Bite

[NennaMeerkat]

This makes me a little fearful that my new Mr. Blue will want to take a whack at biting me. Out of all the reptiles I have worked with in the past, both bad tempered and good, I have only ever been bit once...and it wasn't by a lizard at all. Young ball python tagged me right on the bridge of the nose. If it hadn't been my face I might not even have realized it happened.

It seems these guys can bruise though >.< That is one heck of amount of bite pressure! You can't lose fingertips from these guys can you? I also hope they don't latch on like some lizards do and "chew" while they bite. I hear that is supposed to be the worst part!

[Shortie]

This makes me a little fearful that my new Mr. Blue will want to take a whack at biting me. Out of all the reptiles I have worked with in the past, both bad tempered and good, I have only ever been bit once...and it wasn't by a lizard at all. Young ball python tagged me right on the bridge of the nose. If it hadn't been my face I might not even have realized it happened.

It seems these guys can bruise though >.< That is one heck of amount of bite pressure! You can't lose fingertips from these guys can you? I also hope they don't latch on like some lizards do and "chew" while they bite. I hear that is supposed to be the worst part!

OUCH! That must've been a sore one!

Ok my boyfriend didn't quite loose his fingertip, Slinky latched onto his finger and he made the mistake of pulling him off resulting in blood loss. He's bitten the back of my arm twice in the space of 2 mins and he likes to hold on. He's not chewed me, it's more of a snap and hold! He did however draw blood when he bit my shoulder but it's cause it's not fleshy but it doesn't hurt that bad. I'd rather have him biting me there and chewing rather than take one to the face by a ball python! I hear they have teeth like little hooks! Ouch!

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

Never been bit...Dont plan on being bit anytime soon...

[NennaMeerkat]

OUCH! That must've been a sore one!

Ok my boyfriend didn't quite loose his fingertip, Slinky latched onto his finger and he made the mistake of pulling him off resulting in blood loss. He's bitten the back of my arm twice in the space of 2 mins and he likes to hold on. He's not chewed me, it's more of a snap and hold! He did however draw blood when he bit my shoulder but it's cause it's not fleshy but it doesn't hurt that bad. I'd rather have him biting me there and chewing rather than take one to the face by a ball python! I hear they have teeth like little hooks! Ouch!

I tell ya I didn't feel a thing with the little bugger tagged me. But I will say this every day after that point when I went to move him to the tank he had for the day (worked for a local zoo at this time) he would try to do it again. Got to the point where someone else would have to move him and sure enough...he was as nice as a kitten and wouldn't do anything. Soon as he smelled my scent though he would get reactive. Man that snake hated me LOL

I guess I should just face the fact that it is likely Mr. Blue might try to take a chunk huh? He is a wild thing to be sure. Doesn't want anything to do with me. He will be fine as long as he is in his tank and I am on the outside. Moment the lid opens and I put my hand in its all hisses and huffs with clumsy lunges. Hoping, like you are with yours, that he will just calm down with time.

[Shortie]

Never been bit...Dont plan on being bit anytime soon...

They usually give a warning before they bite anyways weather it's a hiss or in Slinky's case, licking you in the same spot for 5 mins then eating me.. Evil bugger that he is! Well my man has learned his lesson, never to stick his hand in Slink's house and head towards his face especially when he's not hand tame and is a bit on the territorial side...

OUCH! That must've been a sore one!

Ok my boyfriend didn't quite loose his fingertip, Slinky latched onto his finger and he made the mistake of pulling him off resulting in blood loss. He's bitten the back of my arm twice in the space of 2 mins and he likes to hold on. He's not chewed me, it's more of a snap and hold! He did however draw blood when he bit my shoulder but it's cause it's not fleshy but it doesn't hurt that bad. I'd rather have him biting me there and chewing rather than take one to the face by a ball python! I hear they have teeth like little hooks! Ouch!

