MY NEW BABY BLUE {AND MAYBE A LITTLE HELP TOO PLEASE}

[Blue Rose]

Just got a new bluetongue skink that I have named Shiva. Shiva is about three months old and it is Shiva's first week here. Want to get a DNA blood test to determine gender. Can they handle a blood test at three months old?? And if not then how long should we wait?????

[Linnea]

congratulations on your bluey

I dont think they can do gender test on blueys with blood, age wont matter. with humans we just have the x and y chromosome to determine gender, but its more complicated with reptiles.

is it that important to know gender, when its not even of breeding age?
guessing that its a boy or girl or give it a neutral name till you find out, is how the vast majority solve this issue xD the skink wont mind.


post photos in a few months the members can start help you guessing the gender. in a year or two if its a boy, you may see sperm plugs or hemiphenes~
i think, its better if you know the subspecies/species of skink rather than the gender, the people here can help you with that right away if you have any questions.

[Fatal_S]

Linnea is correct, you cannot do a blood test on a BTS. They do not have the simple X/Y chromosomes that we have.

Give it a gender-neutral name (or pick a gender at random) and keep an eye out for hemipenes or sperm plugs (signs that it's a boy, but some boys never show it). When it's grown up, post a birds-eye pictures to get best-guesses from knowledgeable members here.

Congrats on the new BTS and welcome to the forum.

[Blue Rose]

Hi guys!!

The breeder that I got Shiva from is calling Shiva "she" and "her". So that's what I have been doing. My other reason for trying to make a gender deternination. At some point I might have Shiva registered as a therapeutic animal. And one of the things that they ask about on the form for that is "please state gender of animal". Oh. And in case you guys are wondering "why a bluetongue skink as a therapeutic animal?". It's for treating the effects of cerebral palsy.

[Coomassie]

Hi guys!!

The breeder that I got Shiva from is calling Shiva "she" and "her". So that's what I have been doing. My other reason for trying to make a gender deternination. At some point I might have Shiva registered as a therapeutic animal. And one of the things that they ask about on the form for that is "please state gender of animal". Oh. And in case you guys are wondering "why a bluetongue skink as a therapeutic animal?". It's for treating the effects of cerebral palsy.

That is really cool! I've never heard of using a reptile as a therapeutic animal. How exactly is the animal used? Do the individuals with cerebral palsy just handle the animal or is it more complicated than that? Also, how did you get into such a service?

[tylociraptor]

I actually looked into reptiles as therapy animals, but in my experience they are a little speciest. Here in Canada we cannot register reptiles (or 'exotics', but really, that's what reptiles ARE...) as therapy animals. A big dissapointment for me as I am looking into getting a therapy animal to help me cope with my severe anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks and depression. I wanted to use one of my calmer reptiles such as my ball python, but no. :/ Do let us know how that works out.

[Jeff]

As far as that application, you can write either gender you prefer. No one will ever know if you are correct or not, and I seriously doubt anyone would ever question what you write.

[Blue Rose]

Shiva is going to become a physical therapy assistance animal to help with treating the effects of cerebral palsy on my muscles. As well as an occupational therapy assistance animal because {as you know blues are diurnal} I have to get up at a certain time every morning and feed her every two to three days. [color=#40BFBF]

[Susann]

Will you be taking Shiva around to others as a "therapeutic animal", or you are just registering her for your own treatment?
I know Shiva is new, but how is it going with her so far? Are you able to handle her OK?

[Lea]

Oh, I would list them in an instant as a therapeutic animal! I work as a nurse and often take a shingleback or two up to my ward or to the hospice, to show the patients. It's amazing how many smiles they can provoke, even if the most depressed individual. I'll never forget one man, about 90 years old, blind, with dementia and almost completely deaf. After much shouting to explain what I'd had with me and asking if he would like to have a hold, this quiet little old man, who's days went by in a lonely blur of muffled sound and no sight, was positively beaming, exclaiming loudly to everyone in earshot how he had never even touched a shingleback, let alone held one and how delighted he got to do so before he died! He sat, stroking carefully, the wrong way over lizzie's scales (lizzie was a very accepting and forgiving girl!) calling out to anyone who passed him, to come and meet the lizard on his lap!

Of all my years in nursing, this will probably always stand out to be one of the best, most rewarding moments in time. I'm not sure everyone will see skinks in the same light, but for him, he said holding her had made that day one of the best in his whole life. It would be wonderful to get them listed as a therapeutic animal, it would be an honour!

I don't want to assume, but since your typing is quite large, I wondered if you had difficulty reading the smaller fonts we are all writing in or is it purely for your ease of typing? It would be difficult for us all to put all our replies in large font, but please don't hesitate to ask someone to enlarge a post, if you need to. I hope I haven't offended you by writing this, but it would be sad if you felt excluded because of something as simple as the size of our typing!

[Susann]

Lea, I had tears rolling down my face reading that. I know, and everyone with a calm reptile knows, how extremely beneficial reptiles could be as therapeutic animals. But the extremely few organisations available here in Utah who deal with therapeutic animals, all exclude reptiles. I've looked into it extensively, and as soon as they hear that my animal is a reptile, it's an automatic and immediate stop. That is why I am so interested in hearing from Blue Rose if little Shiva will be visiting others in her capacity as a therapeutic animal. I would be extremely happy to hear there are other organisations around the country who allow reptiles.

[LarissaLurid]

Oh, I would list them in an instant as a therapeutic animal! I work as a nurse ......

Aw, what a wonderful story!!!

[Abrimel]

That's amazing! I was diagnosed with late stage Lyme Disease this past year and was forced to switch my majorfrom RN to Vet Tech due to joint and tendon issues impairing my walking abilities to a level that Nursing just wouldn't work out for me. My ball pythons, Lovely, Big Mack, Shezza, and Irwin (after Steve Irwin my hero as a kid) are all very therapeutic. When I'm feeling really ill from the meds and generally achey their undulating seems to calm some of the joint pain and I've noticed I'm a lot more at ease when petting or playing with them. My beardy Xavier also brightens my day greatly. I'm hoping my bluey will be the same. This is an amazing idea and I'm surprised reptiles aren't used more as therapy, although the salmonella thing might be part of it?

[AnnaMonroe]

LeaBilby... I am so touched by your story!! I imagined everything you wrote and I almost teared! Lol thank you for showing him your lizard, sounds like you definitely made his last moments.