Swapping cages

[Gail]

Has anyone who has multiple skinks ever swapped cages for a few day as part of a enrichment routine? I'd think a skink would get pretty board of the same cage all the time and might like snooping around in a neighbors home.

[Fatal_S]

I'm not big on putting them into another animals tank without a very through cleaning, but I do try to redecorate every major clean. Just something as simple as a new log or a tennis ball or a new hide seems to really make them happy. My other option is changing things around in the out-of-tank areas my skinks get to explore (my bathrooms). They definitely seem to enjoy new things, which is awesome since most reptiles stress over anything new. I avoid tank-swapping for health and stress reasons (moving into a tank that stinks of another reptile). I do swap some things between tanks sometimes (usually by accident when cleaning). I think as long as their surroundings are fairly familiar (same tank/bathroom/person) the items changing around is good for them. MO obviously.

[Katrina]

I wouldn't switch enclosures - I've found even when doing a thorough clean and scrubbing everything, they have still been very cautious when in a different enclosure. This was with all new substrate, scrubbed enclosure and their own decor in there - they still acted odd, as if they could tell that they were in someone else's home. Moreso that when I just clean their own enclosure fully and everything smells different.

I generally have a set of 'decor' for each skink, so they have their own stuff - especially hard to clean, porous things like cork bark or wood. I know my skinks are healthy and parasite free... but just in case. But I try to add things in and switch it up so that there is some new stuff in there and it isn't always the same. I'm not sure how much they appreciate it, but I try to give them large enclosures with lots of 'stuff' in it to begin with so there is some enrichment. The curious ones also enjoy people watching.

[Gail]

Ok, not switching cages. I just though that since they are so curious and like to explore unfamiliar things they might like a different smelling cage. I want to get enough decor to switch things once in awhile but stuff like the hides and water dishes will stay the same.

[NennaMeerkat]

If you want your skink to experience new places why not take it out from time to time and let it roam around something like a crowded table or even the couch? That is what I do with Mr. Blue. When it is laundry day and I have warm clothes folded on my love seat I let Mr. Blue roam around in the different piles. He likes the warm clothes and seems to enjoy toppling stacks of folded clothes. And if I leave a load unfolded he will burrow into the mass occasionally poking his head out and such. There are plenty of safe places (with supervision) where a skink can explore.

[Gail]

Oh, I plan on letting them out to roam. I have to figure out a way to section off a safe area. Not only do I have three dogs but the the heating vents in this old house has big enough grates that I skink could get into the heating ducts. Thinking about the kitchen maybe, easy to block off.
In the summer, they will get plenty of outside time both in and out of a cage. I'm planting a small garden to grow veggies for them, they can play there all they want.