I tell ya I didn't feel a thing with the little bugger tagged me. But I will say this every day after that point when I went to move him to the tank he had for the day (worked for a local zoo at this time) he would try to do it again. Got to the point where someone else would have to move him and sure enough...he was as nice as a kitten and wouldn't do anything. Soon as he smelled my scent though he would get reactive. Man that snake hated me LOL

I guess I should just face the fact that it is likely Mr. Blue might try to take a chunk huh? He is a wild thing to be sure. Doesn't want anything to do with me. He will be fine as long as he is in his tank and I am on the outside. Moment the lid opens and I put my hand in its all hisses and huffs with clumsy lunges. Hoping, like you are with yours, that he will just calm down with time.

That's one moody snake. There's always one or two animals that would hate you no matter how nice you are towards it. I used to work at a stables and there would be a pony that hated everyone apart from me. But there was this huge horse that would always try to bite me and kick me and he was fine with everyone else!

To be honest with you, even if he is wild, daily handling will calm him down and eventually he'll get used to it. When I first got Slinky I had to get thick garden gloves and wear a couple of long sleeve tops before I could pick him up! Everytime I opened the door to his viv he tried to have me for dinner lol! I think with Mr Blue you should do the same as what I done and get some thick gloves and pad your arms! Once he stops hissing take a glove off and let him lick your hand and make sure it's not your good hand! Then what I did was after Slinky licked my hand a wee bit I'd stroke his chin then repeat then stroke his head. Sometimes hand feeding helps but please use tongs! After a while Mr Blue will get used to you. Maybe he's territorial like Slinky and will strike but once he's out he'll calm down

[NennaMeerkat]

To be honest with you, even if he is wild, daily handling will calm him down and eventually he'll get used to it. When I first got Slinky I had to get thick garden gloves and wear a couple of long sleeve tops before I could pick him up! Everytime I opened the door to his viv he tried to have me for dinner lol! I think with Mr Blue you should do the same as what I done and get some thick gloves and pad your arms! Once he stops hissing take a glove off and let him lick your hand and make sure it's not your good hand! Then what I did was after Slinky licked my hand a wee bit I'd stroke his chin then repeat then stroke his head. Sometimes hand feeding helps but please use tongs! After a while Mr Blue will get used to you. Maybe he's territorial like Slinky and will strike but once he's out he'll calm down

I just don't wanna stress him out ya know? I have taken him out a couple of times and had him out for like 15 to 20 min and the entire time he is stiff as a board and hissing. He doesn't wanna investigate anything or anyone. All he does is keep his eyes on me or whatever part of me he can get a bead on. I wouldn't be so worried if he was eating. I know if animals aren't feeling safe they won't eat...and that just bothers me that he doesn't feel safe even in his tank.

:shock: That's one moody snake. There's always one or two animals that would hate you no matter how nice you are towards it. I used to work at a stables and there would be a pony that hated everyone apart from me. But there was this huge horse that would always try to bite me and kick me and he was fine with everyone else!

Horses are just ugh. I have never met one that has liked me. In fact most hoofstock seem to have it out for me. No matter the size of the beast they just seem to want to do something to me in a not so nice fashion. One time got bitten pretty bad by a pot belly pig. They have tusks that can hurt you pretty bad and my knee had some large gouges in it. And this was at the same small zoo that the snake tagged me too! Oh and come to think of it there were a couple of parrots there that enjoyed harassing me too. Think I would be used to animals wanting to attack me by now LOL

[Shortie]

How long have you had him for? Slinky was stiff as a board when I took him out, I've had him for just over a month now and he still stiffens up a little before relaxing. He's not eating? What do you usually feed him? Slinky won't eat unless I hide his veg with cat food and he won't eat beef and only eats once a week. Is Mr Blue hiding all the time? What is is set up like? Does he have tons of hiding spaces?

I like pigs but I've only been close too one for 5 mins before he sprayed me with muck and stole bread out my hands lol! Must be something in the water at that zoo! I couldn't handle a bird. It's not like they're scary but their beaks are sharp and I have short arms so if a wing hit me in the head it'd knock me out cold lol!!! Oh and their claws... Don't get me started on them lol!

