How can I be a better skink owner?

>>2431659
How about you read up how to actually take care of a skink correctly before you think about enriching his life? At the moment it sounds like you treat it like a dog with scales.

Try to get basic care right first. And no, a simple care sheet is not enough, do some actual reading.

Also with that knowledge you will know how you can enrich his life (mainly diet, they don't need or want much stimulation).

>>2431663
I was confused by the dog food thing and looked it up. I have never owned a skink but apparently this isn't uncommon.

I think OP could do better than dog food, especially if it's a particularly shitty brand of dog food. Moderation seems fine but what I'm seeing by those feeding them exclusively dog food seem like lazy idiots.

Also just googling 'blue tongue skink diet' and OP needs to feed the motherfucker some goddamn fruit and veg.

>>2431663
I've read mainly from care sheets found online, but don't know what other resources are out there to be a better owner. I've never been acquainted to a reptile until my SO brought him into my life, so I haven't really formed any instincts on how to care for them in terms of affection.

My SO just tells me Apone doesn't need much and that the canned dog food works great because it's made for omnivores, but I'd like to attempt to be a better owner at least.

Do you have any book/reading recommendations?

Switch to a better substrate like cypress mulch, coco fiber, or fir bark chips (fir only, the other bark types aren't safe). More decor. More hides.

Regarding diet, lighting, and everything else read this:

http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Lizards/Blue-Tongue-Skink/

and this:

http://bluetongueskinks.net/care.htm

>>2431678
Dog food is okay but it shouldn't be their only staple thing. You should give them a variety of things, for example for one meal you might give minced beef, sweet potato (mashed with nothing added) and dandelion greens. They're omnivores so you can get creative, just make sure to look up stuff since a few things are toxic to them still.

Also like most burrowing reptiles the best substrate you can give them in topsoil mixed with play sand at a ratio of 80:20. It's great for digging.

And you should add more things to the enclosure, like more things to hide under, in and behind. Just some substrate and a single hide isn't enough.

File: PtGr2oC.jpg (444KB, 2592x1552px) Image search: [Google]

444KB, 2592x1552px

>>2431659
>>2432059
If you can get the enclosure to look more like this it will enrich their life a lot more.

>I hold Apone/give him ear rubs
they hate that. eye closing and winking is a sign of annoyance or stress in lizards

>>2432060
>tiny ass water dish

>>2431659
The slink is not a dog or a human. It does not derive pleasure from a special sunbathing view and it does not need or want your affection.

As others have said the best you can do for it is provide it the best possible enclosure and diet, and keep handling to a minimum so as to not stress the animal umnecessarily