Just got my Irian Jaya, now how to handle?

[stift040]

Recently got my first blue tongue off of craigslist. He seems to be a little small (roughly 16-17in) for his age (6 years) but otherwise in good health.

Now, the previous owner was selling him because they didn't have the time to handle him very often. So when I go to take him (Thunder) out of his tank, he is never aggressive, but he doesn't exactly seem to enjoy being held. Will this change with time? What are some good ways to help him feel more comfortable around me?

My other question now is how to help the shedding process. Some of the scales on the top of his head are just starting to get that creamy color. the first few have come off of his nose but from what I understand it should come off more in a sheet. Could probably be helped by keeping humidity up, but I'm finding this to be a challenge with having such a warm basking are.

Any advise greatly appreciated!

Including a picture of him from sunday (4/26)

[Susann]

Beautiful skink! Congrats.

The safest way to increase humidity at shedding time is to make him a humid hide. Take any enclosed plastic container and cut a hole, or door, in it (high enough up that the stuff you put in the box, including water, doesn't fall out as your skink goes in and out. Take gravel or small rocks (small enough that your skink can easily pass them should he decide to eat some) and fill about 1/2 to 1 inch of the bottom. Take sphagnum moss and wet it down and press into container on top of gravel/rocks. Presto, you're done. I keep mine on the warm side next to the basking platform, but some keep it on the cool side. You can either just put it in around shedding time, or just keep it in the tank if you want, just rinse out/re-wet everything as often as needed.

You can also just spray either part or the whole tank down, but the humid hide gives your skink the option to go "steam" himself versus making his home wet but either is fine.

Most skinks actually don't enjoy being grabbed or held, unfortunately. Some tolerate it better than others. Some are OK being held but really don't like when you walk while holding them. Others just plain don't want to be held or constrained at all. Most are OK with being on you, as in sitting/sleeping/crawling all over your lap, but when something (as in your hands) gets wrapped around their body, most are instinctually not OK with that, it's a survival instinct. Most reptiles are also "touchy" about being touched or petted, and in my opinion, the better way to treat your skink lovingly would be to give him treats while he's in your lap; teach him that good things happen when you're around --or better yet, when HE comes to you.