Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got my new BTS today. Do they chew their food, or should I be chopping it into tiny pieces? He's beautiful, BTW.
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0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

you should cut it up so they can eat it. where did u get it from?

Pantherchams@aol.com, from the Kingsnake classifieds. He's really cool. I have the veggies cut up small, but not tiny. Do BTS' chew, or will he swallow things whole?
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0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink as of yet unnamed
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

i think they chew it but dont know im trying to get one
so yours is in good health no problems i will look at the ad

So far. Of course, it's only been 2 hours, but he's exploring his environment, eating a little etc. I posted here a few weeks ago asking people what they like about their BTS. Maybe check that post for info on why they're a good choice. He's my first BTS, so I'm looking forward to this new experience!
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0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink as of yet unnamed
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

thanks i just read most of the info below and copied the diet plan that somebody posted that u asked for. hopefully i will get a bts soon but first i need to build 3 cages. 1 for a bearded dragon gonna be 4ftx2ftx2ft, 1 for fire skink 4ftx2ftx20in, and another same size as fire skinks for the bts

If you chop your greens up into about 1 inch by 1 inch pieces that should be small enough. I usually grate the veggies or chop them up in the food processor. I try not to get food chopped so fine that it just becomes indistinguishable mush though. Seems to me that distinct flavor and texture would be nice for them. Dog food chunks they can handle just fine, and they do a good job biting pinky mice in half.

-Z

Thanks everyone. I think he's eating as I keep catching him hanging over the dish, but it's his first day home, so he keeps running & hiding when he sees me One more question: people say BTS love snails, do they eat the shells? And with fruit, do you peel it for them if you peel it for you (like bananas). Also, do they pee like us, or have urates like other lizards?
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0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink as of yet unnamed
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

Blue-Tongues may take snails but the Pink-Tongued skink (Hemisphaeriodon gerrardi) is truely Gastropodivorous. Blue-tongues would act in the same way as Pink-Tongues in that they tend to bang and tear a large snail until the soft flesh has separated from the broken shell. DO NOT use outdoor snails to try to give your Tiliqua due to pathogen risk!

Best regards,
Jean

Glad to hear your new pet is doing well.
BTS do in fact love snails and relish them whenever they get them. I have a tank with apple and gold snails which I feed mine. Although the ones I feed are small, I crush the shells to make it easier for the skink. And yes, they eat at least some of the shell, but Jean's observation is accurate -- they try to get the body out if possible. I would not peel the fruit -- remember, my motto is "as natural as possible" within reason, of course. I do cut their food up into appropriate size pieces depending on their head size.
Finally, yes, they do excrete uric acid regularly.
One last bit of advice: Be sure to let him acclimate and resist the urge to watch him, let alone hold him, for a few days. Soon enough, he'll get settled in and you'll be able to enjoy your new friend fully.
Congratulations!
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Edward
Carpe diem

Thanks everyone. I was thinking of fishing out a few snails from the seemingly millions reproducing themselves in my firebelly newt tank. So far he doesn't seem fond of veggies, but ate the mix of banana, nightcrawlers & mealies I gave him yesterday (picking through the zuchini, carrot & broccoli to get it). Tonight he seemed to enjoy the egg & broccoli omlet I mixed with apple & banana. Thanks for all your help. He has sneezed a few times since I got him, but doesn't appear ill (he's cruising around, isn't snotty or breathing weird, is eating etc...) what do you think, shipping & new environment stress?
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0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink as of yet unnamed
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

SOUTHERN FLORIDA CORUCIA RESEARCH CENTER (SFCRC)

Location: LEE/1.

Hi,

Check your substrate. This might be the cause of unusual sneezing.

Sincerely,
Brian
SFCRC

It's indoor/outdoor carpet, similar to cage carpet, that I thoroughly vaccumed. I have cork bark, a piece of drift wood & some fake plants in there.
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0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink as of yet unnamed
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena