Identification needed asap!

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TeamNinjaBug
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Identification needed asap!

Postby TeamNinjaBug » Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:20 pm

Hello! I'm currently at a reptile shop and they have what they claim is a marauke. I'm not sure on telling indonesian species apart, so here I am for help :)

Thank you!
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Re: Identification needed asap!

Postby Whnthsungoesdwn » Mon Jun 25, 2018 7:07 pm

Do you have a picture?
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Re: Identification needed asap!

Postby TeamNinjaBug » Mon Jun 25, 2018 9:33 pm

Sorry, didnt realize my photos didn't go through. My picture quality didnt come out as good as I had hoped.

There's a black stripe going down the nape of his neck, and some white spots on the upper part of his arms and legs if that helps. I'll be going back tomorrow, hopefully with better pictures. I put down a deposit for him to keep him from being sold, though that only last 72 hours.
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Re: Identification needed asap!

Postby kayla990 » Mon Jun 25, 2018 11:02 pm

Cute little guy :D good chance it's a Meruake or a Halmahera (as doesn't sound like an Irian Jaya based on your description). Hopefully another person already knows which type is most likely, but one way to ID is to see if you're able to check the belly scales. If it has mainly black with only small patches of colour - then a Halmahera. If the underbelly is quite light with only black speckles (and possibly a pink undertone underneath, though may not have developed at this age), then Meruake.

Goodluck!

(Attached a reference picture from our Halmahera's scales, to give a better idea what to look for. Just a reminder these guys need to be kept in higher humidity vs. a Meruake)

maya_underscales_2.jpg
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TeamNinjaBug
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Re: Identification needed asap!

Postby TeamNinjaBug » Tue Jun 26, 2018 5:20 am

Thanks! I'll be checking that lil tummy of his when I go back to the shop. Probably grab a video of him too in order to help the ID. One thing that worries me is that the white speckles on his forelegs don't go down to the rest of his arm. Will he develop the fully-speckled forelegs when he's older? He's very, very young.
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Re: Identification needed asap!

Postby splashy07 » Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:43 am

Looks Halmahera to me.
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Re: Identification needed asap!

Postby TeamNinjaBug » Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:51 am

Got more pics!

That tummy has me thinking it's a halmahera, but the reptile manager is adamant that its a merauke. He says its CB, which to me meant its born from a WC mother. Even this, he states babies in indonesia arent born until fall, but captive born indonesians birth in spring/summer. I don't know much on breeding, so how reliable is his word?

I want to believe him, as he saved my baby ball python from starving to death, and he certainly has a ton more reptile knowledge than I do. But I'd rather get a third party ID from others more specialized in bts.

Also, another thing. Given I'm under the assumption its a baby born from WC, I want to take it to the vet as soon as I get it (IF a get it). But he tells me thats not a good idea, and that I should wait for the 1 week acclimation into its new home. This is against what I usually do, but have I been doing it wrong taking my animals to the vet as soon as I acquire them?

I'd love you guys opinion on this matter. I have 2 days left to decide and the baby being confirmed as merauke seals the deal for me.

Thanks!
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Re: Identification needed asap!

Postby kayla990 » Tue Jun 26, 2018 1:05 pm

So cute! Yep, pretty confident it's only the Haly's who have that pattern on the underscales (if others find this isn't the case, please correct me - I'd love to know! As I've been basing this as a fact, want to be 100% sure!). Think you'll get the little guy? :D

TeamNinjaBug wrote:One thing that worries me is that the white speckles on his forelegs don't go down to the rest of his arm. Will he develop the fully-speckled forelegs when he's older?
In regards to this (based on the one skink we have!) the speckles did become larger with age and more noticeable. I wouldn't necessarily say the quantity of individual speckles increased, but the larger appearance of speckles makes it look more ^__^

TeamNinjaBug wrote:but the reptile manager is adamant that its a merauke
It's pretty surreal how many people will claim something. There have been a lot of sellers even saying they have Northerns - when they are Indonesians! I've been told so many untrue things by shop owners in person (especially from reptiles and aquarium hobby) it's insane.. ugh!
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TeamNinjaBug
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Re: Identification needed asap!

Postby TeamNinjaBug » Tue Jun 26, 2018 2:23 pm

Sadly, I don't think I can take him. :( Tbh, I've been trying to get a northern for a while, but the difficulty in getting one had me pretty much giving up. Another shop, Reef and Reptiles, breed northerns but only morphs that are super expensive. My remaining hope was that the upcoming expo might have northerns, but I was told the chances of finding one there was slim.

So I gave up on finding northerns and skinks in general. I saw a halmahera in another shop, but I realized their higher humidity needs and that they're more tempermental, and I was intimidated off the idea of getting one as my first skink. I came to this current shop yesterday when I saw this baby. I asked what subspecies, and hearing is a merauke had me so excited. But I was suspicious enough to get second opinions to ensure I was getting what I wanted, and I'm glad I did. I would've hated if I had brought him home, give him merauke humidity and temps, and end up with a sick skink :(

I know a lot of other people have their eyes on him, so I hope they'll know to take the same precautions. But this did get me wanting to continue my hunt for my first skink, and I hope to be a controbuting member of the community here as thanks for the help! :D
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Re: Identification needed asap!

Postby kayla990 » Wed Jun 27, 2018 1:25 am

Awww that's a shame - but agree that humidity can be difficult to manage. However I'm glad that you found out before getting him/her. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that you'll find a skink friend soon ^__^ Expo's can have Northerns but it is quite rare (I think in Europe it's even harder to find them). If you're close to an area with an expo, could be still worth a look (or to potentially find a Meruake! :D).

TeamNinjaBug wrote:that they're more tempermental
Just a note - as a general rule they'll tame down similar to the other subspecies. I think Haly's are more likely wild caught and have a reputation for being a little more wild at the start (compared to Northerns who are near 100% captive bred). I believe the only sub species that seems to have more issues when taming is the Tanimbar. Goodluck!
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Re: Identification needed asap!

Postby splashy07 » Thu Jun 28, 2018 11:11 am

The mis-identification worries me, and the fact that the shop did not want you to immediately take to the vet. Possibly they want to wait until their guarantee period is up? (Most pet shops will give you one week around here). I don't see any reason why you shouldn't, I do not buy from pet shops myself but if I did that would be the first thing I would do.
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Re: Identification needed asap!

Postby megamuff » Sun Jul 01, 2018 11:54 am

TeamNinjaBug wrote:Sadly, I don't think I can take him. :( Tbh, I've been trying to get a northern for a while, but the difficulty in getting one had me pretty much giving up. Another shop, Reef and Reptiles, breed northerns but only morphs that are super expensive. My remaining hope was that the upcoming expo might have northerns, but I was told the chances of finding one there was slim.


You should try to get a northern from Reptile Mountain! That’s where I got mine. He’s in Colorado and he ships babies anywhere in the US I believe. I think he has one litter left for this year. He sends an email when they’re up for sale and you have to instantly email him or message him on Facebook with the baby you want. You do have to be really fast though, the litter I bought from sold out in 2 minutes!! If you can’t get one this year, there’s always next. I was going to settle on a skink I didn’t necessarily want because I didn’t think I’d be able to get the one I wanted, but I’m so glad I didn’t. These guys live so long that you really shouldn’t settle. I know how excited you are to get one (I was literally shaking when the breeder messaged me back to tell me that I got one lol) but you want it to be one that you actually want!!

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