[NennaMeerkat]

How long have you had him for? Slinky was stiff as a board when I took him out, I've had him for just over a month now and he still stiffens up a little before relaxing. He's not eating? What do you usually feed him? Slinky won't eat unless I hide his veg with cat food and he won't eat beef and only eats once a week. Is Mr Blue hiding all the time? What is is set up like? Does he have tons of hiding spaces?

He is in a HUGE tank, I can't even carry the thing. It is a cube basically and has a ton of space for him to move around in. He is usually hiding in one of the three spaces. There is a log type thing, there is a flat piece of cork wood, and a piece of driftwood. He enjoys burying himself almost completely under one of those three places. I have only seen him out a couple of times on his basking spot where his lamp is.

I have only had him a few days but the person that had him before said that he ate like every other day. She rescued him from a home that was feeding him live goldfish. But she had him eating a ton of fruit and sweet potatoes. I tried to feed him on Friday but he showed no interest (except to bury himself under the food bowl). As for what I feed him its a mix of sweet potato, collar/mustard greens, brussle sprouts, yellow squash, and a few cut up grapes on top.

I like pigs but I've only been close too one for 5 mins before he sprayed me with muck and stole bread out my hands lol! Must be something in the water at that zoo! I couldn't handle a bird. It's not like they're scary but their beaks are sharp and I have short arms so if a wing hit me in the head it'd knock me out cold lol!!! Oh and their claws... Don't get me started on them lol!

There was one animal at that zoo that loved me and it was an old savannah monitor. He loved to sit in my lap and get pet. He would nudge my hand if I stopped. That lizard...I loved him so much. Though he was a real monster when it came time to meals. Then he would turn all vicious. Was quite the site to be sure.

[Shortie]

This might annoy you a little so I apologize in advance cause it's gonna be messy! It's best to take ALL of the substrate out if he doesn't start coming out. Slinky's previous owners and the people at the pet shop who had him since he was born kept him on sand so he's learned to hide from everything and everyone! I realized this when he I took him home and filled up his new home with 3 and a half inches of substrate and barely ever saw him for two weeks straight! I had to dig him out to make sure he was alive! So what I done was took literally everything he could hide under / burrow under out his viv, boy it was messy, and left him with the viv plant, food bowl and his pool. There was aspen EVERYWHERE!! Hence why I apologize in advance if you choose to follow this advice What made it worse was the fact it all got stuck in the carpet! The point is if he has nothing to hide under he'll see what's going on around him and he'll see you and what you're up to then gradually get used to you. At night I'd give him a sweater that you've worn to hide in for bedtime so he'll get used to your scent and associate it with safety. Let him settle for a few days then start the handling process and if it goes well and he starts getting into a eating routine, gradually add in his hides one at a time or even if you have an old shirt that you've worn, stick that in there and leave it in there all day and then add in some substrate a little bit at a time. If he hides all day long in his hide, remove it again then put it back until he starts coming out. This is still a working progress with Slinky but it seems to be working! Hopefully it'll work with Mr Blue, it will be stressful for him but it takes a lot of patience especially if he's in a new home.

The monitor seems like a big softy! I would love to have one! if it was warm enough here in Scotland I'd take him out walks! I know people who own Savannah monitors and there's pictures of them giving their owners cuddles!! So cute!

[Lea]

Sorry you got bitten, but consider it an honour. A lot of people will never even have the chance of holding one of these beautiful animals- being bitten is something only the truly fortunate ones get to experience! Well done for keeping hold of him. As Brad said, making sure you ALWAYS have a good hold of your skink, is the best way to prevent the reflex arm fling that can happen with a bite. It's a good reality check when something like this happens with a pet skink- no matter how tame we think they are, it's good to remember they do have that wild streak inside, even if it's well hidden most of the time.

