bennybbc
New member
I got my new Northern BTS about 10 days ago and he/she
was born 6-25-05. I thought he was pretty big when I
got him at 9 3/4" nose to tail. I measured pretty carefully
and I use a ruler/tape measure for a living, (woodworker)
so I'm sure I got it right. I just measured him again last
night and I'm amazed that he's grown 1 1/4" already! How
can this be??? I read that they grow fast but I never
expected this. He's noticeably larger all over and he eats
very well. I want to be careful not to overfeed but I'm
not sure what that is with a baby BTS. I want him to grow
as much and fast as possible but I don't want him to
become obese either. I've held an obese ball python and
it was pretty obvious. But this guy feels just fine with no
apparent layer of fat. But I don't know if that's a good
indicator or not.
I feed him a mixture of about 60% veggies and 40% meat.
Specifically, I mix frozen mixed veggies, (carrots, green beans
peas, etc.) with some more green beans and a little banana
or whatever fruit I have around together with some cooked
ground turkey breast and some high quality low fat canned
cat food. I also have offered some rose petals. I feed about
2 tablespoons of this a day dusted with a calcium supplement.
I have a vitamin/mineral supplement coming to my house via
the USPS as we speak and I'll add that when it comes. I also
use a UVA/UVB light just in case he needs it. I also have some
canned crickets, meal worms, grasshoppers and snails coming
as well. I have no interest in dealing with the maintenance of
the live versions of these insects and the BTS doesn't really
need them to thrive anyway. But I thought he could benefit
from the variety. This diet is similar to what the breeder I
bought him from feeds her skinks,
http://www.captivebred.com
and he seems to be very healthy and is quite active.
So does this growth rate sound extreme or is this normal
for this type of skink. I know that the Northern is usually
the largest of the skinks with adults at around 24" and the
largest getting up to almost 30", or so I've read. And I don't
suppose they grow for ever so I guess he might be on his
way to becoming a big one.
When I first talked to Donna at Captive Bred she told me
how nice and gentle this particular guy was. When I got him
he was understandably a bit upset. I tried to handle him for
a couple of more days and he was what I would call vicious.
Constant hissing and puffing and frequently trying to turn
around and bite. If he seemed to calm down I'd relax my grip
and he'd struggle and try to bite again. I talked to Donna
and she was perplexed by this. She said she had rarely
experienced this in 10 years of breeding and this was one
of the more tame ones she had. Obviously he didn't like being
shipped and was pretty freaked out by the relocation. She
recommended that I walk around while I hold him to distract
him with constantly changing scenery. I tried that and within
about 20 minutes it was like he was a different skink. It was
like breaking a horse. He might still hiss or huff a little right
before I pick him up but he doesn't try to bite anymore and
he's quite tame and calm withing less than a minute after
picking him up. He likes his head stroked and closes his eyes.
The other day he was on my forearm and I actually put him
to sleep for a few minutes just by petting his head. He kept
his eyes closed for several minutes even after I stopped
petting him. That's nice and tame and just how I want a
2 foot long lizard with strong jaws to be. He likes to crawl
around too and seems pretty curious.
I've owned/own several breeds of snakes so I'm not
new to reptiles but this is my first lizard. My brother kept
his two very large green iguanas at my house for quite a
while but they were a pain to feed and care for. This guy
is so cool and really easy to care for. I highly recommend
a Northern BTS to anyone wanting a beautiful and tame
lizard that is easy to care for and gets pretty large.
Bruce
Redding, California
was born 6-25-05. I thought he was pretty big when I
got him at 9 3/4" nose to tail. I measured pretty carefully
and I use a ruler/tape measure for a living, (woodworker)
so I'm sure I got it right. I just measured him again last
night and I'm amazed that he's grown 1 1/4" already! How
can this be??? I read that they grow fast but I never
expected this. He's noticeably larger all over and he eats
very well. I want to be careful not to overfeed but I'm
not sure what that is with a baby BTS. I want him to grow
as much and fast as possible but I don't want him to
become obese either. I've held an obese ball python and
it was pretty obvious. But this guy feels just fine with no
apparent layer of fat. But I don't know if that's a good
indicator or not.
I feed him a mixture of about 60% veggies and 40% meat.
Specifically, I mix frozen mixed veggies, (carrots, green beans
peas, etc.) with some more green beans and a little banana
or whatever fruit I have around together with some cooked
ground turkey breast and some high quality low fat canned
cat food. I also have offered some rose petals. I feed about
2 tablespoons of this a day dusted with a calcium supplement.
I have a vitamin/mineral supplement coming to my house via
the USPS as we speak and I'll add that when it comes. I also
use a UVA/UVB light just in case he needs it. I also have some
canned crickets, meal worms, grasshoppers and snails coming
as well. I have no interest in dealing with the maintenance of
the live versions of these insects and the BTS doesn't really
need them to thrive anyway. But I thought he could benefit
from the variety. This diet is similar to what the breeder I
bought him from feeds her skinks,
http://www.captivebred.com
and he seems to be very healthy and is quite active.
So does this growth rate sound extreme or is this normal
for this type of skink. I know that the Northern is usually
the largest of the skinks with adults at around 24" and the
largest getting up to almost 30", or so I've read. And I don't
suppose they grow for ever so I guess he might be on his
way to becoming a big one.
When I first talked to Donna at Captive Bred she told me
how nice and gentle this particular guy was. When I got him
he was understandably a bit upset. I tried to handle him for
a couple of more days and he was what I would call vicious.
Constant hissing and puffing and frequently trying to turn
around and bite. If he seemed to calm down I'd relax my grip
and he'd struggle and try to bite again. I talked to Donna
and she was perplexed by this. She said she had rarely
experienced this in 10 years of breeding and this was one
of the more tame ones she had. Obviously he didn't like being
shipped and was pretty freaked out by the relocation. She
recommended that I walk around while I hold him to distract
him with constantly changing scenery. I tried that and within
about 20 minutes it was like he was a different skink. It was
like breaking a horse. He might still hiss or huff a little right
before I pick him up but he doesn't try to bite anymore and
he's quite tame and calm withing less than a minute after
picking him up. He likes his head stroked and closes his eyes.
The other day he was on my forearm and I actually put him
to sleep for a few minutes just by petting his head. He kept
his eyes closed for several minutes even after I stopped
petting him. That's nice and tame and just how I want a
2 foot long lizard with strong jaws to be. He likes to crawl
around too and seems pretty curious.
I've owned/own several breeds of snakes so I'm not
new to reptiles but this is my first lizard. My brother kept
his two very large green iguanas at my house for quite a
while but they were a pain to feed and care for. This guy
is so cool and really easy to care for. I highly recommend
a Northern BTS to anyone wanting a beautiful and tame
lizard that is easy to care for and gets pretty large.
Bruce
Redding, California
