New BTS some Q's

[beckym]

Hi, I just got my blue tongued skink yesterday and I have some questions.
1) He keeps just burying himself, is this normal?
2) The pet store told us to use orchid bark as substrate is this ok? It seems quite damp to me but he does seem to love burrowing in it.
3) We haven't seen him eat anything yet, should we be worried?
4) Lastly how long should we leave it before we first handle him?

Sorry for all the questions, but if I can get the answers anywhere I felt sure it would be here
Thanks!

[Jenn]

You want to try and give them at least 24 hours to settle in before holding them. Burying himself is normal. What type of hides and things do you have in his cage? It might also take him a couple days to settle in before eating. Just keep offereing him food everyday! Once you get comfertable holding him, you can stick his nose into his food if he's still not eating. I'm not sure what that substrate is. They shouldn't be kept on a damp substrate though.

[Felmarg]

1) He keeps just burying himself, is this normal?

Yes, that is completely normal. I got my baby northern a month ago, and he is loves to bury himself! He always sleeps burried too.

2) The pet store told us to use orchid bark as substrate is this ok? It seems quite damp to me but he does seem to love burrowing in it.

Hmmm.... I have never heard of using orchid bark as a substrate for Blue tongues. I would suggest using either shaved aspen or carefresh, or anything recomended from anyone else on this site.

3) We haven't seen him eat anything yet, should we be worried?

Mine ate right away, but I would suggest that you continue offering food everyday. He/she will eat when he/she is ready.

4) Lastly how long should we leave it before we first handle him?

I left my skink alone for two days, but I would say you could handle him whenever he is ready. Every skink is different.

Good luck, and make sure you read the caresheet!

Felmarg,

[MartinsPerson]

I'd be careful about damp substrate. It molds really easily. I think there are a couple of people from England that should be able to point out some products that will be available locally for you.

I handled my baby from the get go, but he was pretty relaxed to begin with.

[mom22wins]

Hi beckym,

You came to the right place! It sounds like most of your questions have been answered already.

I have a new baby bluey and she hides under her carefresh as well. I took some advice from Zach (the site administrator and all around good guy) and minimized the amount of carefresh I put in the tank so she can't hide all the time. This has made a difference. She seems to be coming out of her shell a bit. I prefer carefresh because it's like papertowels really. It's less mess than some of the other substrates.

I would give your bluey some time to get used to his new surroundings. I'd say a day or two sounds reasonable. Is it a baby or an adult?

Be sure to check out the care sheet on this site for the list of proper foods to feed your new pet. A healthy BTS is a happy BTS!

Have fun and good luck!

[mewzic-7123]

if you hae to wait for them to cool off, how come mine was tame the moment i got him, an' he ate the moment we gave him some food

[Lucifer_Spades]

if you hae to wait for them to cool off, how come mine was tame the moment i got him, an' he ate the moment we gave him some food

Because Bluey's like people have different temperments.

A rose, is a rose, is a rose, unless it's a rose that has no thorns.


Some Bluey's are prickly, some are not.

[beckym]

Well we got him out briefly this evening and he seemed fine. He hissed at me a bit when I first picked him up but calmed down really quickly. We tried putting his nose right in his food but he didn't seem interested in fruit or veg but did eat some worms and some crickets. I know these don't have much nutritional value but the fact that he ate put my mind at rest a bit. I guess I will try different fruits and veg tomorrow and may find something that he likes. I have looked at the caresheet, so know what is best to feed.
The orchid bark doesn't seem damp now at all I think it was maybe just a bit sweaty where it had been kept in a plastic bag but still I think next time I clean out I will change it for aspen or something (i'm not sure we have carefresh here).
He is quite young, unfortunately the pet shop didn't know exactly when he was born they said 'a few months old'. He is about 8 inches long and not very fat.
We have 3 hides for him, a basking rock, some plastic plants and water and food dishes.

[Jenn]

Are you giving him fruits and veggies plain or mix with meat?

[beckym]

Just plain, should I be mixing with meat? If so what kind?

[Jenn]

That might be your problem. Out of my 8 blueys only two will eat their veggies/greens plain. I use cooked chicken breast, ground turkey, ground chicken, beef cubes (the ones they sell for stew). I then ground it up and mix it with the veggies/greens so it's hard to pick out.

[beckym]

I think I spoke too soon! He ate some fruit today just a blueberry and a couple of chunks of kiwi but at least he ate them. Gonna try him on some veg now.
Also he had his first poo and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be!

[suez]

Hi beckym i also use orchid bark its very difficult to get aspen shavings here and i dont like the grass aspen in case Loui gets it up his nose when burrying. the orchid bark is great i use this with my two berber skinks also they love it i have it about 5 inches deep in the hot end loads of hides and plants its natural for them to burrow and feel safe but they come out to bask as does Loui my bluey ands its very easy to keep clean
Suez