BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hey! Just joined the site and I'm super excited to get my first BTS. Unfortunately, I've done a bunch of looking around and the West Coast seems sparse, if that, for availability. I've sent a few emails out to breeders, like Mel's Exotics, and another reptile hub in Vancouver that seems to get them in occasionally, but haven't heard back yet.

I might just be anxious because of my excitement. If anyone has suggestions about where else to hit up for a Northern, I'd love any opinions!
Also, since this is my first reptile, maybe some tips on what sites/stores are trusted for supplies.

Thanks

Well this site is your one stop shop for all your Bluey info needs, its and excellent resource.

If you are not heart set on Northern, I breed Meraukes and have some excellent Captive Born and Bred babies available. I started with Meraukes as my first Bluey and absolutely love them. Born if February.

Don Patterson is on the island, Im not sure if he will have any available this season or not but he has an impressive group of northerns.
https://www.facebook.com/Donpreptiles/
Bluetongue Exotics is in Calgary, and I think they have had a couple litters of northerns in the past few years, might be worth checking if they are expecting any this season.
https://www.facebook.com/Blue-Tongue-Ex ... 961561318/

A good place to hit up if you are looking for cage decor would be Aquariums West in down town Vancouver, they are always a good place to try, if not a little expensive. If you are looking for a top quality pvc enclosure Greg West of Cornels World is in Calgary and makes excellent products and ships. He also carries a lot of the really nice quality American products that are difficult to find in Canada, so check out his website.

Best of luck!

I'm really looking for a Northern I think, not because I have a preference for one or the other but Northerns seem to be less skittish personality-wise, and I know that I'd want to handle my BTS as much as possible - without causing them stress. But, of course, this could be because most Meraukes are wild-caught and not captive bred, which could be why research shows higher skittishness in their breed. Have you found this personally?

And yes! I'll message both of them to see what they have. I've already contacted Aquarium's West to see if they have any broken/cracked aquarium's I'd be able to purchase and refurbish for my BTS, just to save a few dollars. They were really friendly, so I'll probably go to them for supplies from now on. Thanks for the advice!

No problem. Another place to check out for aquariums is called King Ed's pet centre and aquariums. It's a maze in there but they have a wearhouse way in the back, through the outside courtyard via their down stairs, full of aquariums of all sizes. You may be able to see what they've got for refurbishing, or if they'd deal on some of the tanks. They're in Burnaby... it's a strange shaped blue building on a funny little corner. Might be worth a look.
http://www.kingedpet.com

As for merauke vs northern, go with what you feel comfortable with, for sure. I believe you are likely correct when you say much of the research out there is based on wild caught animals. But personally I think alot depends on the personality of the skink itself regardless of subspecies. I have three meraukes who are puppy dog tame, and I've not made any efforts taming them, it's mostly just how they are, very easy going and just as lovely as skinks get. Two of the three are imports. The rest of mine range in between freindly and shy, but they have all come to me with very different backgrounds.

I suspect handling as youngsters will have something to do with how skittish they are as adults as well. Northerns will have been handled from day one, where as most meraukes or indo species do not get handled untill they are finally put into circulation after being imported, that's a fair amount of baggage to overcome for a wild animal turned pet. Two of my very tame animals are imports, but both as babies, so they were handled from a very young age. That's all just speculation on my part ofcourse, it's very difficult to say the exact reason.

In the end I can tell you some are shy and others beg to come out whenever I walk into the room and I think that could be said about Northerns too.

Best of luck in your search!