Why is my BTS defecating when handled?

[Chef21]

Hi all, my ~4 month old Eastern Bluey pees liquid and poops about 90% of the time when being handled. I have read that peeing liquid is a stress response or when they are uncomfortable but I can't think of a reason why my bluey is so uncomfortable that he feels the need to pee. I barely even actually handle him during sessions, mostly just slowly patting his back and hand feeding him snacks.

The first month of handling (under 10 sessions total) when he was a little baby went smoothly, I'd have him crawl around my bed and lay on my chest for 20+ minutes with no trouble. One random handling session he peed liquid and pooped while relaxing on my bed, I wasn't even touching him. From then on it is a re-occuring thing, I now handle him in a open 40 litre tub lined with paper towels as 9 times out of 10 i know he will defecate at some stage.

I this really a stress response? He will just be cruising around the tub, stop, then pee. He doesn't like when I initially pick him up out of his enclosure and does try his hardest to burrow through the plastic and makes many attempts to exit the tub though. I let him crawl out one day and sectioned off a small area on my carpeted floor for him to explore. To no surprise after about 10 minutes of exploring he stopped and peed once again.

I feed him his favourite snacks and have a heat pack in the tub which i know he likes to sit on. Is there anything i'm doing wrong? Would I be stressing him out at all? I know he dislikes the tub but it's the only thing I can handle him in because I know he will pee. Suggestions and opinions are highly requested!!! Feel free to ask me to elaborate on anything.

Thank you! xx

[Janella]

Hi there, so it could be stress, it could be that it just learned to go to the bathroom when out of it's enclosure, it could be it just had to go. Also keep track of the time of day and see if there is a pattern to the time of day it goes as well. I would suggest this. If you want to let him out either wait until he goes inside the enclosure and then let him out or let him out. Place in a tub and then wait till he goes. Once he goes, the skink will usually and very rarely go again. Keep all handling session positive and reward after you have your skink out if things go well. The idea is to teach your skink when to go. I hope this makes sense.