[NennaMeerkat]

:? This might annoy you a little so I apologize in advance cause it's gonna be messy! It's best to take ALL of the substrate out if he doesn't start coming out. Slinky's previous owners and the people at the pet shop who had him since he was born kept him on sand so he's learned to hide from everything and everyone! I realized this when he I took him home and filled up his new home with 3 and a half inches of substrate and barely ever saw him for two weeks straight! I had to dig him out to make sure he was alive! So what I done was took literally everything he could hide under / burrow under out his viv, boy it was messy, and left him with the viv plant, food bowl and his pool. There was aspen EVERYWHERE!! Hence why I apologize in advance if you choose to follow this advice What made it worse was the fact it all got stuck in the carpet! The point is if he has nothing to hide under he'll see what's going on around him and he'll see you and what you're up to then gradually get used to you. At night I'd give him a sweater that you've worn to hide in for bedtime so he'll get used to your scent and associate it with safety. Let him settle for a few days then start the handling process and if it goes well and he starts getting into a eating routine, gradually add in his hides one at a time or even if you have an old shirt that you've worn, stick that in there and leave it in there all day and then add in some substrate a little bit at a time. If he hides all day long in his hide, remove it again then put it back until he starts coming out. This is still a working progress with Slinky but it seems to be working! Hopefully it'll work with Mr Blue, it will be stressful for him but it takes a lot of patience especially if he's in a new home.

The monitor seems like a big softy! I would love to have one! if it was warm enough here in Scotland I'd take him out walks! I know people who own Savannah monitors and there's pictures of them giving their owners cuddles!! So cute!

Long post is long! LOL

I actually took some time about 2 hours ago when it was time to turn off his light. He was out and about and only partially buried. Of course as soon as I came up to his tank he ran under his main hide. So I took it out and put my hand near him. He didn't really move but didn't seem overly freaked out. It seems the only time he has a problem is when he perceives something touching him that he doesn't want. So I put some fingers on him while he huffed and puffed (maybe I should call him The Big Bad Bluey) and tried to move away from my fingers. Just kept those fingers on him and all he did was continually huff and puff while trying to move away.

Decided to take him out and he does this thing with all four feet where he holds them straight out from his sides, kinda like what a sky diver does, and refused to have his feet touching me in any way. He is cool with holding unto my shirt but my skin is a no go. Anyways took him to my messy kitchen table since it is more at eye level with me and he can't hide under anything. Let him walk around for a little bit (his tongue was out "tasting" everything too) and understand he was up high and that there wasn't a place to hide. After a while he settled down from just trying to find a place to hide to actually look around. I have a cat and dog and they were both uber interested in what was going on. Funny enough Mr Blue seemed uber interested in my cat too. But not gonna let them meet any time soon.

He found my son's plate from lunch (it is bright yellow and plastic) and he seemed obsessed with finding crumbs. My son had a sandwich so there were bread crumbs. I got a little bit of cat food (dried but high quality since my cat's stomach is weak) and placed a single piece on the plate. He noticed me doing this and "lapped" up the food giving it a crunch before quickly looking for another piece. I ended up giving him like 6 pieces which he quickly took as soon as I put it on the plate. After he had enough he continued to look around.

Overall he seems to get initially stressed when being exposed to me but afterward he seems to loosen up more or less. Though he is still all huffy and puffy anytime I go to pick him up from being put down.

[El Lobo]

So what I done was took literally everything he could hide under / burrow under out his viv, boy it was messy, and left him with the viv plant, food bowl and his pool. There was aspen EVERYWHERE!! Hence why I apologize in advance if you choose to follow this advice What made it worse was the fact it all got stuck in the carpet! The point is if he has nothing to hide under he'll see what's going on around him and he'll see you and what you're up to then gradually get used to you. At night I'd give him a sweater that you've worn to hide in for bedtime so he'll get used to your scent and associate it with safety. Let him settle for a few days then start the handling process and if it goes well and he starts getting into a eating routine, gradually add in his hides one at a time or even if you have an old shirt that you've worn, stick that in there and leave it in there all day and then add in some substrate a little bit at a time. If he hides all day long in his hide, remove it again then put it back until he starts coming out. This is still a working progress with Slinky but it seems to be working! Hopefully it'll work with Mr Blue, it will be stressful for him but it takes a lot of patience especially if he's in a new home.

