I wanted to have a discussion relating to several observed behaviours of the BTS - hoping experienced members would like to share any subsequent variances in this behaviour, and the possible factors that could play a role in influencing variations of this behaviour.
Duration of Activity
What do you typically observe as the duration of "active" behaviour amongst your skinks?
I have observed closely coming up to my skinks first year in February the amount of time she spends in different activity modes over the past 10 months:
Active - Regular movement and exploration around enclosure, responding to stimuli, greeting at enclosure door/interest in interaction/exploring outside of enclosure, active thermoregulation (warming and cooling), feeding/drinking, shedding
4-5 hours per day, the longest observed active interval being ~6 hours. Typically appearing to bask once the lamps activate at around 7.15am. (Note I opted to maintain the level of heat across her first winter instead of allowing brumation)
(Heating/Day cycle 7.15am-7pm)
On feeding days, and within the first 3 months active intervals could be as little as 3-4 hours per day. Typically once she has completed feeding, she will burrow and enter a sleeping phase within 1 hour. Note that handling will often have minimal influence (+- 30 mins) on extending active hours, with strongly established sleeping patterns (typically from 12-1pm). If I choose to have a handling time at/past established sleeping times, she will retreat to a sleeping phase immediately upon returning to the enclosure, typically with a short bask (~5-10 minutes).
Sedentary - Hiding with active observation i.e. head exposed out of hide, basking/napping whilst basking, inactive thermoregulation (warming phase only)
1-2 hours per day. Upon first bringing her home she spent more time in this phase as she was adjusting to a new environment. Cold snaps during winter could trigger more time in this phase of behaviour.
Sleeping - Withdrawing to hide + burrowing under substrate to sleep
19-20 hours per phase. This sleeping pattern has remained very consistent. I have not observed any nocturnal behaviour.
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Taking the above into consideration, how does this compare to your experiences?
In cases of keepers with multiple skinks, do you find that personality plays a role in the level of activity and the predominance of each phase? Are skinks which are more bold/confident in nature more likely to spend an extended period of time in an active phase as opposed to a more timid skink? (bearing in mind I would consider my skink to be a fairly balanced personality, not timid but not overly bold and has never showed aggression)
Does the environment which skinks are kept play a significant factor? Particularly for keepers in Australia and from compatible climates, do you notice any differences in activity between skinks housed outdoors (pits, etc. - ignoring pauses for brumation) which are naturally regulated vs. those kept in indoor enclosures?
Does communal keeping play a role? Do skinks which are housed together adopt similar activity patterns?
Do the sleeping patterns and activity levels of skinks change as they age? Are baby skinks and sub-adult skinks (below 2-3 years) more likely to have longer sleeping patterns than mature skinks and are there any differences in the levels of sedentary vs. active behaviour you have observed?
Moreover, has there been any observations of nocturnal behaviour within established sleeping patterns of skinks and/or exceptions to patterns typically observed?
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Cheers in advance
