Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well I just recently purchased a tanimbar (first mistake) and now am wondering whats the best way to tame the little S.O.B. lol. I have named him/her Damien because I truly think its evil incarnate. lol. I am going to give the little guy a week or soo to cool off but have heard that they are just naturally aggressive. Will I ever be able to tame it? I am open to any suggestions. It definitely has a pretty good bite for a baby dont want to experience the adult version.

Buying a Tanimbar really isn't much of a mistake, in fact I really like them, they all have very strong personalities. Since you got your animal as a baby it is definitely possible to tame it. The first thing to do is to get a good pair of leather gloves, not just for you but so that the little guy doesn't hurt himself when he bites you. After letting him acclimate for about a week take him out and wrap him in a towel. This will make him feel more secure when you are holding him. It's good to start out in a fairly busy room, like the living room. If you start off in a quiet bedroom you'll have to tame him all over again when you want to take him out into public. Start out just setting him on your lap and he will probably come crawling out of the towel to investigate. put your hand a few inches in front of him so that he can climb onto it(or bite it, this is where the gloves come in handy. Always keep your hands where he can see them and move slowly, but not so slow that he is startled when you start to move. As you're handling, talk to him. This will keep him from getting startled, rather than if you only talk to him once in a while. Dont expect to get this far in only a few sessions, it takes a while to train a Tanimbar. Handle him around once a day and he could be reasonably tame within a month or two. Oh, and one more thing, dont put him back if he pees on you or bites you, skinks are smart animals and will learn what to do to get what they want, which in this case is to go back in his cage. Good luck with taming your skink, and be persistent. Expect him to bite the first few times.

He has bitten me on many many many occasions and it seems like they hurt more and more. I have been just taking him out and holding him in my hand firmly (not hard enough to hurt the little guy (I wish he had the same courtesy lol) and petting him on the back. he seems to calm down after a few minutes but then and little thing will set him off and he ends up worse than at first I will try for a month or two. But am fearful that I will have a full grown tanny that I may never be able to handle. He is not quite a baby hes already about 7 inches or so and from pics i have seen of a baby hes a monster in comparison.

Try not to pet him on the back, keep your hands where he can see them. Talk to him continously as you take him out and hold him and its less likely that the little things will set him off as much.

i keep a pair of indonesian's, and i've gotten them at about 10 inches. The male, which i got earlier, got tamer as time went by. Don't stress your pet to much. I found that my skinks likes a stroke/pat on the head. I also used to feed them in a seperate place, so after and before i handle him, he gets his dinner. I guess he learned that i provided him food, therefore not harmful. I also sometimes give him a warm bath, and found out this also helps a bit (note that my skinks HATED water).

The female though isn't as pleasant. She is still relatively new (she's the latest herp i got), kinda underweight, and bit me twice already. When your skink bites you, DO NOT pull away your hand, it will rip off their delicate teeth, and some of the teeth will get embeded on your arm (i do without gloves). Just give a slight nudge on the base of their mouth, and they will open their mouths willingly. Of course, i guess this doesn't apply to all skinks.

Just handle your pet often for short periods so he/she doesnt get stressed to much, and offer him/her some treats such as waxworms, pieces of tomatoes, sweet fruits, etc.

good luck
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My "babies" :
1.0.1 Indo BTS (Tiliqua gigas gigas)
1.0.2 RES (Trachemys scripta elegans)
0.0.1 Amboina box turtles (Cuora amboinensis)
1.0.0 Chinese softshell (Trionyx sinensis)
1.0.0 Asian leaf turtle (Cyclemys dentata)
1.0.0 Leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius)
1.0.1 Indonesian Whites Tree Frogs (Litoria caerulea)
And hopefuly still growing...