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  1. #1
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Frank - The Blue Tongue Skink

    I got Frank in February and he was a little over a year old.

    He's doing great, although he may be brumating a little as he has been borrowed in and not eating much for a week.

    He's healthy otherwise and hasn't lost any weight.

    He's about 620G.







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    Re: Frank - The Blue Tongue Skink

    Love those blue tongues... Hmmm, maybe one day but for now on my wish list!!



  4. #3
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Frank - The Blue Tongue Skink

    I had a Bearded Dragon, George, for 11 years. He was awesome, but so is Frank.

    Much easier to feed Frank and he has a ton of personality too!

  5. #4
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Frank - The Blue Tongue Skink

    Wanted to post some new pictures of Frank. He still looks like Frank!

    He's full grown and about 2 years old. He brumated a little this past winter and refused food around shed time. However, he only lost about 5G the whole time.

    He has been about 620G for a while now and I feed 2X a week. One meal is ferret food, veggies, a little fruit, and sometimes a little freeze dried mealworms and dubai roaches. He eats as much as he wants. Then, about 3 days later, usually over the weekend, I feed wet dog food (just a little bit), ferret food, and veggies. I also give him calcium w D3 and a multi vitamin. The dog food covers that up so he eats it happily .

    I had tried feeding more, but he would pick at it, or leave it. He seems to happily eat when I feed every 3 days or so.

    Thank you in advance for looking. Frank is full of personality and a great member of the family.

    Not a ton of info out there on BTS. If anyone has questions, I have done a lot of research. I am by no means an expert, but will be happy to try and help.




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  7. #5
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Frank - The Blue Tongue Skink

    A few new pictures of Frank! The first one is Frank with Katie's hand next to him. She's the Frank/BTS whisperer. She can hold him for a 1/2 hour and he just chills with her. I try holding him for more than 5 minutes, tops, and he's all over the place.

    Of course Behira (our BCI) is all over the place when Katie holds her, and totally chill with me. So I am the Boa whisperer I guess!






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  9. #6
    Registered User cron14's Avatar
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    Re: Frank - The Blue Tongue Skink

    Awesome thread and beautiful little guy! Is he a “normal” northern? I can’t wait to have room to get one of these

  10. #7
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Frank - The Blue Tongue Skink

    Quote Originally Posted by cron14 View Post
    Awesome thread and beautiful little guy! Is he a “normal” northern? I can’t wait to have room to get one of these
    Yeah, just a normal Northern Blue Tongue! However, he is full of personality and beautiful, even as a normal.

    I got him about a year ago and at about 1 year old or so. He's done great with me. Katie loves him most of all the reptiles. He's awesome with her, as I noted, but only okay with me, despite the fact I clean up for him, feed him, etc. It's always, "Katie, Katie, Katie!" It's good though. I think he's awesome too and he got Katie more comfortable with the smaller lizards we have (Geckos) and the snakes! If not for Frank, she might not have given everyone else a chance when we were discussing and then moved in together.

    He's been about 620G for about 8 months now. He was 475G or so at a year, I believe, and can check my records. At 1 yr he was a little bigger than some of the other BTS that were available, and I had a big tank now an even bigger tank!

    I got him BHB. I have had good luck with them and Brian. They had a bunch of CB year olds that they decided not to keep for breeding and sell instead. He was very well started and adapted really well.

    If/when you get one, make sure to ask questions and do research. Not much out there on these guys.

    Humidity: room temp is fine except in shed. I soak him 1X or 2X if he has trouble. However, usually about 35-40% in his tank. They don't particularly like more than that. 30-40% is a good range.

    Temps: 95F or so hot spot works really well for Frank. 80-82F ambient and 80F cool side. I have a RHP and UTH for the hot side and that keeps that half of the 6X2' Boaphile no less than 84F, averaging higher during the day.

    Why? Basking lights! He likes to bask and needs UVB. In my setup for him, I have a 60W basking bulb right next to the RHP and adjacent to a fluorescent UVB bulb.

    When not basking, eating, or laying waste (almost daily - lol), he likes to be in a hide or under his paper substrate. They like to borough but hard to keep humidity down and keep the tank clean with anything other than paper. He goes regularly and is kind of messy. So, I crumble up the printless newspaper into balls for the cool side/non basking side. He loves to borough into them and under them. He also likes his hides and getting in the hide under the paper is his favorite.

    When not digesting and getting ready to poop, he spends most of his time on the cool side of the tank. Hidden. LOL.

    Finally, they need a varied diet. REPASHY sells a gel diet for them, which I use sometimes. He loves protein - snails in particular. However, he needs: 50% veggies, 10% fruit, and 40% proteins. You know what has that exact breakdown and he loves? Ferret Food! Pellets!

    I wet them in water for a few minutes and mix with fruits and mostly veggies. He also likes freeze dried fruit, veggie, and omnivore mix, you can get at pet stores or amazon, etc. from Zilla, I believe. I moisten up in varying quantities and mix with the pellets in water for a few minutes, then give to Frank. He usually eats everything up!

    Fresh fruit and veggies are great too. However, since the pellets are balanced as is, I do not give as much fresh fruit and veggies as if I was trying to create a balanced diet without the Repashy BTS diet or the Ferret Pellets.

    Once a week (which for Frank is every 3rd feeding or so as I feed every 2-3 days a smaller portion) I mix in a little wet dog food with the above mix and sometimes add his snails and/or boiled chicken, etc. When I do this, I mix in his once a week vitamins. Calcium powder and reptile vitamin mix powder.

    Feeding less often, he is more active, eats everything instead of picking what he likes the most, and maintains weight no problem.

    Finally, they like space! He uses every inch of his 6X2X1.5'. He loves to walk around, find different temps, different hides, explore, etc. Never had a reptile as active as he is. They do not need height in their tanks, but you need room for UVB, so something to consider. All my 6X2' tanks in my apartment 5 tank complex are 1 foot high, except Frank, he is 18 inches, because he needs the UVB and basking.

    Okay, a lot there, but I have learned a lot both before, and after getting Frank. I had a beardie for 11 years before Frank, and wanted something different. Katie also loves that he's a scavenger and doesn't eat anything alive or a rodent, LOL.
    Last edited by dakski; 02-15-2018 at 12:20 AM.

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  12. #8
    Registered User Fire Bird's Avatar
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    What a good boy! He is super cute. I have been worried about the size of my northern but he really does look just about the same size as yours.

    Oh the humidity subject, is the place you live very humid? I am able to use aspen with out it becoming too humid. I sometimes have the opposite problem tbh -_-'

    My guy is also very reluctant to eat his veggies. Are there any veggies in particular you have success with? What is the brand of ferret food you give him? I was doing the Merrick dog food diet with supplemental veggies for a while but its kind of a hassle now that I no longer have a dog. They only seem to have big cans in stores around here which means I have to portion it out and freeze half of it.

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  14. #9
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Frank - The Blue Tongue Skink

    Quote Originally Posted by Fire Bird View Post
    What a good boy! He is super cute. I have been worried about the size of my northern but he really does look just about the same size as yours.

    Oh the humidity subject, is the place you live very humid? I am able to use aspen with out it becoming too humid. I sometimes have the opposite problem tbh -_-'

    My guy is also very reluctant to eat his veggies. Are there any veggies in particular you have success with? What is the brand of ferret food you give him? I was doing the Merrick dog food diet with supplemental veggies for a while but its kind of a hassle now that I no longer have a dog. They only seem to have big cans in stores around here which means I have to portion it out and freeze half of it.
    Where I live is not humid in the winter (I have to put extra water dishes in for my BP and BCI), but can be very humid in the summer. I live in Connecticut and the reptiles are in a finished basement. I use a dehumidifier in the summer, and heat in the winter, but never seem to get the optimal balance.

    BTS do not like a lot of humidity, so in the summer, between opening the side vents I have on Frank's Boaphile tank and having his lights on, it works out. In the winter, it's closer to 30% in there, but he doesn't mind that either.

    They are very hardy though and small, and/or temporary, gyrations are probably fine.

    Do you weigh your BTS? How old is he? If he's an adult and maintaining weight, I would be happy. If he's young and growing, all good. They do have a hefty midsection relative to their tiny legs! However, if healthy and eating right, don't sweat it too much.

    Regarding food, I put links below (from Amazon - but you can get all different place - just easy to link to one place). The ferret food I use, is not grain free, but the dog food I use is. They put a lot of filler in wet dog food unless it says "limited ingredients" and/or "grain free." I have 5 dogs, so they finish off what Frank doesn't eat! Zupreem makes grain free pellets as well, but I am not sure the benefit, expect they want more money. The ratios of protein, fat, etc. are the same.

    How often do you feed? I feed less often and he tends to eat everything. I also mix the pellets and the veggies/fruit all together, so he doesn't have a choice, if really hungry. If not, he tends to be picky. I find feeding less often for an adult means they eat it all instead of picking out exactly what they want! I do the same with the wet dog food.

    They are pretty smart and like what they like. When I first got him, I fed more wet food and protein as he was growing fast. However, he stopped eating the pellets and veggies almost completely. PITA! So, by feeding less often and only using the really juicy proteins (wet dog food, snails, chicken, etc) once a week to mix in vitamins, he eats his other meals (pellets, veggies, etc) much more often. He doesn't hold out.

    I have heard and read from breeders, and other keepers, that a ferret pellet diet and/or the Repashy BTS food, is pretty complete. I still give veggies, fruit, freeze dried worms, roaches, etc. and snails. I want a well balanced diet as much as possible for Frank. I also don't want it to be too boring.

    https://www.amazon.com/ZUPREEM-23005...70_&dpSrc=srch

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    https://www.store.repashy.com/bluey-...ne.html?tt=111

    NOTE: The Repashy Bluey Buffet smells awful when you make it. FYI.

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  16. #10
    Registered User cron14's Avatar
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    Re: Frank - The Blue Tongue Skink

    That is a lot of great info! I've been doing some off and on research for the past year. Nothing really serious because I know that will only make me want to get one sooner. Space is the biggest factor for me, so I would not purchase one knowing I couldn't provide a proper enclosure.
    The reason I asked if he is a normal is because his colors look awesome. For what ever reason, I envisioned the colors looking a lot more washed out and brown but these pictures have changed my mind! BHB is probably my number one contender as far a breeders go for these guys if/when the time comes. I watch Brian's videos fairly frequently and, while I understand some of the criticism he receives, I think he does a lot of good for this hobby, especially when it comes to "casuals" like me.

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