Spastic when held, don't seem to enjoy it.

[Dan]

Should skinks not be held after feeding, likes snakes for whom it can upset the stomach, causing them to regurgitate and other malaise?

I'm not talking about stuffing my skinks like sausages and fondling them all aggressive-like, but you know after a couple crickets or a cactus pad. Pururambo, my Irian Jaya, just struggles and scratches waving his arms around like he's sky diving no matter how secure I hold him. Total spazz, but otherwise fairly tractable. We're still bonding...

My new Northern, five inches of fury named Cousin Dupree bit me twice today. Once on the finger as I was holding him (he possesses a very crisp bite despite his size) and another time on the toe while exploring. I think he would take a mouse pinky already, but I'm heeding the warnings that he is simply too young to eat them.

Cousin Dupree still puffs up and strikes at me when I catch him to take him sunbathing for R & R at Camp Dan. I think it's gonna be positive reinforcement and tough love for that troubled young man. Pururambo has promise, but so forth does not display the same charm as I've seen in you guys's photos and videos interacting with your skinks. Do you feel that I need to resign myself to the fact that reptiles just have different personalities within a species, or will Pururambo come around? The other night I was helping my kingsnake with a stuck shed and I thought how noble it had been not to have bitten me. And Loretta Scott Kingsnake has lashed out, but never contacted, on numerous occasions!

Do you think getting them out and letting them explore and come to me on their own terms is a better way of breaking in a blue tongue lizard?

[Richard.C]

they are all individuals,in time they do become accustomed generally,some hold on to attitude,though are still tractable to

something else to think about in bonding is you being more trusting in them to,i dont keep them to handle,watch tv ect ect,so i have a different approach to bonding,i actually leave them be unless checking them out or something,usually the calm down fast,learn you mean foid ect and actually come to you,even outdoor kept ones

when i go to outdoor cage,weather i have food or not i get 20 odd blotchies,a handfull of cunningham skinks,generally shy species and the odd eastern charge over to greet me,they climb at my legs,some even inside pants,copped a few calf nips,lol

thing is they learn to trust you ,no matter what you do,but you have to earn that trust and at the same time learn to trust them,alot of people are scared of so called fiesty ones,pulling away from them when they display which actually irratates them more

in time confidence grows and what used to be classed as pycho bluey is now classed as bluey with tude,lol,im odd i actually love fiesty ones,but dont actually have any,maybe what some say are agro i class as a lil bit of tude,probably more just a confidence in handling them,after keeping large monitors blueys are like pool noodles to handle,lol

[Cathy20]

Richard, it would be interesting to see a vid of those 20 or so skinks crowding around you outside. Would be very enjoyable.

[Dan]

I imagine it would be something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_zLcadO ... re=related

[Richard.C]

will have to wait till it warms up cathy,but ill get some footage,its quite amusing,not all of them do it,but the majority do,i have to be careful where i stand as they come from everywhere,lol

[BruinsEv]

I imagine it would be something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_zLcadO ... re=related

[AnnaMonroe]

hahaha wow !!!! i don't even have words for that video.
it was just too cute..
would love to witness that in person sometime in the future if possible lol;

[Spindown]

oh. that vid. TOO cute!