Blue tough skink

[dave himself]

Originally Posted by chairman

BTS are really neat. I have two adult Northerns and I quite enjoy them. They're big bluffers and always put on defensive displays when I go to pull them out. They remind me of garters or hognoses. That isn't to say that they can't or won't bite, and they draw blood when they do, but they usually just get the display out of their system and let you scoop them up. I think that the best word to describe them during handling is inquisitive.

They seem to spend most of their time buried but almost always come to the front of their cages to watch me when I'm in the room. At least with mine, they don't really allow handling unless they've come out of hiding to see if you're bringing food.

On food, BTS are prone to obesity and breeders recommend feeding once a week. I feed mine a mixture of preservative-free wet dog food and greens (I spread the mixture into an ice cube tray and thaw when needed). I also give mine vegetables throughout the week, just whatever raw veggies happen to be on the menu for the people in the house.

I'd be surprised if this bluey didn't find a good home quickly.

Thanks for the info mate and we must have been lucky with all the ones we had in because they never showed any sign of aggression at all lol especially this guy his just silly tame,well up to now. And it'll take someone we know and trust to take him or he won't be going anywhere

[Minkness]

Hmmm....once a week is more my speed.

What about babies though? I'm sure they need more than that?

Also, what kind of greens? I know that there are certain ones that are not good for bearded dragons so not sure if they are the same?

These guys may be in my future. They sound neat for aure! But first....so many other things!!! Lol

[sattva]

Ya... I not a big lizard guy but I have been wanting one of these... Of course the money and space is another thing...

[chairman]

Baby BTS are like baby colubrids, you feed them more frequently. I think that I fed mine protein every 3-4 days. Any old whole prey will do trick when they're little. They can obviously still take whole prey as adults but for some reason the dog food mix is recommended.

The greens thing is the same as for any other animal. Any green is fine, just don't feed to much of anything with high levels of oxalates as they bind calcium. I typically have access to collard, turnip and mustard greens. Spinach is ok in moderation. Lettuces are fine. They don't like kale, which is fine by me because I don't like it either. I guess that an interesting side effect of owning a reptile that eats veggies is that you end up with a slightly healthier looking refrigerator.