Frank - The Blue Tongue Skink

[dakski]

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.