I have to disagree with the above as a means of having a BTS adapt to a new style of life. BTS are not naturally social animals and are prey in many of their native environments, so it is natural for them to want to hide to limit their exposure. This behaviour will alter over time as they become more comfortable in their new home. By removing substrate and hides their stress and blood cortisol levels will be elevated which generally results in lack of eating, potentially promoting further health issues. These are long lived animals which benefit from their carers having patience and not forcing them to behave in an unnatural ways.

[NennaMeerkat]

I have to disagree with the above as a means of having a BTS adapt to a new style of life. BTS are not naturally social animals and are prey in many of their native environments, so it is natural for them to want to hide to limit their exposure. This behaviour will alter over time as they become more comfortable in their new home. By removing substrate and hides their stress and blood cortisol levels will be elevated which generally results in lack of eating, potentially promoting further health issues. These are long lived animals which benefit from their carers having patience and not forcing them to behave in an unnatural ways.

No worries Lobo, I put back his hide when I was done and I certainly didn't take out his substrate. I don't mind if he hides all the time, my beardie often does the same thing and he LOVES being out and about. He is an attention hog. I know its only a matter of time before Mr Blue comes around. I wouldn't want to stress him out by not having hides and such.

[Susann]

Sorry you got bitten, but consider it an honour. A lot of people will never even have the chance of holding one of these beautiful animals- being bitten is something only the truly fortunate ones get to experience!

Thank you Lea, I actually was a little bit proud when it happened! In a weird sort of way Especially since it happened, NOT when I was holding him while he's trying everything in his power to get out of my hold, but sort of on his terms. HE chose to crawl on me; he voluntarily wanted to get out enough that crawling on me was the lesser of two evils. I was just so tickled by it that I wasn't using my head! Not until he was crawling behind my neck, and I started to reach for him, did I remember that he's a "wild" skink, and that I can't handle him like I'm used to with my others ...and that's when I realized there's no way for me to get him safely down from my shoulder without a 98% chance of getting bit!
So I really don't blame him at all! It was 100% me making a boneheaded mistake

But it was OK, sort of proud to be in the "BIT-club" now! ...yeah, I'm lame
And, like I said, it totally was just a "HEY!"-nip. Not really a scared, or a "I've had enough and I'm going to kill you now!"

It's a good reality check when something like this happens with a pet skink- no matter how tame we think they are, it's good to remember they do have that wild streak inside, even if it's well hidden most of the time.

That's what I decided after the snake got me too. I think, especially after getting these 3 "wild" skinks, that I've been getting a little bit careless with the animals that are used to handling--like I think I am experienced and know what I'm doing with them since I don't HAVE TO be on my guard at all times holding them. I decided that I DO need to treat them all as if they were reptiles , no matter how easy or difficult they are to hold. I take them to schools and I’m always preaching that you never know what’s going to make a reptile insecure; they don’t exactly treat an unknown sensation with a mammal type of analytical thinking; they get scared, they choose between fight and flight. I’ve now got the experience, with the cuts and bruises, to prove it!

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

And soon you will be bitten by a bunch of baby skinks

[Susann]

And soon you will be bitten by a bunch of baby skinks

That IS the dream

[Shortie]

I have to disagree with the above as a means of having a BTS adapt to a new style of life. BTS are not naturally social animals and are prey in many of their native environments, so it is natural for them to want to hide to limit their exposure. This behaviour will alter over time as they become more comfortable in their new home. By removing substrate and hides their stress and blood cortisol levels will be elevated which generally results in lack of eating, potentially promoting further health issues. These are long lived animals which benefit from their carers having patience and not forcing them to behave in an unnatural ways.

