Only as he cleared a pile of laundry on the chair, did he realise where Dibo had been hiding all along.
“Skinks like to burrow and Dibo loves to climb. He must have climbed on the chair and burrowed his way to the bottom of the laundry pile!” the 20-year-old biomedical student shared with FMT Lifestyle.
This cheeky behaviour is just one of the many quirks that make Dibo such an entertaining and cherished companion for Yap.
Dibo, an Irian Jaya blue-tongued skink, isn’t your average pet.
With his sleek, scaly skin and vibrant blue tongue, he might seem intimidating at first, but for Yap, Dibo is more like a little brother – a calm and curious presence who is always content to simply hang out with him.
Indeed, Yap’s bond with Dibo is special, built on trust and companionship.
“This is what I love about Dibo. He is so calm. He will just sit there and stare at me doing my work. Frankly speaking, he doesn’t care what I’m doing. He’s just there to accompany me and hang around,” the Subang-based Yap said.
Yap has been fascinated by reptiles since he was six years old. While other kids were drawn to picture books, he was reading all about dinosaurs and reptiles in the library.
“I didn’t care about picture books; I only cared about books on dinosaurs, fishes, reptiles, or any animal-related books,” Yap recalled. This early passion for all things scaly eventually led him to keep reptiles of his own.
He recently started building his own reptile family, beginning with a corn snake and eventually adding geckos to the mix. In 2022, he found Dibo at Makkau Reptile, drawn to the skink’s calm demeanour and manageable size.
Naming Dibo was a decision rooted in nostalgia. “I grew up watching ‘Dibo the Gift Dragon’, and I liked the show so much,” Yap recounted. When he saw the skink, with his dragon-like appearance but short legs, the name seemed perfect. Dibo’s name might evoke images of a fantasy creature, but his personality is as down-to-earth as it gets.
Dibo, now around three years old and about 45.7cm long – the length of Yap’s forearm – has a unique routine. He enjoys a diet that includes a mix of meat, vegetables, and fruits.
“His favourite fruit is banana,” Isaac shared. “If he refuses to eat the food, and I put a banana next to him, he will go for the banana.”
Yap often feeds Dibo wet dog food mixed with fruits and vegetables, a common choice among skink owners since it provides a balanced diet for these omnivorous creatures.
When he’s not eating or occasionally sunbathing outside, Dibo loves to dig and climb. Yap often finds him scaling chairs, beds, or even Yap himself. But it doesn’t bother him at all. Dibo keeps him calm and entertained, especially during stressful exam periods.
“He is so calm that I can actually put my food next to his food and we will eat together like buddies,” Yap said with a laugh.
Though some of his friends were initially apprehensive about Dibo, they quickly warmed up to the skink’s laid-back nature. “When they realise he’s actually calm, they end up keeping him on their laps more than me!”
Dibo’s presence in Yap’s life is more than just a hobby or a passing interest. He’s a source of comfort and joy, a reminder that sometimes, the most unexpected friendships can be the most rewarding.
Whether Yap is studying for an exam or simply relaxing at home, Dibo is always there, a quiet, steady companion who’s just happy to be around.
This article was written by Dinesh Kumar Maganathan @ FMT Lifestyle. Read more pet stories here.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.