Scared of my blue tongue skink

[LittleMutz]

So, I got a northern blue tongue skink from a breeder. Picked him up a week ago. I have pet him many times and he hissed every single time. He has tried to bite me but I’ve been fast enough to take my hand away. I want to tame him but I’m honestly pretty scared lol. I have not even attempted to pick him up out of pure fear. Any advice???

[Janella]

Hi there. So this is very normal for a new skink in a home. It is scared and has no clue where it is at or who you are. You need to leave it completely alone for at least two weeks other then feeding, offering treats, and cleaning. After two weeks and once your skink is settled it is then recommended to try to start handling. I would recommend talking to your skink for now. Use slow movements and just let it get to know you. Good luck.

[splashy07]

And don't forget, it's a lizard...and totally terrified of you. You have to gain the trust of reptiles. Let him know that good things are going to happen when you go near him. As previously stated, offer treats and do not immediately go to touch him. Animals can sense fear and if he knows you're afraid of him he is going to return the feeling. Reptiles may tolerate us, but they are not cuddly dogs and cats and for the most part won't act as such.

[elpantalla]

Where is your skink setup in relation to where you spend most of your time? I work from home, and I think it's helped to just have the skink setup in my office. She's just used to me being here all the time. It did take a few months though for her to stop hissing at me when I'd pick her up. She never tried to bite, but only recently has she started coming out of her enclosure to crawl up my arm without me having to grab her.