Is this a Northern?

[A.VinczeBTs]

Again, still looking for the perfect pet skink, and getting my tank all setup still.

I saw this in an ad, says northern, but doesn't have the black on the sides with the bright yellow that I see normally on northerns?


He looks adorable non the less, but just wanted to know what he is before I decide to buy.

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

Unusual looking skink. Maybe IJ x Northern?

[A.VinczeBTs]

That's what I was thinking. I asked for more pics (this one may be an older one, and not the current two he has) but until he replies I have no idea.

[Linnea]

i dont think this is a pure northern. i cant tell which other it is, but....it sure looks a bit northern? the tail being a bit fuzzy in the picture still shows very clear bandings, too clear for northern. but its still a baby, and i guess the tail bandings change a lot when they grow?
also the head shape......hm.

they guessed IJ x Northern so I will go with that too. i wouldnt know enough about the other species looks to guess IJ without comparing though xD

[realis88]

i think this IJ

[Zach]

Hello! These one's are always tough. The animal definitely looks scincoides (easterns, northerns), but many Irian Jaya naturally have scincoides type traits as well (some believe the IJ is a natural cross between the Indo & Eastern), even when caught from the wild. Babies are also a little bit more of a challenge to ID, particularly the Indonesian varieties. See if you can post a couple more pics from the seller, particularly an overhead shot. Good luck!

[Jeff]

My guess from that one picture is that it is a northern. I don't see anything in that picture that would indicate that it is a cross. My opinion could change if other pictures show something different.

[critterguy]

The complete lack of any black on the sides, the brown horizontal mark over the shoulder, and the dark temporal streak make me think this animal may not be pure Northern. I wouldn't buy it looking for such anyhow.

[A.VinczeBTs]

Will have a picture tomorrow. I'm actually fairly certain it's an older picture, as he said to me he doesn't have a pic of the northern he has, so I'm thinking this pic is from older stock, probably IJ or some mix.

Will show the pic after I receive it, should clear everything up! If it's a pretty northern he has (pic will decide this) I may even put a deposit on him/her.

[A.VinczeBTs]

So the picture was not of the northern, here is his northern:


He's beautiful! I'm putting a deposit on him on thursday.

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

Looks like a northern. If you want a northern i think fatal still has some babies.

[A.VinczeBTs]

Looks like a northern. If you want a northern i think fatal still has some babies.

I live in Ontario, so shipping in this weather would be terrible if she offers shipping at all. He is a northern (not the first pic, that's an Irian Jaya), and I'm putting a deposit on him thursday, so hopefully soon I'll have him here!

[Jeff]

[/quote] He is a northern (not the first pic, that's an Irian Jaya)[/quote]

While the first skink may possibly have IJ blood in it, it is not a pure IJ. The second skink is clearly a northern though.

[A.VinczeBTs]

It probably is a mix, he said he was just going with the info of the person he got him from, and it was a couple years back, he doesn't recall the seller though.
A lot of people up here don't seem to know much about thier skinks or how to keep the lines pure. One heck of a lot of mixes I've been seeing, some people even tried to charge more saying "it's rarer because it from two diff types" I didn't contact them again...

At least the northern looks great! Hopefully as more people get into skinks the whole mixing will slow down and stop. :O

[Spindown]

At least the northern looks great! Hopefully as more people get into skinks the whole mixing will slow down and stop. :O

I highly doubt it. This occurs with any species that you can hybridize, as well as people who make intergrades. People will do ANYTHING to make a quick buck.
Its nice to believe that it will stop though. I sure do hope these people will come to their senses, but...who can say.

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

:woah:

[Zach]

Rarely do you see a Northern with such dark temporal streaks!

[A.VinczeBTs]

I think it's more the lighting, in another pic it's the same color as the rest of his head. :O

[Fatal_S]

Tis a Northern. Is the person a breeder? It's not the same sketchy guy we were talking about before, is it?

Anyways, it's gorgeous, very dark. And wow, if you look at the back of his neck he has a sword marking Name: Zelda/Link?

The first picture looks Eastern to me, but I'm awful at determining Easterns.

[A.VinczeBTs]

It's from a pet store that I know of, but the breeder they got it from was the same, but the reason he seemed shady was because of confused emails. (When you have multiple it gets confusing)
Haha, I never noticed the little sword!! I'm not sure it's gender, but Zelda sounds like an awesome name!