Postby James Wilson » Wed Jul 27, 2011 11:07 am
both responders are correct in regard to the second question about the mouth opening behavior. It could be the result of high temps or a respritory infection. Basically, it is one behavior that is the result of two opposite situations. Overheating from high temps, or respritory infection that can (but not always) result from cold temps. Check your temps and go from there.
Now back to the first question. I must say that I am still baffled as to why no one has brought up the issue of these two skinks being kept together.
Many people mistakenly feel that their skink will grow to be lonely or bored without the company of other skinks. The fact is that almost all reptile species are, for the most part, solitary animals. There are a few exceptions, but blue-tongues are not one of them.
Blue-tongued Skinks do best when kept alone, and in actuality, a skink would view another skink simply as competition for food, water, basking sights, and shelter. Most people see two skinks all curled up together in a shelter or basking area and assume that they are enjoying each others company. This is a very common misconception. The skinks are actually piled up together because that one spot happens to be the best spot for whatever they are looking for at that specific time, such as warmth, coolness, or shelter. However, I feel in the posters case one skink may be actually using the other skink as actual shelter. The licking or nuzzling of the other skink's mouth could verywell be just the lingering sent of a past meal. What ever the case, it is important to realize that blue-tongues do not like, need, want, or require each other's company, and it can actually be extremely stressful for them to be confined together in a situation where they cannot get away from each other as they would be able to in the wild. This is especially true for males. In the animal kingdom the world is run by the rule "survival of the fittest," with breeding rights and the best territories going to the biggest, strongest, and the most aggressive males. These territories are often defended fiercely, and the presence of another male is usually perceived as an immediate threat, requiring the intruder to either flee at once or fight. Of course the current occupant also has the same option to flee if he feels that he is no match for the new challenger. Males of many reptile species will often run off females as well as other males with exception being taken during the breeding season. The same is often true with females running off other females and males. In captivity this opportunity to flee is not available, and it often results in unwanted combat by the animal that would be less likely to fight if given the chance to flee. I have seen a lot of skinks with serious injuries, including: broken or missing limbs, fractured jaws, and missing tails, all due to cage-mate specific aggression. If fights do not occur, it is common for the sub-dominant animal to go to a corner and assume a submissive posture, doing nothing to threaten the status of the dominant animal. This means staying right there, and not eating, drinking or basking. A blue-tongue in this situation will usually end up dying, of what is often referred to as psychological domination, if it is not removed and given its own environment. Blue-tongues just do not appreciate the "company”. They function on very basic survival instincts that they have been programmed with over millions of years, and fortunately for them, the human emotion of loneliness is not one of them.
Still there are many people who chose to communally house their blue-tongues, thinking that it is the only way that their skinks will breed for them. In actuality, the skinks usually either fight or become sexually complacent to each other's presence. In my opinion, it is just not worth it and it is, more often than not, counterproductive. For those people who are fortunate enough to live in the mild climates of southern California or Florida, the use of LARGE outdoor zoo style pit enclosures could be an exception to the rule, offering the skinks the ever important option to flee when confronted by a would be aggressor. There are reports of some of the more cold tolerant species that have been kept and bred in this fashion all year around. The more tropical species may need to be brought indoors for part of the year, or possibly given access to supplemental heat. Outdoor pits should allow the skinks access to sun and shade with numerous shelters and visual barriers. The skinks should also be able to dig down, with precautions being taken to prevent them from digging out. You will want to make sure that the pit is secure in that it is both escape proof, and impenetrable to other animals such as dogs, cats, racoons, and birds of prey.
Last edited by
James Wilson on Fri Jul 29, 2011 11:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
James Wilson
