BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hello! I am brand new to the forum and more importantly the new parent of a baby blue tongue skink.
I've poured over the care sheet and triple checked my tank setup for the new baby. When I finally got him two days ago I was elated. I put him into the enclosure and he immediately found a favorite spot. I haven't taken him out since I put him in (I was told to let him acclimate to the new surroundings for a week before handling), however I did notice he seemed skinny. His hipbones/tail bones are showing. From what I am reading this is a sign that he is underweight. I was told to feed him every other day, a teaspoon's worth. But being a new owner I'm super concerned! I've had him for two days and fed him yesterday, and a little today. He does have an appetite and has eaten both times. My question is how should I proceed? Are there specific foods I should focus on to get his weight up? Do I strictly feed him every other day, or should I cut the amount in half and have food out daily until he improves? Is his weight a severe problem? (Like should I take him to the vet?) Or should I give it a couple of days?

Sorry for the ranting. I'm just a really cautious pet owner and this is my first reptile. Thanks in advance guys. Leading up to getting him this forum has been a huge help in preparing.

Congrats on your little baby skink! It is honestly such an exciting experience! When I got my skink Dino 2 months ago he was also a baby and underweight. His hip bones stuck out and his little legs were nobby. I took him to the vet the day after i got him and they weighed him and did let me know that until he gained some much needed weight he would need to be fed a little bit every day. I fed him a mixture of green beans, collard greens, wellness dog food, and any treat he'd accept (he is kind of picky so some foods are a no go). 2 weeks after I took him for his initial vet exam I took him in to get tested for internal parasites and he was weighed again. He was 2x what he had been before! Every day he got a little bigger and eventually I noticed his tail fill out. The hip bones were also much less noticable. A month later he was a healthy weight and growing. Maybe feeding him a little every day until his weight gets up wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Ah my gosh! Thank you so much for your reply Evaughan!
It makes me feel worlds better to hear that you were in the same situation and that things worked out positively. I've been feeding my little guy a little more than half a teaspoon of high grade canned cat food mixed with green beans, a bit of romaine, banana, carrot shavings, and raspberry. I'm considering doing more protein than the recommended 50/40/10 just for the rest of the week to jump start his growth into healthy bouncing baby status. Parasites is the other thing that concerns me about his weight. So I'll go and get him tested in a week or so to rule that out.

Seriously thank you so much for sharing. I do feel a lot more at ease!

Halmahera BTs are always imported and many arrive underfed and horribly stressed. Some years back I kept them, and as babies I let them eat all they wanted. I also blacked out the glass (I kept glass tanks back then, have since converted to PVC) on all sides except the front of the tank to make them feel more secure. Most definitely their life before you came along was not very pleasant, so any stressors needed to be eliminated. Humidity 70+ is appreciated and alleviated shedding/respiratory issues. They are awesome pets, get quite large (one of mine reached 22"!!!) and will learn to trust you. I currently only keep Australian BTs, but my Halys were every bit as good a pet as my current Northerns and Easterns. They're a bit more difficult husbandry wise, but well worth it. Plus they are gorgeous. Best of luck.