Blue-tongued Skink is the Cheese
Lorelei, a friend of Zen Habitats, completely wins for having one of the best names we’ve heard of for a Blue-tongued skink, or any reptile for that matter.
His name is Sir Gouda McWaddles, Purveyor of the Pimento and Peruzzer of Mozzarella, or cheese for short.
“I didn’t actually come up with the name, one of my friends did. I told her that I was going to name him Cheese, and she jokingly recommended Sir Gouda and I ended up loving the name,” said Lorelei.
Cheese Enters the Scene
When she was in high school Lorelei first became interested in reptiles. “I got my first Leopard Gecko, Knute. I don't think there was really a reason, I just thought it was cool and I wanted one,” she said.
And then she discovered the Blue-tongued Skink and decided to get one.
“I like them because they seem to be a bit more unique, I feel that most people that have reptiles and aren’t hobbyists tend to have either a gecko or a beardie,” she said. “Don't get me wrong, I love them too and they are amazing reptiles, but I wanted to step outside my comfort zone and get a different animal.”
Lorelei brought Cheese home on Halloween day in 2019.
“He is about one-and-a-half or two-years old. I got him when he was a few months old so I’m not sure of his exact age,” she said. “From the day I got him he’s had a laid-back personality and always been easy. He’s always out and about in his enclosure.”
Escape Artist Extraordinaire Before Zen Enclosure
Lorelei wasn’t aware of Cheese’s strong desire to become a free-range Blue-tongued Skink
“His being an escape artist is partially my fault. It was before I got my Zen enclosure,” she explained. “I had the typical sliding screen top 40-gallon tank you can get at any pet store and the cords from his lights would get caught in the top and not close properly.”
One day Lorelei did not close the top all the way and Cheese seized his opportunity.
“Since the tank was 18 inches off the ground, I didn’t think much of it being open an inch, especially since cheese was only 8 or 9 inches long at the time,” explained Lorelei. “There was nothing high enough for him to climb on except for one of those thermometers I had in there temporarily until I got a digital one.”
She underestimated Cheese.
Lorelei said,” I looked over one day and noticed he was hanging out on top of his tank. I’m still not sure exactly how he got up there unless he did climb on the thermometer. I placed him back in and closed the tank all the way.”
That was not enough to deter him though.
“The second time was very similar. I didn’t close the top all the way, but this time when I got up to grab something on the other side of the room, I noticed his tail burrowing into a pile of clothing I had on my floor,” she said.
She had absolutely no clue how he managed to crawl out, but he did.
“Lesson learned, if you have a pet store tank,” she warned. “Be sure to 100 percent close it because they can and will find a way out, even if you think it’s not physically possible.”
Since getting Cheese’s Zen Habitats enclosure, he’s been happily and safely contained in his home. That is, most of the time.
Cheese is also Lorelei’s pocket pal.
She said, “Usually whenever I wear a hoodie or pajamas with large pockets, he'll tend to find his way inside and just kind of sit there until either I move, or he gets bored and crawls up to tangle himself in my hair.”
Cheese Meets Pierogi
About three months after she got Cheese, Lorelei welcomed beardie Pierogi to the family. “I rescued him from a not-so-great situation and he’s doing so much better than he was when I got him,” Lorelei said.
Cheese and Pierogi will need to make room soon.
“I'm also hoping to add a Uromastyx and a Crested Gecko to my little reptile family in the near future,” Lorelei said.
Zen Habitats offers a variety of enclosures and accessories to suit your reptile, no matter the species. We would love to help you select the right enclosure setup for you and your pet! Email support@zenhabitats.com or call (978) 763-3035.