Given this by neighbor

[Kcjames]

I haven't noticed any un even jaws, there is a waddle to his back end but his feet seem okay to me, I guess I should watch normal ones walk on youtube or something. I highly doubt he had the calcium he needs. Every so often when he is walking around on the floor or when I hold him I feel and see a small dent in his back. I thought at first it was just him flattening himself. He feels stron and moves fast when he wants to but if it isn't so progressed then its likely.
Looks like I have a vet visit and some research in my future.

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

Wait a sec,hmmm...

He hasnt much time so needs to reply quick yet its not a quick response and actually makes alot of sense,ok,who are you and what have u done with ml

Lol

[Kcjames]

Forgot to add, basking spot is full spectrum UVA/UVB temp there is 100. Cool side gets to 80, he's in a clear plastic tub until this weekend when I get the 75g.
I can see the dullness, made sure one hide is humid, the mulch one and the stone one has a kiln dried bedding he likes to burrow in. He eats from my hand.
At 18" what age would you guess? He ate the greens the first night, I dusted with mineral and rep cal.
I will get some Merrill canned food and blend the veggies adding calcium.
Hopefully I can find a store with powdered egg shells.....never heard of them.
I can always hard boil one and crush the crap out of it right?
If I made this mix how long would it be good for in the fridge, should I heat it up?
I have been looking and can't find an ideal diet for stopping the progression if he did have mbd.
Poor thing:(
I wish she had abandoned him sooner.

[Vegasarah]

If you live in the united states, any pet store will carry the reptile calcium. Don't get the one with D3 because you already have the uva lamp. Look for high calcium, low phosphorous foods top give him.

[Richard.C]

Um,id actually reccomend the one with vitamin d3,uv bulbs arent proven to warrant not using it,supplementation is of way more importance

The calcium supplements minus the d3 are usually used on outdoor reptiles that get unfiltered sun 24/7

I believe the kinks u see in tail,maybe back as well are mbd related,probably from younger years,during growth spurt,i have a kimberley northern male that has it,including lower back,was like it from 2 owners ago,hasnt got worse,and doesnt affect him at all,just looks funky

So im sure your fella will be fine there if u supplement his diet and feed well

[Kcjames]

I certainly hope so! Luckily I met someone local that is very knowledgable and offered advice.
Going to take a video and post it to see if his walk is off at all.

[Spindown]

Not worrying about parasites just because he has to be captive bred is a totally bad idea. I have a male northern, captive bred and he was so full of parasites the vet was in shock! Just because an animal is captive bred, doesnt mean that a) the parents were dewormed and that the young werent exposed, and b) that the previous owner knew what they were doing and quarantined him from the rest of their animals (who totally could have parasites)!!!

It is NEVER EVER a bad idea to get a fecal test done...

Thankfully I DO quarantine my new animals, and so no one else was exposed to his gigantic parasite load.Also, crickets can carry pinworms, and so that of course has nothing to do if they are captive bred lizards...

Length isnt always a determining factor of age, since diet has so much to do with growth patterns. Also, each individual animal is different with what their genetics say, so unfortunately its pretty hard to guess with no hard facts
Good news is, they can live for many years, so you could have this guy for quite a while

[Kcjames]

Thank you so much. This forum is so full of great information and each member has been kind enough to take their time and help me to help this poor guy.
I haave been reading a lot about the best foods and supplements for MBD then I worry about too much. I don't think it's warm enough to go outside but once it is he will go daily. My Grey parrot loves her time outside (in her flightsuit) I'm sure she would enjoy watching him as much as she does the squirrels and birds.
I really wish I had information about his lineage, age, care etc. Apparently this woman had several reptiles and never told anyone she would be going to prison. I'm happy that her roomate busted in there and got them out.
I will have a fecal done. I have had them on each of my frogs and I have no other reptiles near him. My husband has a little red bellied cooter that he just loves but wants nothing else to do with any of the frogs. Each frog has their own feeding tongs, misting bottles and were quarantined for 45 days.
The skink, I have been calling him Kinky Skinky, was roaming around the house and had a great time yesterday. He even took a clump of scrambled egg with the shell from my hand. I can't wait to get the permanent tank this weekend! He's going to be so happy

Thank you all again for your advice and your time. I am very grateful to each of you.

[dsteamn]

Kelly,
I already answered your email but I thought I would post here to clear up the mystery.

Your skink is one of my babies from Stubbs and Oscar Rose. The dad is a classic saddle tan color and Mom is a caramel. Everyone is right that it is a northern. It was born June 13, 2011, so whoever guessed that it is about a year old was correct.

This is one of the babies I placed at the local pet store. I'm happy to hear it is still very sociable. We start handling our babies when they are minutes old. Its interesting to note that with all the babies they have had over the years, they have all had the fathers light colored eyes and the mother's ringed tail. The dad was a rescue and I do not know anything about his origin. I purchased the mother from Ray of Thunder Bay Herps in Florida.

It is really impossible to sex a skink like you can other animals. The best thing to do is hang out with it after it wakes up and gets warm. They usually have to urinate about twenty minutes after they get warm. If it is a male, it is old enough to present hemipenes when it it goes. You can also look for sperm plugs left behind when everything gets expelled.

Oh, and I wouldn't worry about the small amount of feces. Being that small, he obviously has missed a few meals. Mine have not eaten in the last couple of months due to Brumation, so its very possible his system was just empty when you got him.

I gave you my phone number in the email. Please feel free to call me if you would like to meet and see its parents. I'm happy to work with you and share whatever knowledge I have to get him plumped up and happy.

[Kcjames]

Thank you so much
I will try to look for his hemis.
2011 would be two this June?

[Kcjames]

I just tracked my neighbors phone number down. He said that there was no food for 2 weeks and he only fed him crickets once before giving him to me. He isn't sure how she cared for them, didn't care is a better term u suppose. Yesterday he didn't come out of his hide so I left him alone. I will get that video of him walking and take him for a visit to see his Grammy soon to get a good once over!

[dsteamn]

Sounds good Girl. Don't be surprised if he doesn't come out for a week or so. They can sense the climate, and with this winter storm coming up, both Mom and Dad have gone back to bed. His brothers and sisters are alert and awake. Go figure - toddlers and teenagers. He may just be getting comfortable enough to want to sleep. I would imagine since he has not had food or lights to be under, he was quite stressed. You're doing the right thing in leaving him alone. He will come back out when he is ready.



Looks like you're doing a great job with him. If he is trying to brumate, you will find that he wants more protein when he does eat. Mine love boiled chicken livers. I freeze them individually on wax paper and then take them out as I need them. Omelettes with chopped up veggies thrown in at the end is a good way to get them to start eating the green stuff if they're not used to it. When mine are not in brumation, I try to give 60 - 70% veggies, 30 - 40% protein and 10% fruit.

I have one of its 2011 brothers from the same litter so you'll get to see a sibling when you come over. Can't wait to get together.