BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Just yesterday I adopted a captive bred Northern BTS who is about13 inches in length, not sure exactly what the age is but I know she is not yet an adult. Since the moment she arrived, she hisses every time anyone gets close and has bitten down hard on the gloves I bought to protect my fingers. She has eaten a little, but looks pretty skinny (the base of her tail is very thin). I obviously want to form a bond with her and also want her to feel comfortable with humans, we love reptiles and want her to be a part of the family. I am wondering if anyone has any tips on how to tame her without putting too much stress on her or myself. Overall, I just want a happy skink. Please help, anything is appreciated!!!

Hey there!

Congratulations on your new Bluey! I don't have a lot of tips for you, however; I can say I am in the same boat and your not alone. I recently purchased a Blue Tongue and thought I was getting a Northern. I knew after a few hours he was in fact not. I posted some pics on this forum and quickly learned through the help of this community he/she is an Indonesian type. So I have been adjusting the "desert" setup I had to a more tropical climate. To top off costly change my little Pablo is a moody juvenile. (Name fits right) He hisses, jumps to the side like he is going to bite me (he has not yet) when I touch him. I have been reading and some say approach them from behind, others say don't pick them up from above as this simulate a bird swooping down to eat them. I have found what works best in approaching is first make sure he sees my hand. Secondly I come in from his level and to the side, not the front or back and I try to touch him like that. Yeah he hisses, but I back off, let him calm, and I move in again. I do this for about 5 minutes then I leave him the rest of the day. Just constant interaction. The other day he ate a raspberry out of my hand and I almost jumped for joy. Your should read this. viewtopic.php?f=24&t=20375 I learned a lot from it. I went with what someone else posted and I use a combination of 1 and 6. Sometime I will let it be known that this is happening as (tough love) the next day I leave him to get comfortable. It's going to take a while but hey, if you love reptiles and are patient, I'm sure he/she will come around. The reward is the best part. I hope I helped in some kind of way. Please take my advice with a grain of salt. I am fairly new as well. Good luck!

Commanderday, that it so funny as I was just told about an hour ago that mine is also al juvenile Indonesian. I was a little upset upon learning this as I was told she was a northern, but knowing that I am not alone makes it much easier to accept! I will definitely try out those methods, thank you so much for the kind words and advice!! Good luck to you as well!

Hi! Congrats on your new BTS, we like to see pics here, so could you post one for us?

They can also take a while to settle in to their new environment - some people give them at least a week before they try to handle them for anything other than care needs. As yours is most likely "captive bred" from the wild it has probably been through a lot of change and less than ideal captivity methods, so at this early stage make sure the setup is right, the skink is healthy and he has time to settle in.

Hey no problem happy to share what little knowledge I have obtained over the past couple weeks. The way I'm looking at my situation is learn the hard way. From what I've read and gone throguh when I buy another it will be from this site. Or someone whom has a good reputation on here. I don't trust pet stores anymore.

Most pet stores aren't going to have Northern or even CB BTS. AND if it were possible for them to order a Northern on their supplier's list, they will most likely see an indo on the list as well for 1/3 the price and go for that. OR having worked for pet stores in the past, even the suppliers will send substitutes for animals and can be shady. I worked with some people that would lie to sell animals by just saying what the customer wants to hear.

That right there tells you how common it is for BTS to be misrepresented and sold as the wrong species.

We're glad you've both found our forum and are reading up and getting some good info. As you've both (mjolaga and Commanderday) have brand new (to you) young juveniles, I would highly recommend just leaving them be for a few weeks; let them get de stressed and acclimated to their new homes. I'm a firm believer in that it does not cause any delays in getting your new young skink used to being handled if you let them become secure in their new tanks first, quite possibly the opposite.
Now, if your little ones are out and about in the tank, by all means scoop them up and spend some time holding them and letting them crawl around on you, but try to not "pet" them; if you're experienced with reptiles you'll know that being stroked by huge humans is in no way calming to them, at least not at this stage. It can be super hard though, for us used to cats, dogs, and kids we automatically want to try to calm stressed little things by gently petting them...

Good luck though, and let us know if we can help with questions that you're not finding answers to

Pet peeve of mine, skinks being sold as the wrong species therefore could be getting incorrect care and suffering needlessly their entire lives simply because 'blue tongue skink' is generic to unreputable pet shops. So glad you joined and care enough about your skink to seek info from the BTS community. I find that with reptiles you just never stop learning no matter how long you have been keeping them. Best of luck to you both! AND.....if Susann says it, it is GOSPEL!!

I am also very fortunate and glad to have found this forum. She isn't what I asked for or what I was expecting, but I love her and want to make sure she has the best life possible. I will be posting a photo as soon as I can, and I appreciate all of your advice and passion for this animal! Someday I hope to know as much as I can about them. I think they're absolutely fascinating and although she is not find of me, she has already been a joy to watch and learn about. I remain optimistic about my chances of showing her that fearing humans is not necessary. So glad to be a part of this awesome community and finally own a beautiful blue tongue!

splashy07 wrote:.....if Susann says it, it is GOSPEL!!

oh boy.

Congrats on your new skink. Stinks that it was misidentified. Indo blue tongues can be among the most shy of blue tongues. Even though northerns are considered the tamest I have two that would say otherwise. Since yours is an indo and most likely and import or a baby born from an imported female, I would find a vet to check for a parasites and a deworming. I've seen a lot of people get indos lately that have mites and parasites. It's better to be safe than sorry. Good luck with your new skink and feel free to ask as many questions as you want.

Hey all, I wanted to post a picture of her and am not sure how to do it on here! If someone could let me know I'd love to post a picture of Bowie and the progress she has made(:

Here's a thread on it:
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=28657

So I was a little discouraged when I first found that she was an Indonesian and was not the baby I thought I was getting, but I realized that her aggression was fueled by fear and that it could be overcome. I spent time sitting by her tank and talking to her, playing my guitar near her and letting her see me constantly. I also decided on hand feeding which was a little dangerous at first, but definitely built trust. One of the main things that worked for me was not flinching or backing away when she hissed, but instead to just keep cleaning the cage or changing the water. Once she realized that hissing had no effect on me, she began to tone it down. She still needs some work and is still semi aggressive, especially in the tank, but considering that it has been only 7 days I am extremely proud of her progress and feel that she will make a great friend. Here she is!

Oh for cuteness!
Awesome progress; you've handled it very well, congrats!