I only did it because he's not only hid from me for such a long time, he's hid from his previous owners for pretty much 8 months before they handed him to me. He was more stressed hiding all the time cause he was scared of everything that made a noise or moved. He wouldn't even come out and bask. He's learned that he can hide all day long. So since he's still under a year old I thought I'd 'expose' him to the 'lovely' sight of my bedroom and then get him used to things that way. He's not missed a meal yet since he got into the feeding routine and the hand feeding also helps him get used to something else being in his house. I've only had him for over a month and since I took his substrate and hides out he's made enough progress to be handled by me and I even took him to the vet! One healthy scaley guy! And he didn't even bite. I obviously gave him his hides back and added in some substrate and he does have a dig and everything so he's still got his natural instinct but at the same time he won't mind interaction with human beings. So from what I see I have actually done the wee man a favor. He is a lot less hissy and more laid back now and the vet tells me he is a healthy boy. I see a change in him. A very positive one as well and he is a lot happier than when I first got him and he's happy with the home he's got. He knows that if he wants to hide he'll shove the substrate to one side and burrow in that but at least he'll come out instead of staying there all day long. And overtime he'll get more substrate to burrow in when he calms down some more.

[Katrina]

Shortie - BTS need to hide to feel secure. Stress is not a good thing in reptiles, and them not being able to burrow and hide from potential predators is very, very stressful. They might get used to being out in the open if they have no other choice, but I think providing lots of hides and substrate and slowly earning their trust is a much healthier way for them to be tamed rather than taking everything away and only giving them hides based on 'good behavior'. It reminds me of the problems seen in zoos due to lack of space, hides etc.

You are making a lot of assumptions by deciding that your bluey was more stressed and scared by hiding all the time and now he is happy.

I know it can be a long time to wait to earn their trust and it isn't much fun if your first BTS is just hiding all the time and not very sociable. But I would really recommend putting the animal's needs first even if it takes a lot longer to tame them.

[Shortie]

He did get cardboard tubes from toilet rolls and papertowels to hide in when I took it all away plus he had his plants to hide behind as well. He wasn't completely hidden and to be honest he was quite stressed but not to the point where it was a high level of stress. He was looking out the window everytime I'm in the room to see what I was up to and occasionally scratched on the glass cause he wanted out. It's been a month and a bit since he's been in my care and after took his things out, I gave them back within the space of a week and a half. He's got his substrate and by what I can see from other people's set ups, they don't really have deep substrate for their bts. He prefers his tubes and his log hide. I actually put a lot of substre in his log hide and he pushed it all out! The end of the hide is up against the back of the viv and I filled it with subtrate and put him back and he went and shoved it out with his nose and went back in and curled up then fell asleep since it was nearly his bedtime. Plus asll bts are different as are their owners. I'm only following the care sheet that says 'One more tip: do you have a baby who just doesn't seem to calm down? People often give a baby many hiding places and deep substrate to burrow in. This can be good and bad when trying to interact with a baby skink. The problem is if he's a little hissy, he might learn that he can just hide in there all day and never come out If he's "forced" to be out a little bit, I think this helps acclimate them better and faster, because in the long run, if they're scared all the time, that causes more stress than the initial stress of not having immediate substrate to burrow in.' I thought this related to Slinky a lot since he's still quite young and has been given deep substrate to hide in since birth and lots of hiding places. It wasn't as if I left him with nothing. I feel like it's opened him up more now. I live with my parents, I have two older sisters who have kids. They will sitck their hands in his viv when I'm out, if they do, he will hide and they'll chase him and he'll bite. I'm also doing this for their safety too. Every animal I see especially with reptiles are all different, like us humans. Slinky is given 110% when it comes to care because of the lack of handling and care he's had in the past. I see the need for me to do this with him and if he really wasn't taking it as well, I would've just let him hide for the next few months just like his previous owners did for 8 months. They never saw him since they took him home. He's shedding right now so he's been a grump since yesterday but he's still eating like a pig and is happy to come out and explore my bed and climb all over and occasionally stick his tounge up my nose. Anyone ele's bts like to do that?