BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hey guys,

as you all know i got raptor my BTS from petsmart a couple weeks ago. Lately, raptor has gotten real territorial with his cage.

i reached in a couple days ago to give him a pet and he struck at me and bit my finger. didnt really hurt or anyhting just shocking because i wasnt expecting it. he didnt stick out his tongue or hiss either which i found odd.

lately if i stick my hand in his cage to put in his food bowl or take it out he hisses and flattens himslef out, but never shows his tounge. If i can actually get him out of his cage he is totally fine, and social. i can pick him up and pet him no problem.

any ideas on how to deal with this, i am afraid it is because he is in my room most of the day by himself while im at work or school and is seeing me more as a stranger now, idk. I dont think he's stressing before a shed or anything because he just shed a week ago.

also according to his size, should i start winging him to a once every other day feeding instead of everyday?

thanks for the help guys, any help will be greatly apprechiated

It just takes time when you have a new skink. If you only got him a couple of weeks ago, you two are still getting used to each other. He should eventually drop his head and even close his eyes when you go in to pet him. One of mine (Stubbs) will sometimes hiss a bit when I disturb him but once he's with me for a sec, he's cool. The more time you spend handling him and being with him, the quicker he will acclimate. Patience is the key.

He looks like an adult - I'd feed once or twice weekly, not daily (if I'm thinking of the right pics - he is adult right?).

And like dsteamn said - give him time to get used to you. Make sure he has lots of hides and can feel safe and secure most of the time. Slowly get him used to you, make sure to be gentle and patient. Stress him as little as possible. Right now you are a giant predator to him, so gaining his trust will take quite a while. It will be very rewarding though! Good luck!

Katrina wrote:He looks like an adult - I'd feed once or twice weekly, not daily (if I'm thinking of the right pics - he is adult right?).

And like dsteamn said - give him time to get used to you. Make sure he has lots of hides and can feel safe and secure most of the time. Slowly get him used to you, make sure to be gentle and patient. Stress him as little as possible. Right now you are a giant predator to him, so gaining his trust will take quite a while. It will be very rewarding though! Good luck!

well see thats the sucky part, i dont know his age. All i know is he was in petsmart for about a year and no one there knows how old he was when he came in. hes longer than a foot so i am assuming he is probably an adult but arnt sure. ive heard when they turn adults to feed them every other day. so far i have been feeding him everyday, he eats when i feed him but i cant help but notice he does seem to be getting bigger haha, thats why i keep asking

thanks for the info guys!

heres a pic for refrence of his size:

He's an adult. Once or twice a week feeding is good. In my experience too much food can lead to aggression issues (too much energy maybe?).

Does he ever cruise around his tank or try to get out? I find that approaching when the skink is actively looking to come out is the best. I have front-opening tanks, so when the skink start scratching to come out, I can open the doors and put my hands out as a step. Then they can decide if they want out or not. This seems to work fantastically for me in building a friendly relationship with mine.