BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

I have just acquired 2 blotchies that are now 10 weeks old. I'm housing them in a reasonably large enclosure with plenty of hides on a aspen substrate. They are eating well but seem to spend a lot of time burrowed in under the substrate, coming out only to eat. Cool end temp is around 25 celcius. Any ideas?

You guys are heading into winter down there, so your guys might be cooling off for the winter.

i think its called brumation? not sure, just guessed

My babies did that when i first got them too and i had to "dig" them up to feed them etc but now i see them a lot more often. One of them runs and hides most of the time when he sees me but the other one is always trying to get out and as soon as i slide the glass open he climbs onto my hand so i guess they just have different personalities and with time you'll get to see that. I hope someone can give you some help though...

Kris

They could also just be adapting to their new surroundings?

Mr. Blotch himself, Geoff can tell you anything about your guys....I'll message him.

shepherd wrote:I have just acquired 2 blotchies that are now 10 weeks old. I'm housing them in a reasonably large enclosure with plenty of hides on a aspen substrate. They are eating well but seem to spend a lot of time burrowed in under the substrate, coming out only to eat. Cool end temp is around 25 celcius. Any ideas?

Shepherd,

everything sounds OK to me. The other responses so far are all sensible suggestions. Just give them time to settle in but here are some things to consider.

1. Is their cage in a high traffic area? they like peace and quiet.
Do they receive natural light where the cage currently is? it is considered that blueys are atuned to daylight length and this affects how active they can be.

2. Time of year, very cold at the moment, every wild bluey in Victoria will be brumating (inactivity during cold weather) so don't expect much activity from your baby blotchies.

3. Also their age, keeping out of sight (other than when feeding) is a defence strategy against predators (and this includes you at the moment until they come to recognise you as harmless).

4. Not much else to say. As they are babies keep feeding them as much as they want, maintain the hot end at about 35 degrees (cool end can be lower if you wish eg; 20 degrees) and until they settle keep handling to a minimum.

5. Where did you get the aspen substrate from?

Thanks heaps guys. I guess i should have introduced myself before barging in with a question right off the bat. I've been keen on blueies since i caught my first one near my parents home (i was only about 10 or so, so don't be to harsh on me) About 6 months or so ago my eldest got interested in reptiles and since the good lady wife would never let me get a snake i thought a blue tongue would be a good compromise. my little ones have now been with us for 2 months and have just had their first shed. i'll keep them together for another month or so then separate. The care sheet on this site is great (the septics do get it right ocassionally, only gagging LOL). i hope to be a regular from now on. In response to GEOFF, you were spot on with your obs. i hope i can get the kids to stop annoying them so much. As for the Aspen i picked it up from the Pet Shed 8 Victory Rd Airport West. It was about 30 bucks for 40+ litres. Also try Upmarket Pets near the Vic market.