BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hello I just joined the forum. I just recently got my first blue-tongued skink he/she is a baby Northern (born in July) that I have named Bunyip. Things are going reasonably well he has grown from 8 to 10.5 inches and is eating well. I'm having a little bit of a problem with aggression in his tank. Once I take him out he is very calm, no heavy breathing or biting and he seems curious and active but in the tank he will huff and flatten his body and occasionally bite. Any suggestion as to how to work on reducing aggression in the tank?

Hey there, welcome to bts.net and congrats on your bluey!

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welcome to bts.net

sounds cage defensive,initial shyness when getting them out of cage,quite normal,especially for youngsters

welcome

Mine is about the same age as yours I think and I see the same sort of behavior any time I approach him in or out of the tank. He is calming down a bit since I first got him-- I think it is partly a matter of them getting a little bigger and older and maybe slowly learning you aren't going to harm them. I think it helps to put your hand in the tank very slowly and don't flinch when they bite-- let him figure out that you are not food but you are not a threat either. Of course I'm only saying that because he is too small too hurt much when he bites! Lets hope they grow out of it before their jaw muscles really develop!

My most painful bite came from a newborn runt lowland blotch,grabbed my little finger and held on,even babies have jaw power,i remember another juvie blotch that bit a juvie eastern and just about took its nose off,held on by skin on one side of face

I dont reccomend letting them bite you,thankfully they dont always go lock jaw on you,but they are all capable of it

I only let them bite if they are biting for food related reasons, not out of aggression.

Yikes Richard-- I didn't know the little ones had the power to do that much damage!! I guess I've been lucky so far and I take back any suggestion of letting them bite you

Yeah most bites are that or just a warning bite if hissing displaying doesnt seem to do the job

Clamp on bites for me there was no warning,lol,its been when ive been concentrating elsewhere then whammo,thankfully in most cases they dont hang on,was more just saying dont underestimate that ability,as its definatly there,almost 30 years later and still seems like yesterday

It barely broke skin but the clamping force was intense,everything tried to loosen its grip resulted in it clamping harder,even dunking it in a sink of water

In the end just putting hand down on table and sitting still made it let go,i respect there capabilities now,lol

Thank you, for all of the help it does seem to be working the biting at least seems to have faded to more of a half-hearted huffing. I have also discovered his weakness, wax worms and have also been trying bribery.

My Maxx is very cage aggressive, as well.. he 11.5" long.. still a baby. Since he is a buries a lot, I just have to make some type a noise, and you will hear him ROAR (puff.. hehe), then I find him. After I find him, I quickly pick him up, to show I'm not afraid of him.. and he calms down pretty good.. just got to make sure I do not touch the tail.. he doesn't like that at all. It is the same way with snakes, they are ready to strike at you, you beat around the bush to get them, they bite. If they are ready to strike at you, you quickly and gently pick them up, they usually calm down right away.