BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hi all, so recently, Stryker finished shedding... And I'm wondering if that's the reason his tail feels so dry compared to the rest of his body? Or.. is this normal? There don't seem to be any stuck scales on his tail that I could find, and I keep his tank misted numerous times a day. He's not a fan of me touching it, either but I assume that's just normal with most reptiles. Anyway, is a dry tail normal? The rest of his body is cool and smooth but I can't feel any kind of particular temperature on his tail, It just feels so rough.

Hi there,

How has his shedding been so far? Does it come off in small pieces or in one or two large parts like a sock coming off a foot? If its small pieces the humidity may not be quite right and this could explain the rough feeling on the tail, could be some stuck shed.

If not an easy way to check is running your fingers both ways across the belly scales - should be smooth. Any resistance - kind of like the sound of flicking through a bunch of post-it notes - tells you it's too dry. If its not dry I would say he is okay in regards to sufficient humidity.

IvanDanko wrote:Hi there,

How has his shedding been so far? Does it come off in small pieces or in one or two large parts like a sock coming off a foot? If its small pieces the humidity may not be quite right and this could explain the rough feeling on the tail, could be some stuck shed.

If not an easy way to check is running your fingers both ways across the belly scales - should be smooth. Any resistance - kind of like the sound of flicking through a bunch of post-it notes - tells you it's too dry. If its not dry I would say he is okay in regards to sufficient humidity.

His tank temperature stays in the 80's, but yes his shed comes off in flaky pieces. With his belly, it's definitely rather smooth. I haven't seen any shed come off of his tail lately, but I saw quite a bit come off back when he was still in the process. I've tried bathing him but I can only get shed off the rest of his body, I haven't seen any scales come off his tail in the bath.

Maybe try tweaking the humidity a bit higher (I know its already high, not sure how practical this suggestion is) or try using a humid hide, if you haven't got one already. Was a bit slow to reply - hope it has improved since then/the shed has come off?

IvanDanko wrote:Maybe try tweaking the humidity a bit higher (I know its already high, not sure how practical this suggestion is) or try using a humid hide, if you haven't got one already. Was a bit slow to reply - hope it has improved since then/the shed has come off?

Hi thank you! Yes, his tail feels better as of lately since I cranked the humidity higher and changed his diet. He seems to be doing a lot better.

Awesome Great to hear.