I started really contemplating going bioactive in October 2021. Started doing my research, talking with other keepers doing it successfully. In February 2022, I made the move to acquire isopods. We went with 40 Dwarf White, 40 Powder Blue, and 40 Powder Orange. The youtube video on acquiring the isopods from Chicago friend, Damien, aka ChiefOfGains, and adding them to the first enclosure […]
2022 certainly had its ups and downs, but overall, I’m happy, and the skinks are happy too. A wise man once said to me, “don’t do something until you’ve got at least two really good reasons to do so.” I’ve applied that lesson towards my decision-making ever since. We made strategic plans to wake the skinks early from brumation towards the end of […]
I’ve had some ups and downs in my life. This one is for the books. 2020 started out with optimism and momentum. I got a new day job and life was improving. Then I was one of the first people to get COVID-19, early. I didn’t need to be hospitalized but I didn’t get off easy either. I’m actually still dealing with occasional […]
I had dreamt up this 6-tier, PVC and glass enclosure that featured radiant heat panels. What I didn’t quite imagine was the global and national requests for acrylics, pvc slabs, glass demand orders, shipping delays, and price gauges as a reflection of this “new normal”. One by one, after going fairly in depth with design, builders started flaking on the project. Couldn’t get […]
As stated in the 2020 in Review Blog Post, I had my eyes on a pair of Centralian Blue Tongue Skinks, Tiliqua Multifasciata. The pair that was represented was by a multi-million dollar, 25+ year operation out in Canada. The operator of this business is a family led by patriarchal J. Craig Stewart (the devil). The story they were pitching was the Centralians […]
So sorry for staying away, but so much has happened since my last blog post and I don’t want to hold back! In October 2019, me and some friends took down all the enclosures, sanitized, and gave everyone fresh substrate. Then the skinks went down for brumation. Before the season ended I decided to keep one holdback from 2019 while acquiring two Magma […]
I’m not gonna write out that COVID-19 was/is a good thing, but it has allotted me more personal time than I’ve had in the past 10 years, and it enticed me with extra time to play with my skinks. That got the creative juices flowing and new ways to give back to the community. I give you (drum roll please) The Dave’s Skinks […]
On May 29th, 2019 – My girlfriend exclaims “OOH! Something moved inside the tank”. I have a looksie for myself. One baby, then two. I take them out. All looking healthy. I get them into a small tub and go back in momma’s tank to inspect more thoroughly. A third baby! I think Dave’s Skinks was (officially) born June 4th 2016 so this […]
This question has been asked a lot and I’m happy to share. Dinobot was the first. He’s an imported Indonesian Irian Jaya I got from a Soutside Chicago exotic pet shop when he was just a few months old. I had been doing bts research for two full years before finding an affordable, local supplier. Ordinarily, I’m against removing animals from the wild […]
Honestly it’s dates and close friends that ask me the most what my daily routine looks like with these guys. I keep my ZooMed 80W Mercury Vapor Sun Dome lights and ZooMed Large Heat Pads on timers so that portion of care is automated for me. First put on gloves. I go to each tank, spot clean their poops and take out old food […]