Captive Vs Wild

[Majora]

I'm currently in the market for a Blue Tongue Skink, and have been looking high and low for a Captive Bred BTS.
Alas, almost everyone I find is a wild caught.
Would anyone mind explaining the differences in appearance, attitude, handling, lifespan, and all that fun stuff to me?

[Richard.C]

Wild caughts often go through the stress of being collected,then held haphazardly in country they are collected in until suitable numbers are collected to fill orders to ship over seas,often being kept not fully correctly until someone may buy it,this can be months or even over a year

With stress comes parasite buildups and bacterial infections ect,though some go through the process quite well,alot dont,unless put into great care asap

Captive breds generally dont go through all that,plus being captive bred are more used to the cages we keep them in,so generallu hardier,and less prone to stress and obviously no to very little parasite loads,in australia we sometimes get access to legally wild caught stock,same can happen with them but they generally get into good care sooner and most do really well

The indo varieties are less often bred over there and if they are you generally hear about it,some are doing great with them so if u can find a reputable breeder thats your best bet in finding genuine captive bred,some claim to have cb babies,thay generally means captive born,which is to wild caught parents

May june july is peak baby season for captive breds in your neck of the woods,theres lots of great breeders to,quite a few being members here and alot that arent members to

Was there a particular species you were after?

Welcome to the forum

[Majora]

I'm not too sure, I just know I think its best to stay away from Indonesian, since they seem to be the most Wild Caught.

[Katrina]

Welcome Majora!

You're right, lots of Indonesian skinks are wild caught... even ones labelled as captive bred. They can still make good pets, but if you have the time and want to make the 'right' decision it is always better to go with a good breeder. No matter what species you go with, if you contact a breeder and can get pictures of parents and lots of help, support and information then it is a much safer route than trusting a seller who claims it is captive bred but doesn't offer much information.

Unfortunately, this is the wrong time of the year for captive born babies in North America. There are some recommended breeders listed here: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19635

Wild caught skinks can make great pets, just as good as captive born but it is a bit riskier and you may have some health complications as well. Also, if possible I wouldn't support the import market at all. It's much better to support a breeder who actually cares about the animals than an importer who does it for money - when you're supporting importers you're supporting harvesting from the wild, poor conditions for the reptiles and lots of casualties. There is more info on this on the caresheet and if you use the search feature there are lots of old threads that would be worth reading.

Good luck, let us know if you have any other questions!

[Majora]

Thank you both so much c: I'll wait and see if I can find a good breeder