Tell me about Blue Tongued Skinks - please

[MelissaFlipski]

I am considering picking up a BTS from a Craig's List ad. I know, buyer beware, etc.

Please tell me everything I need to know. I have always wanted one of these, but don't know a ton about them. What should I expect, etc.? It is a baby and will come with a 10 gal tank and heater. I talked him down to $100 (is that OK or way too high?). Here is the ad:
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/n...698330264.html

I will do my research - but please get me started. Also, any eye candy to get me excited is welcome!!

THANKS!!!!!

PS I know it's not a colubrid , but it leads me one step closer to broadening my collection outside of snakes!!!

[djansen]

I had one, I paid $70 for an adult. He was pretty cool, he would hiss every time i touched him but never tried to bite. He would eat canned cat food and babyfood (veggies) not real high care requirements IMO.

have a look through this,
http://www.anapsid.org/bluetong.html
good luck!

[Argentra]

Ok, first of all I"M JEALOUS! BTSs are the greatest lizards of all time!!!

$100 is really good for one, provided you're getting it from a good source. Ask for a ton of pictures from lots of angles with size comp items to be sure you're getting a healthy baby.

It will outgrow that 10g pretty fast, tho, so be prepared. Like Beardies, BTSs require a pretty large enclosure as adults with more floor space than height. Good dimensions for an adult cage would be about 4'long, 2'wide, and 1-1.5' tall. They love to burrow, so be sure to give them a nice soft substrate, and they are omnivores that love their fresh fruits and greens.
Also, they are one of the sweetest lizards out there...generally speaking. The two I practically adopted at the zoo were my babies and would refuse to be carried anywhere but on my shoulders wrapped around the back of my neck or snuggled against the side of my neck. I loved those skinks.

Sorry... Anyway, BTSs are wonderful and great pets, I'm sure you'll love owning one. For some great support, go to BlueTongueSkinks.net (in addition to this forum, of course). They're really nice and knowledgeable, and many good breeders frequent the site as well. Good luck!

[MelissaFlipski]

How often do BTS show up in need of rescue? I prefer to do it that way, but don't know if it will ever happen. Are you sure $100 is good?

I know I want one, don't want to miss a good opportunity, but also don't want to dive in before I know there's water in the pool. The guy claims it's his brother's - who doesn't take care of it. Then says it's a baby and a few weeks old. Not a lot of time to know if he'll take care of it or not in my opinion.

If I miss this opportunity, do they tend to show up at reptile shows?

[Argentra]

They occasionally show up at the larger shows and sometimes are up for rescue, tho not often enough (since that's one of the only ways I'll be able to get one). Most often, they are placed in rescues because the owner didn't realize how much room they needed and didn't want them anymore, or more commonly the skink lost a few toes and the owner gave them up. Toes are quite fragile on these guys.

I wouldn't trust that guy, personally, with what you've said he told you. Instead, go visit Bluetongueskinks.net and talk to some of the breeders there. The prices aren't much higher than $100, which seems to be a basic BTS price, and they are highly acclaimed from what I hear.

[MelissaFlipski]

They occasionally show up at the larger shows and sometimes are up for rescue, tho not often enough (since that's one of the only ways I'll be able to get one). Most often, they are placed in rescues because the owner didn't realize how much room they needed and didn't want them anymore, or more commonly the skink lost a few toes and the owner gave them up. Toes are quite fragile on these guys.

I wouldn't trust that guy, personally, with what you've said he told you. Instead, go visit Bluetongueskinks.net and talk to some of the breeders there. The prices aren't much higher than $100, which seems to be a basic BTS price, and they are highly acclaimed from what I hear.

Thanks. It's nice to have my instincts backed up. I found one needing rescue but will not be the only one applying for her.
Melissa

[djansen]

I got mine at a reptile show.

[catawhat75]

Argentra gave some great advice! IMO, feeding requirements are a bit more complex than canned cat food and baby food if you want a long term healthy BTS. BlueTongueSkinks.net is def the BP.net of the BTS world.

[MelissaFlipski]

Thanks, Argentra and Catawhat! I put in an application for the rescue skink. It will be awhile before I hear back I think. But I can be patient.

[Argentra]

You are most welcome And extremely lucky... Sigh. Oh well, someday I'll have one of my own...