A few questions from a perspective BTS owner

[artgecko]

Hello all,
I have been considering adding another lizard to my collection but am wanting to avoid insect eaters (my husband apparently has an aversion to keeping live bugs in the house).

After doing research, I think that a BTS might be a good option for me. That said, I have a few questions that I haven't been able to find specific answers to in the care sheets I've seen. Because BTS can live up to 20 years I want to make sure that I'm making the right choice and know what I'm getting into before buying one. No matter what i decide, I'll likely be waiting until next spring to purchase, so I'll have time to look for the right animal.

Questions:
How messy are they? Is their waste more like other lizards or similar to snakes (more solid)?

I've read that you can make their food (veggies, meat or cat food mixture) ahead of time and freeze it in portions then thaw to feed... Is this correct? Also, how often do you feed them?

I'm assuming a 4'x2'x12" cage would be sufficient.. What would be used for heating in such a cage? (RHP, heat tape, combo?) I am planning on stacking all of my cages, so I'd prefer not to use an overhead lamp for a hot spot.

If well fed, could a BTS go without food for up to a week (I'm thinking vacation here) Our pet sitter will change water, but generally doesn't feed the snakes. If this wouldn't work, that is not a deal-breaker.

Also, if you have any tips on good breeders or if there's a variety of BTS to avoid, please let me know. I have not seen any breeders online yet (only resellers like LLL, etc.) and would prefer to buy from a breeder.

Thanks everyone for your time!

[jclaiborne]

They waste is fairly solid unless they have parasites. They can get the runs from time to time however for the most part it reminds me of a tiny dogs waste.

Yes you can freeze their food. I make a months batch at a time and add calcium powder when serving since freezing lowers the nutritional value a little.

You could do a 12in tall cage however i use 2ft tall cages because they need lights. Lizards in general have a light sensor on their heads "third eye" they source heat by looking for light, they also require UVB. That being said i stack my cagea as well. Having a 2ft tall cage allows me to wire my lighta inside and they are still far enough away to prevent burning from contact. I have looked into using RHPs for my blueys but to be honest they need the light source so the rhp would be used for ambients on top of the light and for themps i keep ny room at suplimental heat isnt necessary.

Baby blueys get fed frequently however i feed both my adults twice a week. Monday and Thursday. They can go without food for a week if necessary however if your pet sitter is willing to change the water i dont see why they wouldnt be able to put a small plate of food in the cage. They just cant leave it in overnight.

If you are seriously looking into blueys i suggest you check out bluetongueskinks.net this site has the most in depth care sheets the dos and donts of care and a complete list of foods safe and not safe for them. That all being said blueys have small clutches and dont always breed every year so most of the time breeders have a waiting list. You mentioned wanting to stay away from resellers HOWEVER LLL does breed some of their own blueys at their facility. Jen also breeds her blueys and they get sold through their store.

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[artgecko]

Thanks for your thorough response! I was unaware that they also needed UVB, not sure how I missed that in the care sheets I read, but that does require a bulb. I will keep your recommendation about a 2' tall cage in mind... I might also look into getting a cage made with a hole / mesh for a light to sit on top and just have the BTS as the top cage in my stack.

I will check the site you mentioned and do more research there. I will also look into LLL. My main reasoning behind avoiding a big seller like them is to hopefully get an animal without parasites or mites.. But if I have to buy from a store / reseller, then I will definitely consider LLL if you have had good experiences with them.
Thank you again for your help and time!

[jclaiborne]

Thanks for your thorough response! I was unaware that they also needed UVB, not sure how I missed that in the care sheets I read, but that does require a bulb. I will keep your recommendation about a 2' tall cage in mind... I might also look into getting a cage made with a hole / mesh for a light to sit on top and just have the BTS as the top cage in my stack.

I will check the site you mentioned and do more research there. I will also look into LLL. My main reasoning behind avoiding a big seller like them is to hopefully get an animal without parasites or mites.. But if I have to buy from a store / reseller, then I will definitely consider LLL if you have had good experiences with them.
Thank you again for your help and time!

not a problem...if you have an other questions shoot em this way. I personally have had nothing but good experiences with LLL, but like I said I know some of their blueys are bred by them. You would just really have to contact them and ask. On a side note on that site I gave you there are some small breeders on there. There is a "for sale" section that you could post a wanted ad on if you choose to join it. It is a much smaller forum than this one so responses do take a little while at times. The bluey community seems pretty small compared to BPs so finding breeders local to me was difficult since I wanted to hold the blueys and get a feel for their personality before I bought.

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[Stewart_Reptiles]

How messy are they? Is their waste more like other lizards or similar to snakes (more solid)?

Not messy at all compare to some lizards.

I've read that you can make their food (veggies, meat or cat food mixture) ahead of time and freeze it in portions then thaw to feed... Is this correct? Also, how often do you feed them?

Here is what I do, I buy some chicken livers, collard carrots then I cook the livers and mix it in with the collards and carrots, place little portion (the size of a mayo jar) in little baggies and place them in the freezer. On feeding day I take one baggie out, mix in the calcium and add some fresh fruits. the diet is 50% greens / 40% meat / 10% veggies. I do not feed cat food, not a big fan of food with additive designed for cats, and it is actually cheaper to use the healthy stuff like chicken livers and gizzards.

I'm assuming a 4'x2'x12" cage would be sufficient.. What would be used for heating in such a cage? (RHP, heat tape, combo?) I am planning on stacking all of my cages, so I'd prefer not to use an overhead lamp for a hot spot.

4X2 is what I use however they like to bask under a light (getting heat from above versus, below), so if you stack your cages put the BTS in the last one on the top. As far as UV there is a lot of different opinions on the subject. The rumor persist that they need UV's however many people who have kept those animals for decades do not use them and have healthy thriving animals.



This cage is 4'X2'X12" and is from Chris at C-Serpents who does the Repticon Show (not sure about the next one)

If well fed, could a BTS go without food for up to a week (I'm thinking vacation here) Our pet sitter will change water, but generally doesn't feed the snakes. If this wouldn't work, that is not a deal-breaker.

Adults eat about once, twice a week at the very most. I usually offer one meal with greens and a few days later a few roaches as a treat. Younger individuals eats more often.

Also, if you have any tips on good breeders or if there's a variety of BTS to avoid, please let me know. I have not seen any breeders online yet (only resellers like LLL, etc.) and would prefer to buy from a breeder.

I know someone who has some great BTS and sometime does the Atl show.

[artgecko]

Thanks again for your input!
jclaiborne- I will check out the BTS forum and for sale section. I too would prefer to get a BTS locally so that I can see / handle it first, but I know that probably won't be an option.

Deborah- I am planning on getting the cage for my boa from Chris (probably at the fall Atl show). I may see if he can do a BTS cage like the one in your pic for me as well. I would appreciate the name of your BTS person, although I am not planning on buying soon (probably next spring) it would be great to have their info on file.