Is there a good growth chart out there for BTS?

[Richard.C]

the biggest one reliably measured is your maximum size,until a bigger one is found,here say and guestimates dont come into it,as sizes are generally way over estimated when just looking at a specimen

not sure on locale of the northern,but nt and qld ones are generally the larger on average,but in saying that kimberleys habnt been in captivity very long so who knows

[Susann]

Bro, what is the maximum length for a Halmahera? :O or the average. Is 23 inches the largest or just the average?

I'm sorry Richard, this is the trouble with asking multiple questions one at a time in a thread ...started by someone else in this case ...on a different topic. But the question above is the one I was asking if Dakota had an answer to. Ghetan has been asking this question in about every thread, recent and ancient.

[gehtan]

Sorry im new, im no good for forums. hahaha

[Susann]

....I was just hoping someone could answer the question for you

[Dakota]

My answer would be about the size of a Merauke, maybe a tad smaller. I personally think that they are way longer the the mainland Indo, but of course.. I have no verification on my own part. Just judging from pictures and measurements I have seen.

There is just not a lot of people that keep Halm's, so giving a definitely answer would be impossible. I plan to add at least 3-4 more once I get my cages built.

[El Lobo]

The recurring theme here seems to be an attempt to power grow a young animal to produce the largest of the sub-species. This should be discouraged as it will invariably be deleterious to the well-being of the skink, almost certainly leading to a significantly shortened life span. External dimension may increase rapidly but major organs etc. will still develop according to genetic predisposition.

An important note regarding measurements. Most of the speculation is being made by young males, a group notorious for their inability to estimate linear measurements, so a generous allowance needs to be made for margin of error.

[Susann]

Most of the speculation is being made by young males, a group notorious for their inability to estimate linear measurements, so a generous allowance needs to be made for margin of error.

Oh my, Norm. You just made. My. Day.

[Dakota]

I'm not sure if I'm taking this the way you proposed.. but who is "power-growing" them..?

On another note..

I'm not sure if I took the last statement right, either.. but I found it oddly perverted.. and quite funny.

[Susann]

I'm not sure if I'm taking this the way you proposed.. but who is "power-growing" them..?

I don't want to speak for anyone else, but I think it's statements like this:

What to feed your blueys in order for them to grow bigger?

I want to know what kind of things to feed Bloo so he could be bigger, and longer.

that make people think someone is prioritizing quick growth.
I'm not saying that you ARE prioritizing quick growth Ghetan, just explaining why someone might think having a big skink is really important to you. And why someone might want to explain why a slow growing skink is a good thing.

[Dakota]

Oh god. I'm not the smartest pea in the pod.

[El Lobo]

Yes Susann, those were the exact quotes I had in mind plus a few other remarks on other threads.

The only sub-species I can comment on regarding formative growth rates where I have first hand experience of both wild and domesticated, is the highland blotched. There is a significant difference in growth depending on whether or not they brumate their first winter.

[gehtan]

why is everyone calling me ghetan
Its gehtan and my nick is geh and my last name is tan
I am just asking for ways to make him into a big girl or boy because I just want Bloo to be big. Its a problem being in a third world country where every cat in the neighborhood wants your skink! hahaha kidding aside..

I am not power growing Bloo, I just dont want him to be that not that improperly small, if there are ways to make Bloo bigger I would try it and I want to estimate Bloo's length so I can ask my dad's guy to make an enclosure in advance.
And since the Halmahera is not really a known species yet I just wanted to know if anybody knew some facts about them to satisfy my crave. Im just new to skinks and I am still ignorant of mine.

Ill upload some pics of Bloo as an update to my friend and for everyone to see when I get my hands on a nice camera.

[Bird_Brain]

why is everyone calling me ghetan
Its gehtan and my nick is geh and my last name is tan
I am just asking for ways to make him into a big girl or boy because I just want Bloo to be big. Its a problem being in a third world country where every cat in the neighborhood wants your skink! hahaha kidding aside..

