Blue Tongue Skinks Question

[map1199]

I have been doing research on the Blue Tongue Skinks and came across this site. I am looking into getting a skink and would like to know which species is tamer than the other. Which is better for a family with children? My son and I are going to take care of the skink together. My son is 10 y/o.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.

~Mary Ann

[ssr]

Welcome to the forum! A skink is an excellent pet for a 10 y/o. Most Northerns and IJ's have great dispositions so either would be an excellent choice.

[Katrina]

Welcome to the forum!

Like ssr mentioned, Northerns or IJs are great choices. For a first skink, I'd definitely get one from a reputable breeder. Often, wild caught blue tongue skinks are sold as captive bred because that is what people want to buy. Rather than buying from a pet store or expo, I would try to get on from a breeder like Ray Gurgui (www.thunderbayherps.com) or from Zach (see the main page of this site) - that way you know what you are getting. Either of those would be excellent choices. Good luck, feel free to ask any questions you have. You won't regret getting a blue tongue skink.

[Spindown]

i have a Northern, a Merauke, an IJ, and a Indonesian, and by far...the calmest one is my Merauke, closely followed by my awesome Northern.

[StaceyLeigh]

My son is 10 and got a BTS for his Birthday in July. He started talking about wanting one last Christmas, so we told him he had to research care info, etc. and give us a report to prove he could handle the responsibility. He wrote a 3 page report all about the BTS, so we were convinced! He has been a great bluey owner, but does need back up help. I help with food prep, and the major cage cleaning. We got his BTS ( Thor, A Northern) from a person on this site, and I would highly recommend a CBB BTS. We got him at about 5 weeks and he has been very mellow and easy to handle! A BTS Skink is an awesome pet for a ten year old, but I want to stress that, in my opinion, they will need some help with care.

[Bird_Brain]

With experience of handling/owning many different species of blueys (northerns, tanimbars, kei islands, indonesians, irian jayas, and minimal experience with easterns and meraukes), purchasing CBB is IMO, more important than the actual species.

[Jeff]

...purchasing CBB is IMO, more important than the actual species.

Agreed. And if you are looking for CBB skink, northerns will be the easiest to find. That is why I would probably recommend a northern to anyone looking for a docile and handleable BTS to be their first.