shedding question

[rsrwus]

We have had our guy just about two months now. Tiger shed during the middle of October and last night when he was out it looks like he is shedding again. For the past two weeks he has not been as active as normal, hiding and burrow more in his substrate and slowed down on his eating. But since yesterday his appetite is back, he was out exploring his cage until his lights went off and he was waiting for his food this morning at 7. He is a young skink and he has definitely grown since we got him. Is he not done with the first shed or is he shedding again? How often do they shed?

[Rani-May]

Babies shed more frequently than adults obviously because they are growing rapidly. my baby bluey sheds ever month. So he probably would be shedding sometime soon.
Just another thing though, im not sure if you do or not, but i wouldnt feed early in the morning. feeding time should be after at least a few hours of sun/heat lamp to warm them up. Its what gets the digesting going. I feed mine around midday.

[AnnaMonroe]

I agree with Rani-May. I personally feed anywhere from 3:30 − 4:00 p.m.
Spyro just recently turned 3 months old and he sheds around every 19-22 days since he's still growing so fast(:

[Rani-May]

Mine seems to be growing out ways, not length ways lol. Hoping she will catch up on length during the warmer weather here.

[rsrwus]

I don't have a choice on the feeding time. I have to feed before I leave for work. I'm the last to leave the house and no one get home until after 6. At promptly 6 Tiger goes to bed. His basking lamp and coll side light come on at 6. We tried it coming on at 7 but e still went to bed at 6 so we change his light to correspond when he is out. I don't know when he actually eats as it is just gone when we get home. He usually checks his food out when I put it in his cage in the morning but does not eat it. On the weekends he usually munches on it most of the day and by 2 it is all gone. We have been feeding him daily. If we miss a day the next day he just gobbles it up as soon as we put it in there.

[El Lobo]

I can't see anything wrong with feeding earlier in the morning by the method described, particularly as he has established an activity pattern that suits his needs. BTS are described as diurnal simply because they are not nocturnal; it would be more accurate to describe them as crepuscular. They don't have to be pre-heated like an oven to be able to digest safely, they just need access to sufficient basking sources after eating to allow the digestive system to operate at optimum.

[Jeff]

I too feed first thing in the morning. If the skink is active enough to eat the food, he is active enough to go bask afterward. Most of mine will eat right away even if their heat has just come on, but if they choose to wait awhile that is fine too. Like El Lobo said, they need access to warm enough temperatures after they eat, to digest, they don't need to be at OBT to eat.

[Richard.C]

Alot of wild ones eat quite early,especially in good weather,then hide from heat until later in the day maintaining there preffered body temps out of the heat in the safety of shelter

Feeding captives early gives them all day to eat it then bask and start digesting and carry out normal activities for remainder of the day,in saying that some buggers will even come out at night and eat well after sundown or lights go out