Hey! New BTS baby! :)

[ccole93]

Hi! I figured I'd introduce myself and my new skink! His name is Oliver and he's very cute. I got him from a rescue and I'm very happy. I know you guys get this a lot but I had a few questions about his diet. The woman who sold him to me was kind of vague.

First off, he doesn't like dog food very much and won't touch fruits or veggies. He loves snails but getting him to eat crickets is difficult. Are snails an ok staple in their diet? They don't have shells; I buy them in a can. He kind of sneezes sometimes, too, usually when I disturb him. And of course he hisses when I bother him early in the morning. I tried raspberries, cantaloupe, strawberries and mango. Greens-wise he has collard greens but I haven't gotten any squash yet.

And if anyone could tell me what locality he is that would be great! You can see it in the picture but he has white spots on black legs. I guess his parents were pretty bulky, too.

[LarissaLurid]

Fruit should only be a treat since it's filled with sugar and ones like strawberries are high in oxalates and goitrogens. My skink has always refused to eat crickets but LOVES dubia roaches and will actually chase them unlike crickets. They are healthier than crickets and have a great source of protein and calcium. They are simple to keep and not expensive, plus they don't smell or make noise like crickets. I used to feed my skink high quality dog food, but I've recently switched to a meat mix. Currently it contains ground turkey, steak, chicken heart/gizzards/liver.(although im switching the chicken to something better when its out) But lean meats such as ground turkey are a great option. Variety is very healthy for them as well. Try chopping up veggies and the collard greens very tiny and mixing it in with some ground turkey or something to start off and mix the veggies in well. (Mine does love squash enough to eat it on its own though lol) Sometimes they just won't eat veggies unless hidden. You can put it in the food processor as well.

He's a Merauke :]

[ccole93]

Thank you so much! I'm gonna go get a blender to make his dinner in. A guy on craigslist is offering a dubia colony so I might buy some off him and try to start my own. Live bugs freak me out but my baby has to eat. I'm gonna make a mash with the veggies included and see if he likes it. I hope so!

[Rush]

Nice skink. Hey, how long have you had the little guy? If you chop up the greens and veggies and whatever you feed on the protein side, caresheet is a good source to refer to, your skink will "most likely" chow and anything whenever he or she gets hungry enough.

[Vegasarah]

Yeah, I agree with Rush. Once they get hungry enough, they will chow down on whatever you give them for the most part! Surprising that it doesn't like dog food... Have you tried really sticking his nose in it? Try angling the bowl so maybe a bit smears on his lip. I think once he gets 'taste' of it you will be in business! I would encourage you to try it because it is the easiest way to trick him into eating those greens. Good luck and remember it's okay if they don't eat for a week or so, he might still be settling in. They can technically go months without food with no ill side-effects, so a few days off his food won't hurt him. Looks like you are on your way to becoming a great owner, though! Good luck

[ccole93]

I mixed in some squash with the dog food and he ate it right off the spoon. Is it okay to feed him that way? He doesn't seem to understand the concept of eating from a dish.

[Vegasarah]

Whatever works for you in my opinion! If that's the way he eats, there is nothing wrong with it. He should get a taste for it after a while and you could use the spoonful to guide him over to the dish and then he will probably understand that the dish is just a giants spoon fully of yummies!