Unburying

[charlie483.]

I've recently acquired a BTS at a reptile expo. It has been about 3 weeks and I gave him a week to acclimate. I've noticed that whenever I go to get him out, he's very agitated by it. I'm pretty sure it's because of how I'm getting him out. Because he buries himself in his substrate, I have to use a soft yet sturdy object to move his bedding around so I can find him. Obviously, this would terrify any animal! Does anyone have any tips on what I can do? I really want to start handling him more frequently but I don't want to make it unpleasant or run the risk of getting bit. Any help would be appreciated. He's in carefresh unscented paper bedding, if that helps any.

[splashy07]

Hi, and welcome. If you are using carefresh it is way too dry. Being you purchased at an expo you most likely have an Indonesian, and they need high humidity. A humidity holding substrate like cypress mulch would be great, and a large water bowl. What are your temps? A picture of your new pet and his setup would help.

[ReptiFiles]

Agreed — can we get pics of your setup, skink, and info about your temps? A lot of skinks like to burrow, but staying perpetually buried can indicate stress. If he is Indonesian (which is most likely) he probably doesn't feel very good in a dry environment. Cypress mulch, coconut husk, coconut fiber, sphagnum moss, etc. are all ways you can boost humidity to 60-80%.