Emma has been completely burrowed for 3 days..

[BruinsEv]

Should I be worried? Temperature gradient is constantly being monitored, she has multiple hides on both sides, fresh water always, etc.

She did this the first day I had her last week, and I (regrettably) pulled her out because I wanted her to eat. She has now been under since Friday, and hasn't eaten since. I am making her fresh food every day and putting it by her for a
Couple hours before taking away. When i say burrowed, I mean BURROWED. Like, I honestly have no idea where she is in the tank.. When she is out , she huffs and snaps at me, she was A tenth of a second from getting me.

Any suggestions? Should I be worried, or just confident that she
Will come out when she is good and ready? My worry is that she is hiding because she is scared/stressed/not happy, rather than just "doing what skinks do".

Thanks !

[Sarikazam]

Well my baby is doing the exact same thing. I think they are still just settling in, the new environment might be a bit stressful still and they feel safest buried away.
Also my older Merauke as been completely buried for the two weeks that I have had him for so far. Like not even just a little bit, he goes underneath a hide and THEN buries himself under all his shavings.

I think the best thing to do is just wait out the week or two and let her do whatever she wants, then work on handling her and letting her explore the rest of her new home. Maybe then she will realise there is nothing to be concerned about.

But all the same, I would like to hear what other people have to say on the topic.

[bella3]

I'm no expert, but I would say she is just adjusting. Juno didn't really have a super hard time adjusting but only after 2 to 3 weeks(I've had her for about a month) does she come out of her hides everyday a lot to bask, drink etc. I think Emma is just getting used to her new home and she needs some time to realize that she isn't in danger. I would say just keep offering food and water and let her do what she wants for a little while, but again, I'm still learning too.
Hope that helped a little bit.

[tylociraptor]

Misha was similar, but more ready to eat and curious/friendly. Each skink has a personality, I guess yours is just waiting to let hers burst out! You may be able to entice her to eat with wax worms or something of the sort, it helped Misha to get to her food sometimes when she didnt know where it was

[Linnea]

you need not worry.

A skinks preferred way of living is hidden it is "what skinks do".
some skinks just love to hide a lot, and stay hidden like that for the entire week but for eating a little sometimes.
she is slowly working up her confidence and settling in, and will eat when she is hungry.

as long as temps and all is good, really, she is normal.

although, im not sure how old your skink is (memory loss), you can put in food every other day instead, but leave it there. just make sure to put it on the cold side.

[BruinsEv]

Thanks for the replies guys/gals. It's good to know this is normal behavior. I actually coaxed her to come out and eat tonight before running back into her hide!!

Linnea, she is a month and a half old !

[Fatal_S]

Glad to hear she came out to eat. They do tend to hide a lot when they can, but as they get older they get much braver and more social. Maybe 1 m/o is too young to be shipping them. I wonder if my older babies will settle in faster. Emma was a bit shy here, but always came running to see when I opened her bin. I don't think it should take long before she settles down and starts spending more time out and about. Please continue the updates, I really appreciate them.

[BruinsEv]

Glad to hear she came out to eat. They do tend to hide a lot when they can, but as they get older they get much braver and more social. Maybe 1 m/o is too young to be shipping them. I wonder if my older babies will settle in faster. Emma was a bit shy here, but always came running to see when I opened her bin. I don't think it should take long before she settles down and starts spending more time out and about. Please continue the updates, I really appreciate them.

It might have been too early, it's really hard to tell. The extra day in that box might have caused some stress, coupled with having this HUGGGE home all to herself. I may/may not have her substrate too deep, but I will learn as I go. I was going to try and snap some pics of her eating yesterday, but even the slightest movement sent her running for her cave! I will definitely keep the updates comin though