BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hi everyone! I'm a brand new skink owner as I've never had a reptile before and have heard that skinks are great beginners. I just got my boy Stryker today! He is 1 year old and a bit skittish. I just want some advice on how to help him adjust to me. I plan to wait a few days before touching or handling him, but how can I ease him into accepting my touch? He was dumped by his previous family and has supposedly been very upset since. As of now, he has not hissed or huffed at me and seems content with me watching him. He was calm when I cleaned out his leftover treats (fruits that I didn't want rotting in the bedding) but he ducked up under his log once I made the attempt to reach at him, so I immediately pulled back and closed the door.

I'm aware he doesn't like it when you touch him from above. Should I keep my hand where he can see it to avoid startling him? Do you think I'm doing things right so far? Thank you in advance![img=0]IMG_20211110_142504_671.jpg[/img]

Hi there,

Congrats on the new skink. There's no easy way to know how long it will take for your skink to acclimate to you, not knowing its previous history in detail and as they are all individual characters. However I would advise to interact with him as little as possible beyond the necessities for a week or two (food,cleaning etc.) This will allow him time to settle in. Initially, use hand feeding and treats to help build a positive association and to let him get used to you. After that, you could begin to handle him for very short stints of time and build up from there. Avoid being very loud and sudden, and talk to him in a quiet level voice. During handling you can also use a soft towel or blanket to help him feel secure.

Just a few basic tips, hope this helps!