What to look for when picking out a skink?

[Ali1010]

Just what the title implies-I'll have five babies to choose from, they're from a reptile store so i've read to be catious about parasites/mites.

Can anyone post pictures of a healthy, plump 2 week old BTS? And what do mites look like on the scales of a BTS?

Should I hold them all, to see which are friendlier/calmer?

Thanks!
Ali

[Jeff]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. Are all the babies from the same litter? If so, and all the babies look healthy, it's hard to go wrong if you choose one of the biggest ones. Bigger is not always better, but when choosing a baby skink, it is usually a good way to get a healthy one.

[Spindown]

Bright, crust-free eyes; has most if not all toes...they *should* have all their toes still at 2 weeks...No stuck skin, active and alert (if its lethargic...that is a totally bad sign)...
Babies are very unlikely to be "calm" or "friendly". If they are calm, that to me is a warning sign coming from a reptile store. Totally different story if its from a breeder, since many breeders who are great tend to try and socialize them, at least a little.

I cant tell you what lizard mites look like, since I've never been unfortunate to encounter them. However, raised scales or black spots that are not the natural coloration could be indicators. Try searching the forum for mite threads, there are several good ones.

[Ali1010]

Thank you very much! So, look for the large ones, and they'll probably be feisty. Got it!

[Joey1983]

Best thing for you to do is use all the advice above... and place yur skink in a tank with white paper towels on the bottom. Monitor him/her for the first week/two. If he/she has mites you will see them on the paper towels. They breed pretty quickly/. I have dealt with them and successfully treated my BTS who came infested with them from petland (pet store). Feel free to email me any time should you be "lucky" enough to deal with mites. Its a nightmare.

[Jos]

And what do mites look like on the scales of a BTS?

Look closeley on the skinks for tiny white dots (the extrements from the mites)
On scales the mites are harder to see.
Ask in the petstore if you can take one skink in your hand and rub him a little bit.
Then look closley in your hand. Mostley when they have mites you see some walk in your hand.
If one has it they got it all.

[Spindown]

White dots? Normally reptile mites are either red or black. Usually white dots are benign, or so I've read.

Reptile mites lodge themselves in recessed areas, such as eyes, nostrils, around the mouth, etc.

[Jeff]

Jos is talking about the waste from the mites. It is white, and frequently is noticed before the mites themselves. A lot of times the white stuff is the reason that someone knows to look closely for mites.

[Bird_Brain]

What Jos and Jeff are referring to can bee seen pretty well on this skink. Also look at the scales on the top of the picture. You can see them raised when veiwed against the bedding.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=22167

[Scotts1au]

Sometimes you can place a skink that you suspect of having mites in a white plastic bucket with a luke warm water for a few minutes so the bluey is partially submerged. You may see tiny black dots in the bucket after removing the water. If it has mites in any number you will find a few dead ones. Depending on your eyesight you may need a magnifying glass to identify them as mites.

[Jos]

Here is that little "pain in the ass" creature.
Only 60 times bigger
Picture taken with a traveler microscope

Ophionyssus natricis

[Spindown]

Ah, i'd never heard about the white waste, thats disgusting. Good to know, however. Thanks for the link, RK, and the blown up pic, Jos

[Joey1983]

Mites are the WORST! fatal really helped me with my mite situation back in april 2012. Thanks again fatal! XOXO