Help Identifying my BTS!

[TimMih]

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So, I thought I had purchased a baby Merauke from Joe Switalski in Florida but I have had some people telling me that my skink is not a Merauke, that he looks more like a Halhamera and that is why his temperament is not very good. Can any please help me identify my skink to be sure what species it is and if it is a Halhamera, what can I expect in temperament compared to a Merauke? I would greatly appreciate it!

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

Baby Indonesian (Tiliqua gigas gigas)

[TimMih]

So this little guy is just a "regular" Indonesian, not any of the sub species? What does this mean in terms of temperament or care, if anything? I am curious how you can tell, I am new to BTS and half of them look the same to me! This guy is about 7 months old and was supposedly captive bred. The picture isnt the best quality but he is a light tan\cream color with a very long tail and a dull purple-ish color tongue if this makes any difference

[starscream3232]

What color is the stomach? Joe recently imported a bunch of bts. He’s a importer and doesn’t know much about them (trust me a few of us have corrected him multiple times). Looks like a tiliqua gigas gigas but better pictures will be needed. Also it will need a vet check to clear up any parasites and practice quarantine if you have other reptiles as they can carry mites.

[TimMih]

Wow, good to know, I knew he knew his snakes so I assumed he knew the other reptiles he sold as well. It was listed as a captive born. Might explain why this little guy is not very friendly...I had got this one specifically for a therapy animal for my autistic nephew (which I specifically told Joe) but his grumpy attitude is making me rethink that idea lol. Could he still turn around and be friendly?

His belly his speckled black and tan, same colors as the top of him. Fortunately, he is the only reptile I own so no quarantine needed and I am taking him to the vets this weekend to get him looked at.

So far these are the best pics I could get of him since he usually runs and hides as soon as he sees my phone lol.

If this is a tiliqua gigas gigas, what differences can I expect compared to the Merauke I thought I was getting?

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[starscream3232]

Since the belly is Black and Tan it’s a halmahera which is a local of tiliqua gigas gigas. Captive born in the bts world means it was born from a gravid wild caught female. Babies are generally jumpy as they view everything as a threat. Each bts have their own personalities. I have mostly northerns. Most are very tolerant of handling and even the the calmest ones will huff when picked up. I have two northerns that are nightmares to hold. They will bite and thrash. Bts imo make one of the best pet reptiles.

[Janella]

Glad to see I guessed right on this one. I really hope with time and patience you can turn this one into a sweetie.

[TimMih]

I hope so too. I guess he won't be the therapy animal I had hoped to make him but I'll still love him the same and try for another skink maybe next year, like a northern. I'm just mad about the bottom feeder importers that will tell you anything you want to hear and don't even know what it is they're selling. Lesson learned, buy from a breeder on here!

[Janella]

It can be frustrating, but don't be discouraged. You never know, this one may turn out to be a marshmallow. Just keep working with him. Good luck and keep me posted!

[TimMih]

Thanks for the support, I'm going to do my best to get him to chill out lol. I'm still working with him and have been able to do some scratching under his chin without biting. But if I try giving him treats by hand he'll go for my fingers but not too hard so I think he just doesn't distinguish the two too well at the same time. He doesn't huff and hiss much now, just runs away after a few minutes of treats and scratching. No picking up yet but I think I may be on the right track. I think it's so slow going because I'm probably the only person who has truly interacted with his entire life. He finished his first shed and is now really getting the red coloring. He's going to be once handsome fella when he's all grown lol

[Janella]

Anytime! It sounds like you are on the right track with him. Keep up the good work! I can't wait to see more pictures as he grows :-)