Southern water skink?

[Melvinsmommy]

hi!!!! new here with a few questions

i found a southern water skink, it is doing very well, but i have 2 questions
1.)how can u tell the sex of a southern water skink?
2.)and i noticed it isnt using either of its back legs? wat is wrong? could it have been born like that? cuz they are both close to its body, and it just drags it self with its front ones, so it lays around mostly, so i set up the cage to accomodate its needs, but it seems used to moving around like that, and it gets along fine, so im assuming it was born like that, but heres some pics, and for now i named it Melvin, and here he is

srry its so big
but, u can see how the back legs are tucked under/next tohim

 

[Melvinsmommy]

i fed him this morning, and i saw he actually was using all four legs, but he didnt end up eating the worm, im gonna keep tryin, but anything else i can feed him?

 

[channi]

Try him on flys with the wings ripped off and wood roaches

 

[Melvinsmommy]

kk thanx ill see if i can get ahold of sum, wat bout crickets?

 

[Elise]

well as cruel as it sounds... crickets are too big usually, depending whats available...An old mate of mine used to catch skinks and feed them the back legs off the crickets until they were big enough to eat them whole...
cheers.

 

[Tinky]

As I said in your other post.

We had delicate skinks for about 12 months.

Fed them pin head crickets without any issue. Occasionally gave them larger, they enjoyes the hunt, but had difficutlies eating.

 

[Melvinsmommy]

ok i waz thinkin that cuz hes small, but i waz gonna try babys, maybe adults cut in half,(if thats possible lol) but when i had my lizards, and tarantulas, when we put them in the calcium powder and shook it, they sorta, died/went unconscious, so they would be easy to cut after.

 

[Melvinsmommy]

AHHHH!!!!! im freaking out, i check on him mornin and night, and in between, cuz im obsessed, and he waz fine this mornin and this after noon, i found him and his tail was like partly gone!!!!!!! i never picked him up by his tail=( wat could have happened=/, i feel bad that it happened, but i dont how or what happened!!!!! wat can i dooooo!!!!

 

[Melvinsmommy]

Edit: turns out Melvin is a two lined slasmander, just thot id clear itup, cuz how would a southern water skink end up in northern OHIO?????