BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

I had a litter of babies born last month on 6-30-2012. The second baby to be born was the smallest of the litter, and was actually still born. He was upsidedown and motionless when I first discovered him, and he was still encased in his amniotic membrane. I broke him out, and he felt like a stiff piece of rubber. I was sure it was hopeless, but for some reason I started mild chest compressions on him with no results. I then started rubbing him up and down from chest to vent to simulate the presure he would have experienced during birth had he been a little larger like his siblings. After about 30 seconds, he snapped to life with a jolt as if he had just been jump started. This little guy was touch and go for the first few days, but with some extra attention he has caught up with, and actually passed up a couple of his siblings in size. He has turned out to be a nice looking little skink. Here he is:

Amazing story...the little skink is a special one.

Wow-that's amazing! He is so pretty, and I think that it is really awesome that you were able to save him, and now have a healthy little skink.

...you definitely don't hear a story like this every day. Seriously, congratulations.

Glad you were able to get the little guy breathing again! So the lack of pressure was the likely culprit?

Karen wrote:Glad you were able to get the little guy breathing again! So the lack of pressure was the likely culprit?

I suspect as much. When born, a normal sized baby is squeezed out through a pretty small opening which causes the baby's body to be squeezed from head to toe. I believe the presure created in this process serves two purposes. The first is to help cause the amniotic membrane to break, and the second is to creat enough trama on the little skink to get him breathing, kind of like the slap on the butt that doctors sometimes give newborn babies. Just my thoughts.

This is an amazing story.

Wow James, that's fantastic! What a lucky little guy to have you there.

nice one james,had to do similar in the past with the veey odd blotch but a few easterns,not cpr but helping them break loose,was usually smaller ones like u say to,born motionless ,i thought dead but once broken free gasped for air

thats a very nice looking specimen,i love the amount of black and the orange,nice even patterning,will be a cracker i reckon

This is a fascinating story, James, and one that will probably save the lives of a few more skinks. Congrats on the little one; he/she looks very promising.

Cheers,

David

amazing to read about, even more amazing to see him up and well on the photo after reading it

ill definitely keep this in mind, should i ever consider breeding BTS

Incredible story James!! I know you mentioned our infamous Jeff, but have any other breeders had this experience?

Alioop wrote:Incredible story James!! I know you mentioned our infamous Jeff, but have any other breeders had this experience?

I can't think of the others off the top of my head, but I did the same thing a few years ago with a still born Rosy Boa back when I was working with Rosies.

Karen wrote:Glad you were able to get the little guy breathing again! So the lack of pressure was the likely culprit?

I was thinking about it, and maybe he was asleep when the mother gave birth and he just did not wake up during birth for the reasons I mentioned earlier. Whatever the case, I am glad he is ok now.

that is such a cool story! so glad you could save him, lucky little guy!

James Wilson wrote:I was thinking about it, and maybe he was asleep when the mother gave birth and he just did not wake up during birth for the reasons I mentioned earlier. Whatever the case, I am glad he is ok now.

I suppose he would be used to being jostled about in there with his siblings. Would he be so deeply asleep that the chest compression wouldn't have woken him though?