BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hi there,

I have had many other reptiles in the past, but never a bluey. It has been a few years since i owned anything other than my dogs, so i might need a few questions answered in the future. I was on a golf course last week and caught a foot long Alligator Lizard and it made me nostalgic for a reptile friend.

I have had friends who had BTS', and was always fascinated by them. So I decided it's time to pull the trigger. I have been looking for a few days here in Los Angeles area, and talked to about 9 reptile stores.

So far I have come across:
One a year old with part of his tail missing.
2 Irian Jaya's 8-12months old both wild caught
A Northern on Craigslist about a year old.
And Finally a store that has 3+ Irian Jaya's just under a year old for almost $300, which seems a little high if you ask me.

I know I don't want wild caught, I am having difficulty as it is convincing my GF that having a BTS is a good idea. I know that wild caught can have bad temperaments and ones that are older are going to have a harder time getting used to new owners and a new environment. Call me picky but I basically want a young, captive bred that is less than $300.

So if anyone has any advice, or knows and breeders in the So Cal area, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Lucas

There are people that belong to this forum that sell BTS, Have you checked the classified section?

Though WC can be defensive, CBB can be, also.. if not held often. So, you are pulling the trigger on that, also.. The main reason people want CBB, is the decrease of disease/parasite, any other health concern, really.. from what I noticed, IMO.

Good luck finding a perfect bluey!

How dose the little guy on CL look?
I would personaly give that guy a new home if his/her temperment and past husbandry is decent.

I looked in the classfields for a few min but didn't see anything. I'll have to check again.

Here is the copy of the craigslist ad http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/for/3625679589.html He answered my question about it being a Northern, unknown gender, and a year old. Waiting on a reply about temperament and more info.

Thanks for all the responses so far!

IchliebeTiere wrote:There are people that belong to this forum that sell BTS, Have you checked the classified section?

I agree, maybe posting on there.. Breeding season is in full swing, so why don't you just wait until the CBB are born? There is a breeder in AZ on here, and he is a great breeder, though I have not bought from him.

Mr_Dunev wrote:I looked in the classfields for a few min but didn't see anything. I'll have to check again.

Here is the copy of the craigslist ad http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/for/3625679589.html He answered my question about it being a Northern, unknown gender, and a year old. Waiting on a reply about temperament and more info.

Thanks for all the responses so far!

That is a Merauke.

Could be an Indonesian.. Gigas are hard to identify, IMO.. maybe someone with more experience will post.. but definitely not a Northern.

Has a decent strip down his neck, but has solid black legs.. hmmm..

I noticed its legs were black and that is the only thing i noticed which northerns don't seem to have

He does have a stripe on his neck, but he also has black legs and what looks like black webbing on his head sooooo I dunno. Def not a northern. LA is good for lizards though, and the natural humidity is great for tropical species, especially if you live near the beach. You should try to check out LLL in Oceanside while you're looking around, they're awesome and not that far. Man I sure miss living there,

Here is the difference.

Pictures were found on "google.com"

DrakeLineous12 wrote:He does have a stripe on his neck, but he also has black legs and what looks like black webbing on his head sooooo I dunno. Def not a northern. LA is good for lizards though, and the natural humidity is great for tropical species, especially if you live near the beach. You should try to check out LLL in Oceanside while you're looking around, they're awesome and not that far. Man I sure miss living there,

I called them, and i think they had 2 that were both "imports"

You're in California, home of two of the greatest breeders in the USA!

Both James Wilson and Andrew Seike are in California, and both breed amazing CBB baby skinks. And Jeff is quite close, in Arizona, and also breeds truly awesome CBB skinks. You live within driving distance of 3 amazing breeders and baby season is about to begin; you're a lucky guy!

Fatal_S wrote:You're in California, home of two of the greatest breeders in the USA!

Both James Wilson and Andrew Seike are in California, and both breed amazing CBB baby skinks. And Jeff is quite close, in Arizona, and also breeds truly awesome CBB skinks. You live within driving distance of 3 amazing breeders and baby season is about to begin; you're a lucky guy!

What species of BTS is this?

James Wilson currently has classic northerns (though he is the father of the caramel northern line of skinks).

Jeff breeds northerns, easterns, shingles and blotched - though I would guess only the northerns will be available for sale.

Andrew breeds northerns, caramel northerns, easterns, irian jayas and tanimbars. Possibly others.

All three of these guys rock, you can't go wrong.

Fatal_S wrote:James Wilson currently has classic northerns (though he is the father of the caramel northern line of skinks).

Jeff breeds northerns, easterns, shingles and blotched - though I would guess only the northerns will be available for sale.

Andrew breeds northerns, caramel northerns, easterns, irian jayas and tanimbars. Possibly others.

All three of these guys rock, you can't go wrong.

Wish I'd known about them when I was still there, I could've had a lot of fun as well as good blueys lol. Are you able to ship across the border? I'd assume no,

I know that Jeff and Andrew can ship their babies within the USA. I'm not sure if James ships.

I only ship within the Canada. Most of my bloodlines come from Andrew's stock anyways.

I'll PM those breeders mentioned thanks!

dakotanivens wrote: The main reason people want CBB, is the decrease of disease/parasite, any other health concern, really.. from what I noticed, IMO.

A huge reason to purchase captive bred animals is because of the ethics of the pet trade. Many, many die so a few can make it into a pet store. There are health implications and a lot of ethical implications to supporting harvesting of animals. It is definitely worth looking into before making a decision.