How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
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In this forum all are welcome to ask blue tongue skink-related questions, share information, ideas, tips, experiences, and pictures with fellow BTS enthusiasts.
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In this forum all are welcome to ask blue tongue skink-related questions, share information, ideas, tips, experiences, and pictures with fellow BTS enthusiasts.
If you are wondering if your BTS is acting normally or might be sick, this is where you can get help with that.
This is also where you can have some FUN while sharing the enjoyment you get from your blueys!
- Emz3
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How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
The more I watch my two blueys the more I grow concerned with Elouise, my IJ. Elouise hides almost all the time. Every time I check on them she is in her hide. Elouise always keeps her head out of her hide and she always has her eyes closed. I rarely see her out of her hide. Maybe every couple of days I will notice her basking and she is always cold to the touch (compared to Stubbs who always has some body warmth). 90% of the time she is sleeping with eyes closed. She is eating as far as I can tell. I saw her at the food dish today. She has always been the quieter of the two skinks.
Stubbs, my Merauke is very active. He basks multiple times throughout the day, but also hides a lot in the morning. He always comes out first for food. Stubbs hides well enough that I never notice if his eyes are closed or not. How often does your skinks sleep through out the day? Should I be concerned with the amount of time she is sleeping? Is this normal?!?! Should I take her to the vet? ...help...
Stubbs, my Merauke is very active. He basks multiple times throughout the day, but also hides a lot in the morning. He always comes out first for food. Stubbs hides well enough that I never notice if his eyes are closed or not. How often does your skinks sleep through out the day? Should I be concerned with the amount of time she is sleeping? Is this normal?!?! Should I take her to the vet? ...help...
- LarissaLurid
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
BTS sleep a lot, especially babies that are growing. Mine is asleep basically all the time unless he's roaming outside his cage or eating. Even when he's roaming he goes and finds a blanket to curl up in then sleeps. It's normal.
1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink (Caipora)
TONS of other pets, listed on my page.
TONS of other pets, listed on my page.
- Emz3
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
Okay, that would make me really happy if sleeping a lot was normal. How often does your BTS bask though? El rarely basks.
- LarissaLurid
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
Emz3 wrote:Okay, that would make me really happy if sleeping a lot was normal. How often does your BTS bask though? El rarely basks.
Mine rarely basks as well. He is very healthy, growing and eating fine, he's a 9 month old, 20 inch long Merauke.
How old is your bts? As I said, younger ones can sleep more with all their growing and such.
1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink (Caipora)
TONS of other pets, listed on my page.
TONS of other pets, listed on my page.
- LarissaLurid
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
Mine always just likes to find places to burrow and hide, get comfy, then take a nap. The other night he even took a nap right under the kitchen table right in the open without burrowing into a blanket or anything lol.
1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink (Caipora)
TONS of other pets, listed on my page.
TONS of other pets, listed on my page.
- Emz3
- Bluey Beginner

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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
Aw, your BTS sounds cute! I adopted mine so I don't know how old they are. I think they are both adults.
- Rani-May
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
They sleep most of their lives away lol
most blue tongues will hide away if left in the cage,mine tend to run round the perimeter of the cage when wanting to come out, just so sometimes he can snooze on my shoulder or under my arm (after forcefully burrowing under there)
I wouldnt be too concerned unless they stop doing other normal habits like eating. same with the basking. mine basks on and off as they please, then will hide. keep in mind that blue tongues dont usually bask for too long at a time anyway. Dont stress
most blue tongues will hide away if left in the cage,mine tend to run round the perimeter of the cage when wanting to come out, just so sometimes he can snooze on my shoulder or under my arm (after forcefully burrowing under there)
I wouldnt be too concerned unless they stop doing other normal habits like eating. same with the basking. mine basks on and off as they please, then will hide. keep in mind that blue tongues dont usually bask for too long at a time anyway. Dont stress
- LarissaLurid
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
Rani-May wrote:They sleep most of their lives away lol
most blue tongues will hide away if left in the cage,mine tend to run round the perimeter of the cage when wanting to come out, just so sometimes he can snooze on my shoulder or under my arm (after forcefully burrowing under there)
I wouldnt be too concerned unless they stop doing other normal habits like eating. same with the basking. mine basks on and off as they please, then will hide. keep in mind that blue tongues dont usually bask for too long at a time anyway. Dont stress
Agreed
Mine is always hidden but if he wants to come out he will go scratch on the glass and I'll let him out. They just tend to sleep a lot. My Halloween Mask Leo does that as well.
