Anyone know anything about legless lizards??

[nicman72]

G'day all,

I'm not actually sure if this is a true legless lizard, or a skink. Hope someone can identify from the photos (very sorry about quality - using phone camera).

Found him under a pile of old fan-leafed palm fronds right near a road, so I decided I'd relocate him. First though, I gave him a careful squirt of Repti-Guard mite spray, then put him in my empty cage designed for centrals (I replaced the normal heat lamp with infra red one - good idea?). Also, I was thinking about worming him, but I'd rather hear any advice on this matter before I do. Any help there???

Anyway, he managed to disappear pretty quickly down under the bit of fake turf I have in there, to the point where we gave up searching, and decided he could stay there for a while and we'd feed him up before we released him.

Btw, I don't feel bad doing this as I live in the middle of dog-, cat-, and crow-infested suburbia, and his chances of a naturally long life here were very slim, considering I'd just thrown his home into the wheelie bin.

Anyway, I know that there were plenty of little woodies breeding under the fake turf - would he be eating these? I know he's still in the cage, because we occasionally hear him, and even less occasionally see him rummaging around. I gave him a spray/mist of rainwater when I saw him today, but he just went back under his fake turf.

He's a very cool little dude! He's got a lovely little grin on his chops, and the way he moves is extraordinary - kind of like a cross between a snake's slither and a wobbly bluey run. Hard to hold!

Anyway, does anyone have any experience with this kind of lizard? Will he eat crickets and mealies and veg too? I'm not going to keep him long, but I'd like to see him healthy, which will probably be a couple of weeks.

Thanks in advance for any help,
Nic

 

[Acrochordus]

Hi, It is not a Legless Lizard if you look at the pic you can see it's little legs. Im thinking it is a Anomalopus verreauxii. Don't keep it dont feed it just let it go, you will just be stressing it and it deserves to be in the wild where it came from.
Thanks Tim.

 

[Fuscus]

three toed skink - A.verreauxii Common on the sunny and gold coasts but you normally only get large specimens like that one in bush settings.

 

[gecko-mad]

yeah same as above, let it go to

if its chances of survival were slim it wouldnt be living there

 

[nicman72]

No dramas, thanks for the advice. Bugger, I was getting kind of attached to the little fella! Never mind, I know just the reserve to let him go - I've already let a rescued BHP go there before. Miles from any cars. There's a combination of fairly rough and open scrub and eucalyptus trees, (ie coastal beardie territory) sloping down to a very green, lush creek with big pools. Where abouts in this terrain would he be most at home? And I take it that's a no go for the worming drops?

Again, thanks for the advice. Luckily I hadn't named him yet, so it won't be too hard

Nic

 

[Acrochordus]

Just let him go where you found him but if you don't want to do that then let him go in Dry Sclerophyll Forests, Woodlands or Wet Sclerophyll Forests. No dont give him worm drops, Herps have survived parasites for millions of years soo no need to.
Thanks Tim.

 

[JasonL]

I have a mate who keeps them, they are awesome critters.. great predators... Think I might have to hit Danny Brown up for some in the near future..

 

[amy5189]

um sorry, just gotta ask. you are located on the sunshine coast. and you relocated a BHP... where abouts did you relocate it to? locally?

 

[Freemason2250]

Mate just call it scientific research, throw it in a tank and breed it then sell the offspring.

John weigel does it

 

[W.T.BUY]

Mate just call it scientific research, throw it in a tank and breed it then sell the offspring.

John weigel does it

I think there's a bit more to it then that

 

[Freemason2250]

Yeah true

You also have to claim it's for the reptile keeping communities' benefit.....getting a thick wallet is just a bonus:lol:

 

[W.T.BUY]

Yeah true

You also have to claim it's for the reptile keeping communities' benefit.....getting a thick wallet is just a bonus:lol:

I meant doing the courses and knowing the correct people and having it in the correct situation but meh sounds abut rite.

 

[Acrochordus]

Mate just call it scientific research, throw it in a tank and breed it then sell the offspring.

John weigel does it

Yea but John Weigel has the permits to do that. And how do you think all the other reptiles we keep got into captivity, it was taken from the wild.
Thanks Tim.

 

[Freemason2250]

Yea but John Weigel has the permits to do that. And how do you think all the other reptiles we keep got into captivity, it was taken from the wild.
Thanks Tim.

Really I thought they just came from the wild and climbed in to enclosures:lol:

I wasn't having a dig at permitted wild collectors....just my old mate John

 

[nicman72]

G'day again. Thanks for all of your interesting and varied advice, but I'm just going to let the little bugger go tomorrow. I'd hate to live with his death on my hands if the unfortunate were to happen, and besides, I have no experience with these lizards. Someone mentioned Danny Brown - he just lives up the road from me... does he breed these guys, cause I'd love to eventually get one!

Anyway, I'll try and post some pics of him when I let him go.

amy5189 said:

you are located on the sunshine coast. and you relocated a BHP... where abouts did you relocate it to? locally?

Same place I'm going to take this little 3-toed skink; out the back of Little Mountain, behind Caloundra. Which is a few km's from the couch under which he was discovered, up the hill in Buderim.

 

[nicman72]

G'day all,

This is a follow up for those who are interested... I managed to catch 'my' little 3-toed skink out of the cage and let him go last night. I took the advice of letting him go where I found him - well, practically. About 15 metres away, under a similar pile of garden waste, but in the back yard away from the road. I figured if he'd got to that size around here, then he's a survivor, and we certainly want those genes out there multiplying! Unfortunately I let him go at night, so no pics, but here's a pic of his new home by the light of today...

This is the first time I've encountered one of these skinks. Charming and unusual creature; it's so good to know that they're living around here right under my very nose! Hope to maybe see some more in the future, now I know where and what and to look for.

Anyway, thanks for all the help.
Nic