New BTS, need advice please!

[Teasle]

Hi there,

On Saturday we bought a male, 18 month old BTS, I think he is a Tanimbar, but I'll leave some pictures here for you all to help me confirm that. We have called him Cozmo.

He has obviously lost his tail at some point, and it doesn't seem to have grown back so well, it is very, very stubby compared to pictures I have seen where skinks have regrown their tails. I worry from his behavior that he may have been treated badly by a previous owner.

When I first held him, he was constantly hissing at me, upon being placed in his new vivarium, he hissed at me for a while, hid for a few hours, then explored for around 30 mins, running and hiding if we came near him. He then went to sleep for the evening.

Yesterday I tried to hand-feed him some banana, as we had been told he liked it and he wasn't eating his Chicken/squash mix (using gloves as he is very, very snappy!) Rather than hissing as he had the day before, he just watched the food, but wouldn't take it. I put it on top of his log shelter, and he came and ate it, then moved on and ate some of his chicken and vegetables.

While he was having a wander I approached him, and he was very inquisitive, which I managed to catch on video;

http://youtu.be/mzvCj6u77SU

Later on I accidentally spooked him whilst spot cleaning, he jumped, tried to strike, hissed and ran and hid.

I am a first-time reptile owner, and I don't know the best way to get him used to me, I'd like to be able to handle him and gain his trust, but we can't get anywhere near him. I've mostly left him be since he's been home, apart from changeling his water, monitoring the temperature, feeding him and chatting to him from outside the vivarium.

From here, I really need to know how to go ahead, should I leave him be, and slowly try to gain his trust, or should I handle him, regardless of how aggressive he is, until he just gets used to it. Another concern is that I will accidentally hurt him if he goes to bite me.

I would really appreciate any advice.

Here are some photos of him, too.

[Susann]

Welcome to the forum!
It does look like you do have a little Tannie, and they can be a bit more feisty.

I would advise you to handle him as little as possible for a while. At least a few weeks. Do what you must, but don't try to hold him or handle him until he's a bit more settled in.
What you were doing in the video looked great. If he seems to not be spooked by you being near his tank, then talk to him, go about your business, sit by his tank. If he seems OK and in a mood to explore, try opening the door and just let him come up to look and sniff you just being there. If he seems OK with that, try just putting your hand in the tank and keeping it there to see what he does.
And rather than feeding him by hand, get some feeding tongs. That way if he decides mid-approach that he is going to strike instead of take the food, you can be more secure so you don't jerk and scare him more.

You both need to get used to each other. Who knows what he's been through with a previous owner, and if you aren't used to reptiles you need to learn his body language so you can learn to predict a little bit better what's coming from him, so you don't hurt each other.
There's no rush to handle him. Let him settle in for at least a few weeks, to learn his knew environment, the new sounds and smells, and let him slowly feel safe in his tank with you guys living outside.
While he is learning that he is in a safe environment, you could maybe look on youtube --or somewhere online-- for videos on how to safely pick up and hold a skink.

Hopefully after a while you both can learn how to live with each other in a good way.

Good luck, and we are here if you need anything

[Teasle]

Thank you for the advice, another question I have is that he seems to sleep at around 6pm, whereas IO get in from work at 6:30-7:00pm, I'd like to be there when he is fed so that he associates me with bringing food, can you advise on what would be best to do here, feed him before I go to work and leave it in with him, or hand feed him after?

Thanks again!

[Lea]

Firstly, welcome!

Looks like a tanimbar to me and in good shape overall, from the looks of these pictures. He's a good weight for his size, so don't fret about him not eating just yet, sometimes it takes a good couple of weeks to settle in, before they gain enough trust and confidence to feed. They can go quite a while without eating, so when in good health, a few weeks is fine before you need to worry.

Leaving him a dish of food might entice him out, but to start with you need to let him get used to his new environment and the ambient sounds. There is no one way to get him to calm down, so you'll have to be patient and see what works. Time and respect, with utmost patience, is key.

Give him a week to just explore without handling, then perhaps try handling him once or twice a day, for short periods. Support his limbs and hold with two hands so he feels secure. Sit down, or hold him over a flat, firm surface, so he doesn't have the extra worry and panic. He may calm down quickly, but some skinks take months of patient work. If he has been mistreated, he may always associated people as a threat, so bear that in mind.

Keep outside noise to a minimum and keep any dogs or cats away from the enclosure, no matter how secure it is. They will always make your skink jumpy and afraid, even if they can't get in. Also, lots of thoroughfare past the enclosure can affect him, eith negatively and make him fearful, or positively, to get him used to people. Just be mindful of it and see how he reacts.

