New BTS owner - Some questions!

[Nyx]

Hello all!

New BTS owner, I've had Beenard for about a month now. The guy I bought him from said he's 3.

Anyways, I have read through the care sheet 1000 times and will probably continue to do so for the foreseeable future. A lot of really good info in there! I have also gone through the FAQs multiple times.

I do have some questions though that I couldn't seem to find the answer for in those (I used the search function but didn't find exactly what I was looking for, only things that made me worry )

For my questions:

1. In one of the pictures, the one in front of his face, I noticed his bottom right jaw protrudes outward and the tip of his nose is kinda messed up (looks like a molt gone wrong IMO). I was wondering if someone could explain that to me. Maybe it's an issue, maybe not, but it would be good to know if there's a reason for that.

2. I've noticed over the last week or so that his skin is pink-ish, almost like a very light salmon color. It's most noticeable behind his ears. If this picture doesn't get it well enough let me know and I'll try for another! When I searched for this I saw all the stuff about s___ (can't remember the name, only that it was toxins in the bloodstream). I wanted to get some expert opinions about what could be the reasoning and if I should schedule a vet visit!

Before I get the comment, as I'm sure someone would point it out, I was unaware of the type of aspen bedding good for substrate. I will be swapping this out for chips or cypress when I clean out his enclosure next.

Thanks in advance!

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[mb606587]

Sometimes they are born with overbites or slight defects. It is fairly common to see. As for the pink, the skin can have a pinkish tint to it after sheds. It may fade after a few days so just keep an eye on that.

[Nyx]

Okay thank you for the quick response! I will keep an eye on the pink coloring. It's been more than a few days already that I've noticed. He's been burrowing a lot lately, just came out today for some food but he spends 2-3 days under. Every time he comes up he's just a lil pink. It's darkest on his neck behind his earholes.

[mb606587]

I'd consider changing the substrate out sooner than and see if that helps. It may be an issue with low humidity. I see you're in Arizona which is more arid, do you know what the humidity is inside? Despite alot of misinformation regarding Northerns, they are not a low humidity species and are actually found in tropical climates. Generally speaking, reptiles that burow frequently often tend to instinctively be seeking relief from harsh, dry climates as under the soil is cooler and more humid. You'll see this with the Gila Monster, a native species to Arizona.

[Nyx]

Okay great!

I should have been more diligent with the misinformation piece... we keep spiders and snakes as well and misinformation is aplenty over there, should have guessed it'd be here too.

I have updated the enclosure, the bedding, and the humidity piece. I have a picture to show the changes. I will keep an eye on his pinkish splotches and his overall temperament.

The substrate is cypress mulch + coco fiber, approx 45/55 mixture. The ceramic heat element is set to 100, and the other bulb is just UVB. I have them both on a 12 hr cycle. The humidifier on the left can be used to amplify humidity if necessary.

Is there anything else that I'm missing/should change?

Thanks again <3