I am not power growing Bloo, I just dont want him to be that not that improperly small, if there are ways to make Bloo bigger I would try it and I want to estimate Bloo's length so I can ask my dad's guy to make an enclosure in advance.
And since the Halmahera is not really a known species yet I just wanted to know if anybody knew some facts about them to satisfy my crave. Im just new to skinks and I am still ignorant of mine.

Ill upload some pics of Bloo as an update to my friend and for everyone to see when I get my hands on a nice camera.

I've seen one time someone transposed the letters in your name. Not sure why you are making such a big deal about it.

Regarding wanting to make your skink bigger, feed correct diet and you won't have t worry about him being "improperly small". If you wanted a larger lizard you should have chosen a different reptile that averaged the size you wanted. Not to try and grow an animal abnormally large.

[Susann]

I am sorry that I got your name wrong. People always get my name wrong, so it's not a big deal to me. Maybe I'll just call you Bro-geh...

Whether your skink grows to only be 20 inches (51cm) long, or 30 inches (76cm) long should not matter much in how big you build your enclosure. Just assume he will grow to be 30 inches long, and if that means you make your enclosure 10 inches (25cm)bigger, then just give him the "extra" to live in. The bigger the enclosure, the better.

I think you are putting way too much weight on the Halmahera locale; just read all you can about the Indonesian BTS, T. gigas gigas, and apply it to your skink. You'll get close enough.

[Dakota]

Halmahera locale is fascinating, Susann!

..and on another note.. people were calling me Dako one time.. sounds cool, though.

[Susann]

And since the Halmahera is not really a known species yet I just wanted to know if anybody knew some facts about them

I'm sure the Halmahera locale is fascinating, but it was sounding like he's having a hard time finding info on his species of BTS, and I'm just saying to read up on T. gigas gigas. If he THEN finds additional or different info for the Halmahera locale of T. gigas gigas, great, apply that. But no need to think he can't get facts on what his skink needs.

[RoryBreaker]

The recurring theme here seems to be an attempt to power grow a young animal to produce the largest of the sub-species. This should be discouraged as it will invariably be deleterious to the well-being of the skink, almost certainly leading to a significantly shortened life span. External dimension may increase rapidly but major organs etc. will still develop according to genetic predisposition.

.

Power growing occurs naturally in wild reptiles , they call it "the boom and bust cycle". If good seasons occur back to back , year on year, the abundance of food available allows gorging. Long term in captivity, I agree it's not the best practice, but more food in the first 12 months is more beneficial than having too little.

As for making a big skink , it mainly comes down to luck, whether your skink is going to be a Michael Jordan or whether it's going to be a Danny devito.

[Richard.C]

halmahera is a known species,tiliqua gigas gigas,halmahera supposedly just a locale of that species,there are similar looking indos from different locales to,so pretty hard to say its a halmahera based off looks when in fact it may not be one of those

gigas gigas is on average smaller than meraukes,average length probably in 23 inch size range but all tiliqua can get bigger than there average,some wont even make it to average size

i suggest getting a copy of the bluey bible,theres good info on indos in there and by folk whom actually have gone there and studied them,not someone whos seen a few pics and maybe owns one

google glen shea ,you may find some of his papers that way,he describes traits of halmaheras but also notes other populations share those traits to

some food for thought

[Dakota]

..so pretty hard to say its a halmahera based off looks when in fact it may not be one of thoset

I wouldn't go as far as saying that, Richard. This has all the traits of a Halmahera Island. I know people that collect their personal pet from the island and surrounding islands (I believe there are, if my memory recalls.. ) that looks like this, and agree with me.

[Dakota]

That would go against people ID'ing an IJ, Merauke, Kei Island, Indonesian.. and saying that there is no proof that it is none of them. You go by characteristic, although all of them aren't textbook examples.

I would go as far as saying that this is definitely a Halmahera Island Bluey, but not as far as saying it was collected on the island (there is no proof in saying so), but it shows all characteristic of the skinks that have been proven to be collected there.