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Member	Message
#2245324 Taterhead27051 View Profile	New BTS owner! I’m a new BTS owner and was wondering if anyone had any tips for me. I have wanted one for about 15 years and finally got one! All I know about them is what I have read online. Was wondering if anyone knew how to tell if male or female. It doesn’t really matter if male or female but I would just like to know. Thanks :)
11/26/11  01:56pm
#2245331 Anole4102 View Profile	Message To: Taterhead27051   In reference to Message Id: 2245324  New BTS owner! I’m very happy for you, I’ve had 3 so far and enjoyed them all. Hope you enjoy yours!
11/26/11  03:17pm
#2245333 Taterhead27051 View Profile	Message To: Anole4102   In reference to Message Id: 2245331  New BTS owner! can anyone tell me which species it is thank u. and thank you anole4102 i am i love it so much!!!!
11/26/11  03:57pm
#2245431 Anotherman View Profile	Message To: Taterhead27051   In reference to Message Id: 2245333  New BTS owner! You have a merauke Blue tongue skink. Congrats For more info goto these sites: Link Link Link Link
11/27/11  11:29am
#2245585 Cphill58 View Profile	Message To: Anotherman   In reference to Message Id: 2245431  New BTS owner! @ Anotherman ...the links aren’t working when I try them..?? That is a nice Merauke BTS for sure... However the site "Blue Tongue Skinks . net" is a fantastic source of info BTS.net Holler if you need something specific such as diet or temps..or whatever Cp
11/28/11  09:36pm
#2245666 Anotherman View Profile	Message To: Cphill58   In reference to Message Id: 2245585  New BTS owner! @ Chpill58- I have no clue as to why the links aren’t working correctly. Here are the links again. Just copy and paste them: bluetongueskinks.net bluetongueskinks.net/forum bluetongueskinks.com bluetongueskinks.com/forum btskinks.com
11/29/11  05:06pm
#2245877 Taterhead27051 View Profile	Message To: Anotherman   In reference to Message Id: 2245666  New BTS owner! Thanks my computer hasn’t been working well so I just got to get back on here. I do have a few questions about diet. The person I got him/her from didn’t tell me much. I have been feeding him collards, mustards, some cat food ,made boiled chicken, lillte bit of banana or blueberries mixed in oh and he loves scrambled eggs! But he doesn’t eat very much at once. Is that normal? And I don’t see him drinking. He is in a 40 gallon tank with a screen lid have a basking light on during the day and nothing at night. He likes to burrow down in his bedding. Oh and do they choose one person? He sits really calm with me but when my husband gets home from work he gets to huffing and moving around. Sorry I have so much to learn! Thanks again every one!
12/01/11  09:13pm
#2246065 Cphill58 View Profile	Message To: Taterhead27051   In reference to Message Id: 2245877  New BTS owner! Tater ...hi again, As they grow older and larger they eat less I think because they are not growing as much. We used to feed ours every day but now I heed the advice of BTS . net and feed every couple of days. All the items except the banana are fine in various balanced portions. The banana is only bad because it is so high in phosphorus which counters calcium. So go real easy with the banana and try other higher calcium fruits like black / raspberries and grapes. They do slow down a bit at this time of year ...so no worries if they don’t eat as much Check out some food charts for other lizards that have great food / fruit items... food / nutrition Of the 2 skinks we received one was a little more huffy than the other ...it was so cute and funny growing them up. She outgrew that and never gets upset with me anymore. The other(male) is the more curious and loves to roam about often scratching at the glass to get out of the enclosure. They are both dear pets and get lots of attention. Cp
12/03/11  07:11pm
#2246066 Cphill58 View Profile	Message To: Cphill58   In reference to Message Id: 2246065  New BTS owner! Ohhh, forgot to mention about drinking...ours will from a fake rock bowl. but I notice that when I mist the enclosure for humidity they love to lick the droplets off the logs and rocks and walls....much like they would in the wild during the early morning or a misty day.... So with that in mind I will mist more often and get a kick out of them licking up the spray almost directly from the bottle...try it sometime. Cp
12/03/11  07:16pm
#2246155 Taterhead27051 View Profile	Message To: Cphill58   In reference to Message Id: 2246066  New BTS owner! Ok thank u so much. I only gave him a very small amount of banana u think that will be ok? I’m just scared of doing the wrong things. Which bedding is better? Ive got him on aspen which is what i read about skinks then once they told me which kind he was I read that it is too dry for them. He seems to stay hidden under it all the time. Is this normal? Or is he unhappy? U don’t know how much I apreciate u guys helping me out! :)
12/04/11  01:37pm
