How old is my Halmahera

[OlitheHalmahera]

I got my skink Oliver last fridag. He(maybe she) is a captive breed Halmahera and the guy in the pet store said he is from 2019 but can't get a hold of the breeder because of the coronavirus.
I have attached two pictures, the one where he is being held is from the store two weeks ago and the other is new.
Does anyone have an idea how old he is?

[mb606587]

Yes under a year old but you'd be hard pressed to get an exact answer. Possibly around 6-8 months. Halmaheras captive bred in the US aren't available. The ones labeled CB are typically farm bred in Indonesia and imported.

[OlitheHalmahera]

Yes under a year old but you'd be hard pressed to get an exact answer. Possibly around 6-8 months. Halmaheras captive bred in the US aren't available. The ones labeled CB are typically farm bred in Indonesia and imported.

Thanks for answering. I live in Denmark but it's good to know guess I'll know for sure where this guy is from when most stores aren't shut down.
Any tips on handling? It went well and I even got to hold him and hand feed him but now he is suddenly shy again. I'm afraid his fogger might be scaring him

[mb606587]

Ok I know CBB Halmaheras are available in Europe but still rare. As for handling, my best advice is to be patient and consistent. Often times, newer skinks will be skittish for the first few weeks to even a few months. Most settle down over time with consistent handling. If possible, try to avoid picking your skink up from directly overtop and try to come from the side.

[kayla990]

Just wanted to add - how are your humidity levels? I noticed the scales around the mouth looking strange - initially I thought it could be from shedding, but the time of two weeks between shedding makes me think otherwise.. Do you have a hygrometer to check? It's very important for Halmaheras to have the right humidity, since they need it to be higher than the other Indonesian species (~80% - 90% on average for this type). Goodluck, and pretty Bluey

[OlitheHalmahera]

Just wanted to add - how are your humidity levels? I noticed the scales around the mouth looking strange - initially I thought it could be from shedding, but the time of two weeks between shedding makes me think otherwise.. Do you have a hygrometer to check? It's very important for Halmaheras to have the right humidity, since they need it to be higher than the other Indonesian species (~80% - 90% on average for this type). Goodluck, and pretty Bluey

Dont worry they are at 80-90% in daytime and mostly above 90 at the night. They did'nt seem to know above his humidity needs at the store where all he had was a humid hide and the wrong bedding so I'm doing my best fixing it.

He has a fogger with a hydrostat and bio-ground mixed with coconut fiber now.
Tomorrow I'm visiting a vet to make sure I get the shedding problems are under control.

[kayla990]

Dont worry they are at 80-90% in daytime and mostly above 90 at the night.

Great to hear! Good luck for the vet visit, always a good idea to get them checked out!