Outdoor/ update

[UroFreak13]

Hello all so just a little update. Since its been warm out I've made her an "outdoor tank" just an old 20 gallon I had lying around, so she can get some natural sun. As for handling its incredible, I get her on March 22 and I can take her out now( with a little huffing) no problem. Once she's out she will walk around and explore but after a while she will sit and relax. A
Though she hates going back into her tank.Also Brad so kindly did 2 fecal checks and they both came back clean, thanks once again reptile king. So to sum it up wild caught's still make great pets, it just takes a little longer for them to get used to the routine.

[Dakota]

Very nice!

[UroFreak13]

Thanks man she seems to love outside

[Dakota]

After I get one more Merauke, my friend is going to sell me a Halmahera "Black and White" phase Indo! So stoked.
Do you think you will ever get another?

[UroFreak13]

Maybe a northern

[Dakota]

Northerns are awesome.. but I would pick any Gigas over them..

[UroFreak13]

Just to be clear Gigi's is indo/ merauke

[UroFreak13]

*gigas

[Dakota]

Just to be clear Gigi's is indo/ merauke

Yes, the Kei Island, Irian Jaya, Merauke, and Indonesian are all Gigas.

[Richard.C]

ij are gigas?

i thought they werent placed anywhere scientificly yet,just placed closest to gigas than the scincoide clan but still referred as tiliqua sp

urofreak,one thing to watch out for is greenhouse affect of glass tank in the sun on a warm day,can overheat easily,your new ones looking great

[Dakota]

Well, true.. but everyone commonly accepts them to be a species of Gigas..

[Richard.C]

i wouldnt say everyone commonly accepts that they are a gigas,thats the prob with them,some look gigas influenced,others look very scincoides influenced hence they are yet to be placed anywhere,they have been said to be closest to meurakes,but thats because they are both found together in the meurake area

there commonly called tiliqua sp as they havnt been put anywhere,if they were put with gigas they would be commonly called tiliqua gigas sp but they arent as scientifically they havnt been placed anywhere yet

there only commonly accepted name is ij bluetongue tiliqua sp

alot more work needs to be done there

[Dakota]

alot more work needs to be done there

Definitely.

[Laurenk]

So maybe my WC will turn out alright. All the posts in Pity For Wild Caught about how wild caught is cruel made me feel like a bad person.

[Dakota]

So maybe my WC will turn out alright. All the posts in Pity For Wild Caught about how wild caught is cruel made me feel like a bad person.

Sorry for the continue of this OT statement everyone, but.. there is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping WC skinks, the only reason people try to stray away is potential expensive medical bills (Fecal check/treatment, unexpected sickness, ect.), and they are more defensive. In no way, shape, form OR fashion, should it make you feel like a bad person, at least he went a good owner.

[Jeff]

Sorry for the continue of this OT statement everyone, but.. there is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping WC skinks, the only reason people try to stray away is potential expensive medical bills (Fecal check/treatment, unexpected sickness, ect.), and they are more defensive. In no way, shape, form OR fashion, should it make you feel like a bad person, at least he went a good owner.

I didn't intend to reply on this topic, but I couldn't let this statement go. Dakota, everything in this statement is 100% your opinion and should not be stated as fact. Claiming you know that the only reason people "stray away" from WC is medical, is just flat out wrong.

I have never thought someone is a bad person for owning a WC animal, and I have owned them myself, but unless you don't care at all about how irresponsible collection affects wild populations, or about the horrific conditions that most WC BTS go through in order to be offered for sale in the U.S., it is foolish to say there is nothing wrong with supporting the practice.

Also, it is absolutely NOT accepted that IJ's are gigas. The two most common lines of thought are; 1) There is no such thing as an IJ, they are just one form of T.g.evanescens, and 2) They are definitely a separate "type" of BTS that can not yet be placed in either gigas OR scincoides.

It is very important to not get "cocky" when making statements on the forum. That will almost always result in making errors.

[Laurenk]

unless you don't care at all about how irresponsible collection affects wild populations, or about the horrific conditions that most WC BTS go through in order to be offered for sale in the U.S., it is foolish to say there is nothing wrong with supporting the practice.

I DON'T support it in any way, hence the reason I feel so bad, and I just couldn't control the fact that they took her out of the wild. I mean, what am I supposed to do, give her back? No way in my life, I love her and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she's happy and healthy.

PS- Sorry if that came across as angry, I just get very passionate about some things.

[Spindown]

OP, you have a gorgeous girl <3 Thanks for the great pics!

I have never thought someone is a bad person for owning a WC animal, and I have owned them myself, but unless you don't care at all about how irresponsible collection affects wild populations, or about the horrific conditions that most WC BTS go through in order to be offered for sale in the U.S., it is foolish to say there is nothing wrong with supporting the practice.

Pretty much exactly my sentiments. I dont think anyone is bad for owning WC per se, but I have avoided them like the plague myself now that I know better. Between the medical issues, the inhumane treatment that they suffer (many die, only the strongest or luckiest of the bunch live to be sold in many cases), and the impact on wild populations horrify me. I flat out do not own certain species PURELY because they are not available (at all or at the time) as a captive bred animal. However, this is my opinion and mode of operation...others feel and act differently in this matter.

This kind of grandiose posting from you Dakota is why I mentioned that you need to be accurate with your website. If you are going around making the statements you do here, which are many times wrong, or at least just opinion, you can cause a lot of harm. Misinformation is preventable in almost every case, ESPECIALLY IN YOUR CASE!!!!

I do not accept Irian Jayas as Gigas. So again, incorrect generalizations, Dakota. Guess not everyone agrees with YOU. PLEASE stop saying things that are a) not true, b) not opinion, and c) plain misinformation disguised with phrasing that makes you seem like you have more experience than you do. I may not be a mod, but this is getting really old, really fast.

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Lauren, did you know she was WC when you got her? My first skink was a WC, and so (most likely) was my merauke. I didnt know enough then to know the sellers were lying about them both. However, life is about making mistakes and learning from them. If you are smart, you learn and move on. If you dislike the WC process, just make sure none of your future pets are WC. Get animals ONLY from reputable breeders. Dont beat yourself up about something in the past. She is living with you now, and sounds like she is getting good care and love. I believe that while you can't change the past, you can control aspects of the future.

[Laurenk]

unless you don't care at all about how irresponsible collection affects wild populations, or about the horrific conditions that most WC BTS go through in order to be offered for sale in the U.S., it is foolish to say there is nothing wrong with supporting the practice.

I DON'T support it in any way, hence the reason I feel so bad, and I just couldn't control the fact that they took her out of the wild. I mean, what am I supposed to do, give her back? No way in my life, I love her and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she's happy and healthy.

PS- Sorry if that came across as angry, I just get very passionate about some things.

[Jeff]

Lauren, nothing I wrote about WC was directed at you or anyone else that keeps WC skinks. Like I said, I have kept them myself. I just have a problem when I see it stated as fact that, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping WC skinks".

I don't blame anyone who buys a WC BTS for the problem. 99% of those who do have no idea about what is going on. It is the responsibility of those of us who claim to love this genus to fix the problem. All we need to do is figure out how to produce enough CBB skinks to satisfy the demand. In the mean time, I just don't want the problem to be swept under the rug.