Help worried about baby BTS

[splashy07]

You were told he was an Eastern? omg. You'll find an Eastern at an expo only if you live in Australia. If you did miraculously find one in the states it would set you back the rent. Just another reason why researching before purchase is so important. Different locales can require totally different husbandry, and knowing what you are getting may not be important to the buyer who just wants a blue tongue skink...but will be important to the future well being of the animal.
Learn about the different types, country of origin, their habitats and so on. Will save you hundreds if not thousands in vet bills. The term 'blue tongue skink' has become entirely too generic. Learn how to identify the different types (there are many) by sight so you will not be misled in the future, and you will be able to steer clear of unscrupulous vendors who cannot even identify their own product.

[mb606587]

Wow is that really what the vendor sold him to you As? An eastern?

[splashy07]

I've seen many Meraukes and IJs misrepresented as Northerns but not often Easterns! About two years ago a batch of IJs came in that looked very similar to the NSW Easterns, eye band and all. Even I had to look twice, and if the dealer was not trustworthy I know what would have happened there. Buyer beware! Especially at expos and pet shops. With the exception of very few, most blueys sold at those venues are imports. There are a few reputable breeders at expos, though, you just have to educate yourself. Anyone on Long Island may PM me for breeders list here besides myself. The list here on the forum is a bit outdated.

[mb606587]

Yes, my own Irian Jaya was sold to me as a Northern years ago. Almost every show I go to, whether it be White Plains or Hamburg, has vendors that clearly have no idea what they are selling or are just flat out lying. With that said, I have never once seen somebody trying to pass off an Eastern before. That is a very bold move and I'd hope somebody called him out on that. The reason we are saying this xkillmeowx, and I hope you are not taking this as a shot at you for not knowing, because that's not what we're saying at all (like I said, same thing happened to me when I was newer to BTS), but Eastern BTS are rare in the United States, much more so than Northerns, and the cheapest I have seen them recently is $750. More importantly, they are illegal to export from Australia, so if somebody is claiming to sell a baby Eastern in the US, that person would have HAD to breed it, same as with a Northern. Part of the reason I decided to attempt breeding for the first time, is that I was at a show last year, and EVERY single vendor who sold Blue Tongue Skinks had no idea what they were selling. I asked one girl what species of Blue Tongue she had since all she had it labeled as was "CB Blue Tongue Skink" and she replied, "a regular one." Another had 3 day old Halmahera skinks that were born to an imported mother that he had for only a week, which in my opinion is very irresponsible to sell at that age, but he was the only vendor who was honest with me right up front. It is sad that many people are getting set up to fail immediately with their skinks by not being provided accurate information but at least you were able to do more than most in your situation by seeking out advice.

[kayla990]

Just to add: Do you know now if it's a Halmahera or Merauke? As the Halmaheras need ~90% humidity to stay healthy, and the Meruake is closer to 60%+.

Because of the fine bands and spotted legs, I'm thinking you may have a Halmahera (one of the easiest way is to see the belly scale patterns, as it's very dark with spotted pinks vs. a Merauke which is much lighter/mainly pinks).

[mb606587]

Kayla, the OP has better pictures on this thread...viewtopic.php?f=4&t=31452

I'm going Merauke on this one. Although as you know, Halmahera and Merauke have very similar features and babies are notoriously tricky to ID sometimes.