New skink closing eyes, won't eat, not active

[xzraruna]

I got my blue tongue skink on November 23, so hes been in my house for about 6 days. He is 2 months old halmahera blue tongue skink. After he arrived he ate a bit of cat food, maybe bcs he was hungry after shipping. Then he went back to his hiding cave and sleep. The next day, he didn't eat the cat food I put in his feeding dish, i tried to hand feed him crickets, he ate them but not much. He always hides in his hiding cave so I have to take him out to eat.
These days he seems to close his eyes more and he refuses to eat.
This morning he comes out of his hiding cave and lays on his water dish with closed eyes.
Idk what to do, should I leave him alone with his food and water? Or should I force feed him? I'm afraid I would overstress him but he looks lethargic and he refuses to eat, is he sick?

Sorry for my bad english bcs I'm Indonesian and english is not my first language, I hope you guys can still understand me

[Janella]

HI there, usually we recommend giving our skink friends their space when first arriving into a new home. Usually this can take about 2 weeks. So all we recommend is talking to your skink, feeding, and cleaning the enclosure as needed. Most halmahera are unfortunately wild caught and loaded with parasites. Where did you get his one from? What is your enclosure and temps? Humidity? These guys need high humidity to maintain properly. Substrate? If you are visibly concerned about your pet then I would recommend taking it to an experienced reptile vet verify if it is healthy or not. Laying in a water dish and keeping its eyes close alot, isn't normal.

[splashy07]

Laying in a water dish could mean he has mites. Do you see any tiny black bugs crawling on him? He could also be very dehydrated, and as previously stated is wild caught. Internal parasites can overload from stress, and as stated is common in wild caught animals.
Humidity should be 85% at the very least and basking temps 95-105. Substrate should be humidity friendly like cypress mulch or similar, not aspen or anything dry. How about some pictures of your skink and setup?

[Janella]

Thanks Splashy...I forgot about the mites! It could be that as well.

[splashy07]

Mites are all too common in wild caught animals, mostly because of their overcrowded temporary housing conditions. At one time mostly associated with snakes, improper housing at holding facilities can cause infection to almost any lizard with overlapping scales. In plain English, mites SUCK. They're the sole reason I no longer take in rescues, or purchase anything living from pet shops and expos. There was a time when I'd buy a reptile just to save its life when I saw it suffering in a store. Never again, my friends. The only store I even visit anymore (to avoid any temptation) is an exotic reptile specialty shop owned by a close friend and fellow breeder. Online sellers are no better, so buyers beware and once again buy captive bred and ask for proof!!