While he's settling in, have a look at the care sheet which gives a good diet lists and some tips for setting up etc.


If you can, take some pictures of his tail. They do smooth over, some seem to grow, but actually they don't regenerate, just give the appearance and lengthening as it heals. Is it still a wound, or is it completely healed? I have a few with tail bits missing, rescued skinks, so just find it makes them more endearing- think of it as a cool fashion statement! The missing portion will not affect health or movement of your skink, if it's near the end, so you shouldn't have any further problems after healing.


I hope you'll enjoy browsing and getting to know more about your beautiful and unique pet.

Lea

[Susann]

If he is 18 months old, he does not need food every day. He looks plenty healthy Offer him some healthy food every 4 to 5 days. When you get up in the morning, turn on his lights as soon as you get up, and then offer him his food before you leave. It might take a while before he will come up and just start chowing when you put the food in, but if you find the right feeding intervals for him and have him be a bit hungry when you feed him, he will come up when the food is put in. For now just leave the food until you come back home; whatever is left in the evening, take it out and wait 4 days or so before feeding him again.

And about hand feeding, I would maybe wait with that for a few weeks at least as well. Let him just settle in and get used to you being outside his tank and him learning to feel safe inside his tank. After you guys learn each other's routines, you can start approaching him more with some yummy bribes.

After a few weeks, I might advice you to set up a place outside his tank --I use a tub-- where you feed him. That way he will hopefully learn that something good happens when you pick him up. But that's for later.

[Lea]

Thank you for the advice, another question I have is that he seems to sleep at around 6pm, whereas IO get in from work at 6:30-7:00pm, I'd like to be there when he is fed so that he associates me with bringing food, can you advise on what would be best to do here, feed him before I go to work and leave it in with him, or hand feed him after?

Thanks again!

You can set the heat to come on later in the day, so he'll stay up longer when you are home, but while he's settling in you might not see a change in his behaviour. I leave a dish in the tank, which is fine as long as he has a firm surface, like a tile under the dish. Put the dish at the cool end and it won't dry up and he can enjoy at his leisure. He'll more likely eat while you aren't there, to start with, so it's a way for him to gain trust without fear that you'll bother him.

[Lea]

Lol, Susann! We are falling over each other!

[Susann]

Lol, Susann! We are falling over each other!

I noticed that
At least we're pretty much agreeing and not contradicting each other!

[Lea]

Lol, Susann! We are falling over each other!

I noticed that
At least we're pretty much agreeing and not contradicting each other!

Yes, good advice, chum! Lol!

[Teasle]

I currently run a heat lamp dimming thermostat that needs to be manually turned up/down. Is there anything else you might eb able to recommend so that the heat lamp could turn on whilst I am out at work, rather than having it on before? Or is it ok to leave it on for a little more than 12 hours?

Sorry I have so many questions! I just want to be sure I'm doing everything right!

[Lea]

You can use a timer plug and set the what time you want it to turn on while you are out and what time after you are home.

[Richard.C]

If natural light comes through a window into your room,looks like it does in your vid,some will just go to sleep even if u keep day lights on,feeding earlier might be your best bet if thats the case with trying to leave lights on later

Unlike alot of smaller skinks,blueys tails when they regenerate dont grow overly long,if they lose most of tail they will allways have a stumpy tail look

[Teasle]

Thanks Richard!


It's hard to feed him early or turn his lights on later - as I am a work from 7:30am-7pm. Maybe I should make the weekends my hand-feeding time?

[Teasle]

The lil guy has buried himself now and isn't coming out.. I'm worried, but he'll be ok, right?

[Richard.C]

Should be ok,if basking temps ect are warm enough,they often just hide away at times,especially when in new homes,your one looks solid,so i wouldnt be to concerned,looks quite healthy

[Dakota]

That Tanimbar almost looks like a Western!

[Lea]

That Tanimbar almost looks like a Western!

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

That Tanimbar almost looks like a Western!

In the second picture, which I can no longer see, the tanimbar's bands looked wide(and almost monochrome) like those of a Western.

[Dakota]

That Tanimbar almost looks like a Western!

In the second picture, which I can no longer see, the tanimbar's bands looked wide(and almost monochrome) like those of a Western.

Yes.. I'm not the only one seeing so!

[Lea]

Dakota, are you and the moniturd twins, separated at birth?