New skink doesn’t want to come out

[Austin525]

Hi ,
Picked up our first northern blue tongue 5 days ago from a great local reptile store . Set up 75 gallon tank with plenty of hides and hot and cold side . I know there is an adjustment period but only way he will come out is if I lift a hide he is under and he’s buried in the aspen . He will hiss once in a while . Good thing is he ate few days in a row and got a drink 2 days ago . Wandered around tank for few minutes as we watched from about 10 ft away to not disturb . Then back under bedding . Should we do something to help him get adjusted or just let be ?

[Janella]

Hi and welcome to the forum. First I would recommend not using Aspen for your Northern. It has been found to be just to dry for them. Since you just got him, I would give the little guy time to adjust. It usually can take up to two weeks. Keep offering tasty foods, talk to it, and then after a while you can start to handle.

[Kevin142001]

Dudes doing better than mine. Mines only eaten because I've dug him up twice and put food in front of him twice. (If I just leave it in the tank he doesnt come out for it.)

And I've never seen him drink the water. If he does, he's full stealth doing it when im not in the room, and then goes back to exactly the same spot in the substrate to hide.

I say yours is doing better because atleast youve seen him and and have seen him drink.

Yeah if you read the first time skink owner FAQ on here. It says its pretty normal for you to not see him for 2 weeks at first.

Also says its highly probable he's gonna hiss at you. And its more technically correct to say they're huffing and puffing than hissing. But I get you i described it as a hiss at first.

Hes grumpy, still isn't sure if were gonna eat them later or not.

[splashy07]

Post a picture so we can confirm it is indeed a Northern.