … they learn by watching (example) , so I am hoping if I do this ever day , Gutzy will become more relaxed about being handled

She was still wide awake and watching TV til about 11pm , and finally retired and crashed curled up under her small HubbaHut. All my lizards love watching TV.

..... Eastern Water Skinks (female) are quite communal , I often see 3 or 4 hanging out together and peaking out from under their hidey-holes all very close to each other. So I don't anticipate any dramas when Gutzy has finished her 3 month quaranteen and she joins Fluffy in Fluffy's 100L tub.
kingofnobbys
Bluey Devotee
Bluey Devotee
Posts: 1229
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:17 am
Country: australia
Location: NSW

Re: Another rescued skink - this one is sick

Postby kingofnobbys » Thu Oct 04, 2018 5:29 am

Update : made huge progress with GUTZY today :

Still not keen on being picked up , but soon relaxed and settles on me
Image
Image

and even managed our first snuggle
Image

Fluffy is still giving Gutzy the cold shoulder …. took a quick look at her when I placed her on the coffee table next to Gutzy's 10L tub, then spotted the superworm and silkworm tubs and dismissed Gutzy to go and look at the worms. Gutzy is definitely interested in Gutzy , was standing up in the corner watching her, and seemed very interested in proceedings when I was handfeeding Fluffy some nice BSFL (yes I still handfeed Fluffy a few times a week though she takes insects (crickets , beetles, worms and pupae from a feeding dish …. raids it daily).

Never thought I'd manage a snuggle from Gutzy , the trick was to place her on my tummy and lift the front of my T-shirt over her for a few minutes (this seems to work very well in settling hyperactive lizards) , then I let her crawl into my left hand and she snuggled into the warm area where my arm was resting on my tummy , calmed right down (breathing slowed ==> relaxed) and even managed a 10min nap before I decided that was enough for today and returned her to her 10L hospital tub (she was not amused about this).

Gutzy is not impressed with BSLF , but then Fluffy wasn't either until I started snipping the heads of the worms and squeezing some gutz out and letting Fluffy taste this (she liked the taste of the insides of BSFL).

Return to “Other Skink Species”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests