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  1. #1
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    Calling all Indonesian BTS owners

    The purpose of this thread is to talk about purchasing and owning a Indonesian BTS. Since living in Canada, finding a Northern CB or CBB skink are VERY rare. The only type that you see available here would be the Halmahera or the Merauke BTS. Which brings me to the topic of WC or CB/Farmed skinks. As you know, these types of BTS Ive mentioned are usually WC for the most part, but if you came across a CB/Farmed skink would that mean the same thing as WC???

    I am looking into getting a young Halmahera BTS from a friend who owns a very well known Reptile shop here in Toronto. Now with that being said, I know he got these skinks from a farm out in Indonesia and are captive bred/farmed skinks. He has had them now at his shop for 3 months now and they are now ready to be sold to the public. I went yesterday to look at them and they actually looked good. They were in nice shape and had no stuck shed or ticks/fleas ect.. from what I could see. My concern would be are these youngster carrying any parasites? Now take in mind that my friend that owns this shop would never put the rest of his collection of other reptiles he is selling at risk by bringing in reptiles that harboured diseases, but there is always that uncertainty in the back of my mind...Since he has had them already for the last 3 months would you think they would be OK?

    I would not want to bring this little guy home and infect the rest of my collection of reptiles. Of course I will house the BTS in his own enclosure but he will be in the same room as my other reptiles as I only have one room in the house that I am allowed to use for my collection. MY QUESTION NOW to those of you who currently have an Indonesian BTS is what has your experiences been having one of these kinds of skinks. Was yours WC or Farmed? Do you have any regrets? What are the PROS and CONS?

    Thank you for listening and please share your stories and or advice...
    Last edited by Jus1More; 02-17-2019 at 10:18 PM.



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    I have my Merauke BTS for almost 3-4 years now. I got him at an expo who got the wild parents and either they bred in captivity or the mom was already pregnant, Homer was born on American soil.

    Temperament wise, he is a better display pet. He can be handled and petted but he prefers not to be bothered. That is common and to be expected when the parents are bred not selected for tameness. Northerns are very tame by comparison because of how long they have been bred and kept in captivity. Nonetheless, I like Homer and I know he trusts me and he is tamed as he can be, he just wants to not be picked up. This is common with Indos. So if you want a puppy tame skink, wait for a Northern.

    External parasites are easy to spot. BTS scales are smooth like skin, so you would notice immediately if there are ticks on it.

    Internal parasites can be confirmed by a vet or if you have the equipment to look for parasites. Mine went to the vet for a check up plus a fecal. The vet was adamant Homer had worms though no signs were there. The results came back negative.

    Another sign that your lizard may have worms is the texture and smell. If it smells real funky and mushy, more than likely it has an overload of parasites. This is mainly a concern for lizards that require live feeding such as crickets (common host for pinworms) so this problem is less common for BTS as their diets do not require live feeding at all.

    So if it was fed live insects or you don't know, I would take it to the vet for a fecal. If it was fed dog food or repashy, and the poop is good, appetite is good, I would not worry too much about it.

    I have a collection of different lizards and snakes, some housed right next to Homer's tank. For BTS, there are currently no disease that I am aware that spreads to another BTS of the same species like the stargazing disease bearded dragons have or IBS for pythons and boas. Of course, never house 2 BTS together no matter what so due to their territorial aggression and to prevent the spread of parasites.

    With all things considered, I would aim for Captive Born over farm bred and born. They would also need a large enclosure (minimum 4 x 2), glass preferred, plus humidity of at least 50-60% at all times.

  3. #3
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    Re: Calling all Indonesian BTS owners

    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesenugget View Post
    I have my Merauke BTS for almost 3-4 years now. I got him at an expo who got the wild parents and either they bred in captivity or the mom was already pregnant, Homer was born on American soil.

    Temperament wise, he is a better display pet. He can be handled and petted but he prefers not to be bothered. That is common and to be expected when the parents are bred not selected for tameness. Northerns are very tame by comparison because of how long they have been bred and kept in captivity. Nonetheless, I like Homer and I know he trusts me and he is tamed as he can be, he just wants to not be picked up. This is common with Indos. So if you want a puppy tame skink, wait for a Northern.

    External parasites are easy to spot. BTS scales are smooth like skin, so you would notice immediately if there are ticks on it.

    Internal parasites can be confirmed by a vet or if you have the equipment to look for parasites. Mine went to the vet for a check up plus a fecal. The vet was adamant Homer had worms though no signs were there. The results came back negative.

    Another sign that your lizard may have worms is the texture and smell. If it smells real funky and mushy, more than likely it has an overload of parasites. This is mainly a concern for lizards that require live feeding such as crickets (common host for pinworms) so this problem is less common for BTS as their diets do not require live feeding at all.

    So if it was fed live insects or you don't know, I would take it to the vet for a fecal. If it was fed dog food or repashy, and the poop is good, appetite is good, I would not worry too much about it.

    I have a collection of different lizards and snakes, some housed right next to Homer's tank. For BTS, there are currently no disease that I am aware that spreads to another BTS of the same species like the stargazing disease bearded dragons have or IBS for pythons and boas. Of course, never house 2 BTS together no matter what so due to their territorial aggression and to prevent the spread of parasites.

    With all things considered, I would aim for Captive Born over farm bred and born. They would also need a large enclosure (minimum 4 x 2), glass preferred, plus humidity of at least 50-60% at all times.
    Thanks Cheesenugget for your reply. I know its a risk buying a Indonesian BTS. My friend who is selling them cant guarantee these babies are parasite free and that makes me nervous. I would not want to affect my other reptiles at home and really can not afford high vet bills. I know that Northern BTS are less of a risk, more calmer to handle and do not require high humidity. Its just finding one here is hard and when and if you find one they are pricey.
    I was doing some more searching and came across a guy who was downgrading and selling a few of his Northerns. They were pricey but there was one in particular that caught my eye. It was a 2018 baby Northern and his tail had been bit off by a cage mate during feeding time. He looked so helpless and yet so adorable! It looks like the tail is trying to grow back but I am not sure how much will grow back? The guy came down in price for him because of his tail and it was a price that I could afford. I am very excited about getting him in a few days. I am going to house him in a tub to secure temps and humidity as that is what he is housed in currently.
    I am glad I found this little fella but the more I read about Indonesians the more unsettled I felt. These BTS are a good chunk of change and you want to get one you can enjoy...Thanks for your advice again!
    Last edited by Jus1More; 02-18-2019 at 05:29 PM.



  4. #4
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    Re: Calling all Indonesian BTS owners

    Quote Originally Posted by Jus1More View Post
    Thanks Cheesenugget for your reply. I know its a risk buying a Indonesian BTS. My friend who is selling them cant guarantee these babies are parasite free and that makes me nervous. I would not want to affect my other reptiles at home and really can not afford high vet bills. I know that Northern BTS are less of a risk, more calmer to handle and do not require high humidity. Its just finding one here is hard and when and if you find one they are pricey.
    I was doing some more searching and came across a guy who was downgrading and selling a few of his Northerns. They were pricey but there was one in particular that caught my eye. It was a 2018 baby Northern and his tail had been bit off by a cage mate during feeding time. He looked so helpless and yet so adorable! It looks like the tail is trying to grow back but I am not sure how much will grow back? The guy came down in price for him because of his tail and it was a price that I could afford. I am very excited about getting him in a few days. I am going to house him in a tub to secure temps and humidity as that is what he is housed in currently.
    I am glad I found this little fella but the more I read about Indonesians the more unsettled I felt. These BTS are a good chunk of change and you want to get one you can enjoy...Thanks for your advice again!
    Please don't house it in a tub. Northerns do not require humidity the same way as the Indos. They come from dry areas in Australia - low humidity is what they need, less than 30%.

    Secondly, BTS of all species are intelligent and observant animals. They don't stare at things with a goofy look on their faces like bearded dragons do. They do interact with their environment, they do climb (and fail), and they look to what is going outside of their enclosures. Hence, glass tanks are best for them where they can see the world around them and they enjoy that.

    By placing it in a tub, no matter how clear it is, it is not the same as glass. I would place Homer in a clear tub temporarily during cleanings and he cannot see what is going on outside of the tub. In his glass tank, he would see me approach, looks at me and then crawl up to me for food.

    I hate to be that person but unlike other species of reptiles where housing can be done both ways, I would strongly suggest you to reconsider using a glass enclosure, especially for a Northern that does not need humidity the same way as a bp or Indo. Just because it was housed previously that way does not make it right and continued the same way, and the huge red flag is there knowing it was housed with another BTS, which one should NEVER do (The skink should be lucky only his tail was chomped on. Many will fight to kill if they were housed together). That alone should tell you how wrong the set ups were.

    If you can't afford a large sizable cage for a BTS, please do not get it just so you can repeat the same mistake the last owner made. A fecal is less than $40 usually and an exam should range about $50-75. It really cost very little compared to many other expenses that you probably dealt with in your life. Bringing in a pet requires commitment to provide the basic veterinary care as well as the most ideal home possible that provides a quality of life for these lizards. If you can't afford to do so at this time, then wait for it.

    Btw, if your Northern ate live insects, it probably has parasites so you would still need a fecal all the same.

  5. #5
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    Kind of off topic but applies to owning any pet in general. If you cant afford the possibility of a higher priced vet bill, then might be best to wait on getting the animal. Reptiles tend to be expensive when they need vets and they are good at hiding illness so if you think there could be a problem and just dont have the cash right now, by the time said problem is apparent, it might be too late.

    Personally, I would get a fecal done on any w/c reptile and even CBB ones should get check ups yearly. What a lot of people dont realize is the initial price of the animal is usually the cheapest part. It's the 20+ years of food, substrate, toys and vet visits that add up. And not to say a more expensive reptile is more deserving than a cheap one as life is life but when you drop $1000+ for a reptile, you definitely want to get check ups done.

    Also find a good vet BEFORE you get the animal so you arent scrambling at the last second. Luckily i know a couple good vets who see venomous stuff which i made sure about before i got Tank and Dozer the gilas.

    As for tubs and racks, i am just not a fan of them period. They work and breeders use them a lot but if you are going to only keep a few reptiles, why not give them a nice set up instead of basically a 'big hide'. On the flip side, i am not a fan of big open glass tanks either. They weigh a ton, offer no feeling of security unless modified and hold heat/keep a consistent temp horribly. I do use 40 gallon breeders though for quarantine because the one thing that glass tanks do do well is allow you to spot any problems early and easily.

    And good luck with the BTS. I almost pulled the trigger on one a while ago but I really wanted gilas....and now a beaded as well after seeing a local breeder of mine post pics of his Super Blacks hatching lol.
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  6. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Sauzo For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (02-19-2019),Jus1More (02-19-2019)

  7. #6
    BPnet Veteran Danger noodles's Avatar
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    When y’all are saying that they are expensive what kind of money are y’all talking about? I can get a juvenile for around $300 here in Texas. I might be talking about one that’s not the same?? But at that price I don’t think it’s that much money considering how much it cost to set everything up etc.

  8. #7
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    Re: Calling all Indonesian BTS owners

    Quote Originally Posted by Danger noodles View Post
    When y’all are saying that they are expensive what kind of money are y’all talking about? I can get a juvenile for around $300 here in Texas. I might be talking about one that’s not the same?? But at that price I don’t think it’s that much money considering how much it cost to set everything up etc.
    Depends on species. For Indos which are still being imported as WC, you could get one about no higher than $250 in the US. There are Indos that are occasionally captive bred and born here like mine. I got mine for $250. For Northerns, they cost more due to higher demand and they only have a litter of very limited number of babies per year, so you could be looking at about $300 and up depending on availability. These are all 100% CBB.

    I guess price is subjective depending on one's budget. I look at the bigger picture: the enclosure plus UVB fixture and light cost a whole lot more than the lizard. I bought a discounted reef tank (125 gallon, 4 x 2) for about $300, the. reprising 10.0 T8 fixture was about $70 (T8 is good for no screen lid or very opened space screen like I have. Otherwise a T5 us recommended which runs around $80) and the bulb is about $20. The initial vet bill with fecal is a joke compared to what you need at start up.

  9. #8
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    Re: Calling all Indonesian BTS owners

    I am soooo jealous of you guys in America with your LOW prices on reptiles. If you find a CB Northern BTS here in Toronto you are talking over $700 or more. CB/farmed Indonesians BTS can range between $450-550 in price. But everything in general here is much higher...even a routine vet visit is over $150 and that is just to get in the door!



  10. #9
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    I've had my Merauke for about 3 years now. I purchased mine from a guy that bought a farm-raised group and kept them for close to 1 year. The guy I purchased mine from had already treated for parasites (external and internal) so I was good to go.

    If you are buying from a shop that imports either WC or farm-raised, I'd think that they would worm them as a preventive measure on all of their imports. You might want to check with your friend and see if he has done this or can do this for you. If that is not an option, getting a fecal done at a vet and then treating for worms will probably be in order.

    My guy is a better display pet, but is interactive and has learned to associate me with food and will tolerate me touching him (but does not like being picked up). If the imports your friend has are very young, they may tame down better than mine did (mine was over a year when I got him).

    I house mine in a 4'x2' pvc enclosure with sliding glass doors, a heat lamp, and plenty of substrate to burrow in. He gets fed wet dog food and veggies (with added vitamins and cal D3). These guys do need D3 supplementation (either via food or with a UV lamp) so keep that in mind. I give mine oral supplements instead of using a UV bulb which has worked well for me. That said, many people use UV lights with good success too. My adult eats once a week.
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    Re: Calling all Indonesian BTS owners

    Quote Originally Posted by artgecko View Post
    I've had my Merauke for about 3 years now. I purchased mine from a guy that bought a farm-raised group and kept them for close to 1 year. The guy I purchased mine from had already treated for parasites (external and internal) so I was good to go.

    If you are buying from a shop that imports either WC or farm-raised, I'd think that they would worm them as a preventive measure on all of their imports. You might want to check with your friend and see if he has done this or can do this for you. If that is not an option, getting a fecal done at a vet and then treating for worms will probably be in order.

    My guy is a better display pet, but is interactive and has learned to associate me with food and will tolerate me touching him (but does not like being picked up). If the imports your friend has are very young, they may tame down better than mine did (mine was over a year when I got him).

    I house mine in a 4'x2' pvc enclosure with sliding glass doors, a heat lamp, and plenty of substrate to burrow in. He gets fed wet dog food and veggies (with added vitamins and cal D3). These guys do need D3 supplementation (either via food or with a UV lamp) so keep that in mind. I give mine oral supplements instead of using a UV bulb which has worked well for me. That said, many people use UV lights with good success too. My adult eats once a week.
    Thank you artgecko for the feed back. I am actually getting a Northern BTS instead of the Indonesian BTS. I just felt a little uneasy with it being CB/Farmed from WC parents. Alot of the readings I have gone over recently talk about the Pros & Cons of Indonesians and for me I felt better to go with the Northern instead. I had a long discussion with the guy I am getting my BTS from and he gave me alot of good feed back on these kinds of skinks too plus helped me find a good terrarium for him. Being that the majority of my collection are snakes, I really wasnt looking at the big picture when it came to tub vs terrarium for the skink. All of my snakes are in racks and are healthy and thriving. But on the other hand, the BTS would definitely need the space with the terrarium as I want him to stay healthy and thrive as well... Anyways, thank you for sharing your story and maybe next time post some pictures of your Merauke. I am sure he/or she is stunning!!



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