1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink (Caipora)
TONS of other pets, listed on my page.
TONS of other pets, listed on my page.
- Coomassie
- The Inked Chemist

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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
Coomassie wakes up and basks, then has a nap, then he gets up for some water and possibly to poo, and then has a midmorning nap which lasts most of the day. Some times he will move to the other side of the enclosure mid-nap. My husband or I come home and he tires himself out begging for roaches and has to have another nap. I usually at least pet him for a while if not take him out and he is in bed for the night before his light goes off between 8:30 and 9. He must be tired from all that sleeping...
Cay T.
- tylociraptor
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
Misha tends to nap out alot as well, she's a growing baby!
As for basking, she hasn't basked AT ALL since I've had her, but it's also been like, crazy hot here, so hot my ball python was often curling up in his water bowl (and yes, i checked for mites). They bask when they need to, haha!
As for basking, she hasn't basked AT ALL since I've had her, but it's also been like, crazy hot here, so hot my ball python was often curling up in his water bowl (and yes, i checked for mites). They bask when they need to, haha!
- justyna.ewa
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
LarissaLurid wrote:Emz3 wrote:Okay, that would make me really happy if sleeping a lot was normal. How often does your BTS bask though? El rarely basks.
Mine rarely basks as well. He is very healthy, growing and eating fine, he's a 9 month old, 20 inch long Merauke.
How old is your bts? As I said, younger ones can sleep more with all their growing and such.
Mine buries himself in this shavings pretty much all day and never seems to bask either. Can the size of the skink really tell you its age? I thought mine was adult, since he is almost 22inches, but the person I got him from has no idea of his age.
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bella3
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
Juno is so lazy! She gets up, basks, maybe explores a little then sleeps. Like LarissaLurid said unless she is eating or roaming, usually she is sleeping.
- Emz3
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
Alright, well, thanks guys! You've helped ease my worried mind! I'm still learning what is normal. These BTS are the first reptiles I've ever had. Hopefully for her, the sleeping and lack of basking is normal!
- Kurt
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
My merauke doesn't seem to be much of a sleeper. He sleeps in for an hour or so after his lights come on. Then he's pretty active for a while until its "nap time" which is about mid day. He wakes up in an hour or two and is active right until about 30 min before bed time. When he sheds he pretty much sleeps all day though.
My northern is a whole different story. He wakes up before the lights turn on and is already on is basking spot waiting to warm up. Then after he heats up for a bit he goes back to sleep. Throughout the day he basically wakes up just long enough to move to a new spot that looks like a comfortable spot for a nap. I think its partially b/c he's still growing and partially just because he's just a napper.
My northern is a whole different story. He wakes up before the lights turn on and is already on is basking spot waiting to warm up. Then after he heats up for a bit he goes back to sleep. Throughout the day he basically wakes up just long enough to move to a new spot that looks like a comfortable spot for a nap. I think its partially b/c he's still growing and partially just because he's just a napper.
6 y.o. 0.1 Merauke - Apollo - House of Reptiles - 2011
5 y.o. 0.1 Northern - Rocko - Captive Bred Excellence - 2012
5 y.o. 0.1 Northern - Rocko - Captive Bred Excellence - 2012
- Rani-May
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
yeah nothing to worry about, as long as you keep the basking light on so that your bluey has the option to bask if it wants 
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Moxie17
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
Great answers. I thought my baby was a bum, sleeping most of the time. Thanks for all the input.
- Susann
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Re: How Much Does Your Skink Sleep During the Day?
No worries, happens to the best of us, but this thread is almost three years old. Please note from the Forum Rules:
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And from the top of the General Discussion Forum, the thread called ***PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE POSTING***:
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So I will now lock this thread.
"Please DO NOT revive old threads! Generally, threads in the General Discussion Forum, Off Topic, or Classifieds sections that are 3 months or older we ask be left alone. If you have a question that is not answered through a search of old posts, please start a new thread rather than reviving a past one. The exception to this rule is anything in the Advanced Discussion Forum. Threads in this forum can be added to or commented on at any time."
And from the top of the General Discussion Forum, the thread called ***PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE POSTING***:
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