BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Howdy,
I already have a bearded dragon which is so cool to handle, but I really love reptiles and want more so hoping to set up a enclosure and hopefully get a blue tongue, my question is are they good to handle since I'm a newbie with them, I knew w with bearded dragons you can have them on your shoulder and stuff, which is cool but what do bluetongue do it really doesn't matter what they do really sure it would be cool if they could sit on your shoulder or something, but I just want something else to pat and stroke, I have heard though they bite and their doesn't seem to be to much praise for some on the Internet as all the praise seems to be going to the leopard geckos, crested geckos and bearded dragons, two of those species are illegal in my country which sucks as they would of been awesome pets too. So looking ffor r something I can handled I turned to blue tongues I was just wondering is it best to get a baby or adult and where should I ask on this forum to find breeders in Australia , I don't want to get something that will get aggressive and bit frequently, and I want to do what I can to handle it properly and not annoy it so as to get bitten either. But I have no idea where to start, I'm thinking of either getting a blotch or shingleback what is the best of those for handling?, and can you have two together male and male or make and female or female and ... well you get the picture what would you recommend and please can you reply to my questions, thank you for your time and all your answers, I really really appreciate it heaps, cheers

Skinks are not capable of clinging to your shoulder - they are ground dwellers and you should never have them at any sort of height to avoid them falling and getting damaged

It is nearly impossible to sex skinks and they tend to be territorial and antisocial anyway so they should be housed individually

Some skinks are sweet hearts, others demons, but it is generally felt that the Australian species are more docile while the imported wild caught Indonesian species tend to be viewed as more skittish and temperamental

Depending on your state laws you may need a permit to own certain skink species

Skinks only have one litter of 0 to 15 live young each year and birthing season is over in Australia but breeding season is just starting so in the next 3 or 4 months there will be plenty of juveniles to choose from and many Aussie members will be posting what they have available in the classifieds section

Dood wrote:Skinks are not capable of clinging to your shoulder - they are ground dwellers and you should never have them at any sort of height to avoid them falling and getting damaged

It is nearly impossible to sex skinks and they tend to be territorial and antisocial anyway so they should be housed individually

Some skinks are sweet hearts, others demons, but it is generally felt that the Australian species are more docile while the imported wild caught Indonesian species tend to be viewed as more skittish and temperamental

Depending on your state laws you may need a permit to own certain skink species

Skinks only have one litter of 0 to 15 live young each year and birthing season is over in Australia but breeding season is just starting so in the next 3 or 4 months there will be plenty of juveniles to choose from and many Aussie members will be posting what they have available in the classifieds section

That's good to know thanks no heights for lizard I have a basic reptile licence in Victoria would that suffice, I am really new at this I know with beardies if you handle them for at least five min before buying you can tell whether they are going to be good at handling and/or aggressive so should I get a baby or adult to tame to get used to me I mean as I believe no reptile can truly be tamed IMO but as I said I'm new what species would you recommend for a beginner like me shingleback, Eastern or blotch or are they all good? Do they lock on when they bite how would I manage to get one off biting me with out hurting the blue-tongue please forgive me for the dumb questions I ask a lot, but I really appreciate all your help if you can give me some tips for picking a friendly blue tongue, in your opinion are they better pets than bearded dragons or up there with the beardie?

Thanks again.

I didn't ask this properly before so here I go again is there a certain time I should handle a blue tongue before I buy one to see if it's going to like me or not, also how would you avoid annoying them so as not to get them aggressive.

Thanks

In terms of the different subspecies in Aus this thread will help you:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=28038&p=468857#p468857

They don't usually bite if handled and treated correctly. If they are crabby they tend to huff up at you first to warn you. If you ignore that they might display their blue tongues at you and then get aggressive if you don't leave them alone. The exception is if you poke your fingers around then at food time and they have a chomp down.

Bearded dragons have a reputation for being much more "pet like" than blue tongues in handling and hanging about with you. Some would also consider them more interactive as well as more active - blue tongues are slow moving. Blue tongues probably aren't the right pet if you want one that is there to be petted all the time or take around on your shoulder. They are generally solitary - but will tolerate handling and be somewhat Interactive.

Like Dood said, keep one bluey to one enclosure.

As for judging temperament, Im not sure but apart from tbe extremes I wouldnt think you could judge quickly out easily what their personality would be like at home. It takes a period of weeks for them to settle in properly. Instead, most would choose their pet on looks and suspected temperament and would spend time closely examining for healthy signs.

Having said that if you are looking over one to take home remember that they are cold blooded. so if they sit in your hand apparently happy, sure they could be happy and tame ... or they could be cold.

Hope this helps some. I also strongly suggest reading the care sheet and FAQ section in this forum, as well as browse through the posts.

alichamp wrote:In terms of the different subspecies in Aus this thread will help you:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=28038&p=468857#p468857

They don't usually bite if handled and treated correctly. If they are crabby they tend to huff up at you first to warn you. If you ignore that they might display their blue tongues at you and then get aggressive if you don't leave them alone. The exception is if you poke your fingers around then at food time and they have a chomp down.

Bearded dragons have a reputation for being much more "pet like" than blue tongues in handling and hanging about with you. Some would also consider them more interactive as well as more active - blue tongues are slow moving. Blue tongues probably aren't the right pet if you want one that is there to be petted all the time or take around on your shoulder. They are generally solitary - but will tolerate handling and be somewhat Interactive.

Like Dood said, keep one bluey to one enclosure.

As for judging temperament, Im not sure but apart from tbe extremes I wouldnt think you could judge quickly out easily what their personality would be like at home. It takes a period of weeks for them to settle in properly. Instead, most would choose their pet on looks and suspected temperament and would spend time closely examining for healthy signs.

Having said that if you are looking over one to take home remember that they are cold blooded. so if they sit in your hand apparently happy, sure they could be happy and tame ... or they could be cold.

Hope this helps some. I also strongly suggest reading the care sheet and FAQ section in this forum, as well as browse through the posts.

Thanks very much I will