BT Skink Shedding

[Zoo Nanny]

I just read something that floored me. I'm wondering your opinion. It was an article on BTS shedding problems. The writer said to soak the skink for 20 minutes and to dry it with a terry cloth towel briskly to remove the shed. Also stated to use a Q-tip to remove the shed on the lips and eyelids. In 10 years I have never helped remove Precious's shed. Just the opposite I avoid touching him at all once he has gone opaque. The first year I had him I made the mistake when I had him in the yard of rubbing his back while holding him. My neighbor had stopped me on my way in the house and being distracted I started to pet his back. I knew better than to do this while he was getting ready to shed. He rewarded me with the only bite I've ever gotten from him.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Were they talking about doing that in every shed or just if the BTS couldn't remove the shed on their own?

~Maggot

[Zoo Nanny]

Every shed.

[BarelyBreathing]

That's pretty stupid/awful/ignorant/repulsive.

[EmbraceCalamity]

That's pretty stupid/awful/ignorant/repulsive.This. It'd be one thing if they were suggesting it when it was having trouble shedding (not that it really should have difficulty shedding, but things happen sometimes), but every shed is downright stufulnorsive.

~Maggot

[Zoo Nanny]

That's pretty stupid/awful/ignorant/repulsive.

Thank you, my reaction when I read it!

[dinosaurdammit]

If an animals does something naturally in the wild why would you alter how it does it in captivity?

[Zoo Nanny]

You got me? I have never "helped" Precious shed. He sheds every couple of months with out issue (knock on wood) and has done so for the past 10 plus years. I always leave a large bowl of water for him to soak in year round and he has wood to rub against. I can't imagine doing that to him. His skin is so sensitive when he gets close to shedding. Some people are morons. What's really scary is the number of people who may read that and try it with their animal.

[EmbraceCalamity]

You got me? I have never "helped" Precious shed. He sheds every couple of months with out issue (knock on wood) and has done so for the past 10 plus years. I always leave a large bowl of water for him to soak in year round and he has wood to rub against. I can't imagine doing that to him. His skin is so sensitive when he gets close to shedding. Some people are morons. What's really scary is the number of people who may read that and try it with their animal.I'm pretty sure dinosaur wasn't talking to you. Pretty sure that was a rhetorical question aimed at the person you were talking about. You know, the one you made the thread on. >.>

~Maggot

[Zoo Nanny]

Thank you. Yes I realized that, just elaborating on the ease of a skink shed and the discomfort it must go through to be "dried".

[EmbraceCalamity]

Thank you. Yes I realized that, just elaborating on the ease of a skink shed and the discomfort it must go through to be "dried".Hence, "You got me?"

~Maggot

[Zoo Nanny]

No you were being nice, it's impossible to show emotion in type. My thank you was genuine.

[Vegasarah]

I breed BTS, I do not handle any mine when they shed, they get really huffy and angry lol. They get sensitive around this time and should always be able to shed by themselves. The ONLY reason to give a warm bath/ Q-tip treatment would be for stuck shed around toes. The scales will come off on there own, even the ones that are stuck for a week or two I still leave alone. If they are not going to lose a toe or something like that, I would just let them be :)

[monitorlizard]

I breed BTS
You do? I thought you bought a gravid female?

[Vegasarah]

She turned out not to be gravid from whoever bred her last, just very fat lol. But I have there adults now, one I've raised him just a little bub. He is what got me into bts and now I love them. I purchased the other two for breeding. Going to just stick to northerns for now, but would love a pair of merukes. Maybe in the future!