Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been recently considering getting a prehensile tailed skink. I've learned the basics about them, arboreal, nocturnal, kinda shy, herbivorous but can anyone tell me anything else about them? Average price, a good breeder, and perticularly- how are their personality? I've heard their bites hurt like a mother, but how often will they be biting?

Thanks

Around $500, Signal Herp., Varies with each individual.
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LIZARDS

0.1 Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skinks- "Sausage Girl"
1.0 Indonesion BTS- "Don"
0.0.1 Tanimbar Island BTS- "Sebastian
1.0 Kei Island BTS- "Huckleberry Blue"
0.0.1 Ornate Uromastyx- "Spike"
0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko- "Sasha"

SNAKES
1.0 Green Tree Python- "Pink Floyd"
0.1 Western Hognose- "Piggy"

CHELONIANS
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortoise- "Tank"

They need very high humidity and large cages, they are social animals, My personal opinion is they should not be kept alone. in groups or at least pairs only. Price seems to be between 500-700 USD, and it keeps going up. Personality varies per animal I wouldn’t consider them shy, allot of mine are very alert and curious. They come to me out of their hides when I enter the room. As for the bite, DONT let them bite it hurts, they have a VERY powerful bite. I have a few that try to bite all the time. Normally fine when your holding them, but depends on the mood. But when trying to pick them up or if they get loose I have had them run straight at me trying to get a good bite lol.

Devon

Yeah, ill second on the bite issue. Mine never bites except when he is loose at night and i have to catch him, hes only got me once but it is one heck of a bite!

In the past I've seen them offered for sale by Signal Herps (as was previously mentioned), Herpetological Breeding Research, and Radical Reptiles. You can also still see the occasional LTC for sale on the classifieds forum here. If buying one of these I would be wary and ask LOTS of questions.

As for biting - I'll agree with the other posters. They all definitely have their own personalities. I would say that in most cases though if you spend a good amount of time handling the animal it will eventually get used to you. I don't regularly handle mine at all (they're to look at, not play with at my house!), and I have 1 that jumps at me every time I reach in the cage, trying to bite me. One is fairly indifferent. And 2 of them charge out the door trying to climb up my arms and just get attention. Those 2 were both hand raised by other people when young and got plenty of handling. I've had one for 4 years, and the other for 1 1/2 years, and both are still quite tame without any regular handling.

They are definitely intelligent and fascinating animals, but they do require more work than most other herp pets. Daily or every other day feedings, water changes just as often and poop pickup daily as well. Combine that with the 1-2x/day mistings and you're looking after them at least once daily at a minimum. It's more time consuming than cats, not quite as time consuming as a dog.

As long as you have the time, the desire and the money to pay for their large enclosures, humidifiers, bags and bags of produce and the occasional vet visit, you should do fine.

I have a trio that are on loan, but they are fun animals. Bite is bad, when they do, which is not often. I'd recommend gloves for handling, because the claws are almost as bad as the bite. VERY social, and I agree that they should not be kept alone. Fun to watch them hanging upside down, eating. A lot of liquid urine, so remember for cage substrate. I had the trio in a 4x2x2 cage, with shelters, and that seemed fine for them. Sexing is difficult, although the males heads seem to be broader. I paid $175 a piece for mine 1.5 years ago, but they've gone up because of availability. There are still some good small publications available on them available.