New BTS owner, Introduction and some Questions.

[TraumaLlama]

Hello

I recently bought a BTS and as a First time pet owner and even more so a first time Reptile owner, It's been scary. The First day I was so nervous and scared that everything I did was wrong or something was going to go wrong.

I bought him from a reptile shop, and got everything that was needed for him and then some. At first I don't think he liked me to much and any noise or movement made him a bit jittery.
It has now been 6 days since I got him and the other day I was doing a bit of cleaning and he came to the open side as he usual does, He crawled out (Enclosure is currently on the floor but getting a stand/table soon) And he came out and walked on up to me and started to climb onto my leg and across down the other leg. and then wandered for a bit.
I don't think i've ever been so relieved any other time i've been cleaning he usual gets out and try to go straight for the door or some other small area. Having him come out to climb onto me was pure joy

On to my questions(Which have probably been answered before.. But hearing it first had will ease some of the nerves I still have )

1. I have tirelessly looked over the food chart many times the shop I got him from was feeding him greens in the morning and worms in the afternoon, Everyday except for tuesdays and sundays. I bring this up as the shop owner told me that he is about 2 years old. The first day I got him I fed him and he gobbled it right up (It was some wet dog food( Zignature Kangaroo) and some Kale. The next day he hardly ate at all and they day after he seemed to eat more.
Should I mess with his diet and schedule for feedings or keep it the same? (Currently trying feeding every other day).

1a. How long should I keep the dog food for after opening/refrigerating? A friend told me only 4-5 days.. Which kind of sucks because He seems to really like the Zignature but the cans are so large I waste more than I use. Also is Dog food/Kale a good diet?

2. When it comes to size of water dish is their a recommended size as I read that they like to soak in it, But I don't have the space to accommodate a dish the size of him.

Thanks in advance, and Thanks everyone for your posts in other topics and the care sheet, It's helped me a lot!

[Janella]

Hi there and congratulations on your new skink! They are awesome. For starters can you please provide some more information. What type of skink is this (post pictures and we will make sure to ID it for you). Second, what size enclosure and substrate are you using? Third, what are your temps and humidity? Now for your questions: if the skink is truly 2 years old it only needs to be fed once to twice weekly. Feeding too much can lead to obesity. Canned dog food should be only kept in the fridge for 3-5 days max. What I do to not waste food is make premix food stored in ice cube containers. So I mix a protein source, veggies, and fruit in a food processor. Then place the mix in ice cube trays. Freeze. Once frozen I just pop out one ice cube sized amount per feeding the day before and thaw it in the fridge. Then feed the day you are feeding. These can be frozen for 3-4 months. So no food gets wasted. For the greens you are using kale is fine, but I like to mix up what greens I use. So when I make my mixes I choose two dark leafy greens (collard, dandelion, bok choy, Kale, mustard greens, etc). I also select several veggies such as green beans, squashes, carrot, sweet potato, zucchini, and I mix them in as well. Same with fruit (blueberry, banana, strawberry, raspberry, etc). For protein you can use dog food, canned snails, eggs, ground lean turkey, live insects, etc. For the water dish you need one that they definitely can climb in and soak in if they choose. I hope this helps and welcome to the forum!

[TraumaLlama]

Thanks for the warm welcome.
I Have attached a few pictures of him (I was told he was a northern) as well as a picture of his watering dish.
The tank size is 46"L x 18W x 18"H with Cypress Mulch as substrate
Temps are anywhere from 80-90F and humidity is around 50%.

I was told I probably shouldn't freeze canned dog food. But, Probably take your word over theirs.
Just switched to a new flavor for the dog food, with Kale/Arugula and Blueberries, He really enjoyed the blue berries and at them first.


For an added question.. can it be fairly normal for them to be in their hide most of the day? For the first few days he seemed to always be active basking under the light and wandering around, Not sure if he was just getting acclimated and now that he has settled down he is calmer I'm hoping that is the case, He ate fine yesterday just seems to be less active than before and not really basking (Though it's possible i'm just missing when he is basking/active).

Again Thank you

[Janella]

Hi again, that looks like a Northern or a possibly an IJ/Northern mix. I think Northern though. Would need clear pictures to verify for sure of the face and full body. Side and over the top view. As for the enclosure, that is a little small. The minimum recommended size is 48 by 24 by 24. Ideally anything 4ft-6ft is best. The water dish will work for drinking, but needs to be bigger in case your skink wants to soak. Lastly, it is normal for them to hide like it is.

[TraumaLlama]

Well after a few days of being concerned why he wasn't moving much and hiding all the time.. I woke up to shed everywhere.
So i'm glad it isn't something else, Seems he was just getting ready to shed he is much more active now like when I first got him

Figured I would update you on his hiding, Let me tell you as a new reptile owner it's a bit overwhelming to have him shed within the first week of having him,

I have attached a few more pictures to help hopefully help identify him

[Janella]

Hi again. Shedding can definitely make them moody, not want to eat, and hide more. Glad it shed and is doing better. That is a Northern. Good luck and enjoy your new skink!