#2246160 Cphill58 View Profile	Message To: Taterhead27051   In reference to Message Id: 2246155  New BTS owner! You have to understand....WE LOVE TO HELP ...!! we wait anxiously by the computer all hours of the night hoping there will be a question or cry for help ....LOL Substrate is a personal choice...I like repti bark and cypress mulch...kind of expensive...but CYPRESS MULCH is my favorite. I use aspen for my snakes and I have plenty ...but I never did like the fact that it is so dry for the skinks...and if it gets wet it packs down after awhile. For certain snakes I use aspen...for the boas and snakes that need higher humidity I use Cypress Mulch as well. Why, because it holds moisture and does not get moldy or promote fungus growth... I can mist the enclosure and the humidity stays right where I want it for a few days at least...especially during shed time. Easy to spot clean and I can go 6 months or more between major cleaning /overhauls. They tend to poop in the back corner ...almost like being potty trained. I use just enough to cover the floor about an inch deep...they have large hides so they don’t need to burrow in. At first the Repti bark was OK ...just chunky more like small pieces of bark...but since the other animals require cypress mulch I just purchased a large bag of that and went all the same type. If you live out East, Lowes carries cypress mulch at very reasonable prices. In the West it is found in the pet stores and at reptile expos or a few specialty reptile stores. When I find it in large bulk 2.0 cubic foot bags I swoop it up. Do they hide ...yes they love to hide in their hide ...they come out to explore / drink / eat / bask etc ...but they always return to the hide after ..and at night to sleep. When allowed to run about on the couch they often resort to hiding in the crevices of the cushions after a bit of exploring. They can be shy ...but with lots of attention and free time out they will respond to you very well. The banana won’t hurt them in a sense that will have immediate effects...just try to use that food item very sparingly...the goal is to offer calcium rich items and or supplement with calcium powder. As you will read on BTS .net , if you offer a well balanced diet supplements will be minimal. But I always have them (especially vitamins) for that 1x per week dash on the food items. Actually I blend some in to the ground beef to fool them as they can detect it and get finicky. For real treats I buy Can o Snails at the pet store ...and in the summer months they love young snails from my garden (pesticide free of course). I will also buy frozen Silversides (San Francisco Bay) at the fish specialty pet stores. Just for a greater variety. I’ll have to find my pics for you ...or take new ones this is way back when I first got them...spring of 2009... the enclosures are sparse at this time...later I improved them slightly.....they always had a UVB lamp 5.0(repti glo) and a heat source in the ceiling socket. They were so small and cute weighing in at 30 grams originally... Now they are 19-21 inches long and just big ol’ doggies ...lol...we call them the Dachshunds of the lizard world...
12/04/11  02:36pm
#2246396 Taterhead27051 View Profile	Message To: Cphill58   In reference to Message Id: 2246160  New BTS owner! Thanks. Ok one more Question well for now anyway lol. He is 23 1/2 inches long and I can’t find anything large enough for him to hide under. I did cut a hole for a door out of a box for now until I find something. Do u have any suggestions? And I really don’t think he was kept in a aquarium b/c he is constantly going around pushing on the glass with his nose. Not up top just at the bottom. I have him in a 40 gallon reptile aquarium with a sliding screen lid. Do u think that’s big enough? He seems to have enough room.
12/06/11  07:03pm
#2246400 Taterhead27051 View Profile	Message To: Cphill58   In reference to Message Id: 2246160  New BTS owner! Ok one more thing. He is 23 1/2 inches long and I can’t seem to find anything large enough for his hiding spot. Right now I have cut a door out of a box until I can find something. Do u have any suggestions? Oh and Ok two more things. I know I’m a pain in the butt! Lol! Ok 1. He is shedding this is this first time he has since I got him. And my son was holding him and rubbing his shed off is that ok? He was like mommy look he is shedding and he had it all over the place. And 2. He has been sneezing some today. No discharge just sneezing.
12/06/11  08:16pm
#2246496 Cphill58 View Profile	Message To: Taterhead27051   In reference to Message Id: 2246400  New BTS owner! Go to the Post Office and get a free priority box ...they have 3 or 4 sizes ...I like the medium flat rate box. Customize it The 40 gallon is a great tank ...it will do for some time , until you want to make your own or?? Whenever they can see thru the glass they think they can walk right thru it and attempt to do so. Some folks will put a 4"-6" strip of aquarium liner/background on most of the sides to prevent this. Others will just use craft paper or whatever. Christmas wrapping ....lol
12/08/11  04:05am
#2247640 Janmccri View Profile	Message To: Cphill58   In reference to Message Id: 2246496  New BTS owner! Mine has a rock cave to go under, but he mostly likes to bury himself. Have coconut bedding in his tank and he burrows underneath and especially likes to burrow under the water dish. I actually bought a white plastic silverware holder which is recticular shaped for his water dish. He can fit in it to soak or drink from it. But mostly he likes to make a mess and burrow underneath and spill it all over. it seems so long ago he was little. He is around 16 years old and still healthy. I do take him to the vet every year and his weight has been maintaining for years. Good luck. Janice
12/18/11  09:10pm
#2248767 Mhd730399 View Profile	Message To: Janmccri   In reference to Message Id: 2247640  New BTS owner! very nice cages Chris! whats he demintions? i love my little new bluey. hes three months old and ate a few snails and a little mango. hes a fatty already haha. i love the little guy.i have a hide but also use aspen shavings! 4inches or so so he can be completly burrowed
12/28/11  08:34pm
#2249178 Cphill58 View Profile	Message To: Mhd730399   In reference to Message Id: 2248767  New BTS owner! Happy New Year everyone... Blake the dimensions are 24" across from left to right...36" deep and 20" tall. They have grown up in here and can hardly squeeze into the hides now....I received a new hide for the male at Christmas... these picture/s are from way back when they had hardly any decor.
01/01/12  12:54am

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