BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hello!

I recently purchased my very first reptile: Draco the blue tongue skink! He arrived a few days ago by mail, and he is adjusting very well. He was feisty and hungry from the start, and he’s already eating regularly every other day. Now that he’s well-adjusted, I want to handle my new baby. He hisses when I get close to him, though, and I don’t want to stress him out. Should I avoid handling him until he stops hissing, or should I just bite the bullet and pick him up for a few minutes? I want to handle him while he’s still a juvenile to get him used to me, and I don’t know if the hissing will ever subside unless I just go for it. So when should I start handling him, and how should I go about it to make him feel comfortable?

Thank you so much!

I'd let him settle in for a bit before frequent handling. He's got plenty of time to get used to you. Let him get used to his surroundings first. You can offer food from your hand, let him see that good things happen when you go near. He will be your best friend in no time! Congratulations, now let's see pictures!

present him with a tasty life food treat ( ie a cricket , roach , large BSFL , silkworm ) each time you want to handle him, at the moment he is scared of you and doesn't trust you, food treats/bribes are great way to get a skink to trust you and to form a bond with you.

Make it a ritual for now .

ie , rest the disabled cricket or roach , or wriggly worm , on your open up turned hand and place it just beyond his personal zone with the worm where he can see it before he's been fed, he'll soon be amblinb up to steal it and will start to associate your hand with a pleasurable experience.

Small doses of human contact to start with each day ( maybe a 5 mins ) then slowly incrementally build it up ( at his pace , he'll tell you when he's ready for more ).

I know this works as I've tamed many wild skinks , dragons, geckos and frog in my yard this way to the point they are no longer scared of me and will come right to me and even climb onto me and let me pet them.