Staying burrowed too much and pooping in self defense?

[JonghyunTheSkink]

The other day my friend got my skink, Jonghyun out of his tank. And he pooped on her. I was wondering if this is a self defense mechanism or if not? Also, since we got him out he stayed burrowed and didn't come out. I forced him out of hiding this morning because I was concerned but then he was mad at me so I didn't bother trying to get him out. I just wanted to check on these things to see if they are normal or not?

[donkeybuff]

Yes, my skink used to always poop when we had him out. He has stopped now that he is older. Hiding is also normal after first handling them; mine did the same.

[JonghyunTheSkink]

Yes, my skink used to always poop when we had him out. He has stopped now that he is older. Hiding is also normal after first handling them; mine did the same.

Okay so it's normal? What bothers me the most is that he gets mad and hisses at me when I want to pick him up! I just wish he'd like me D:

[Bird_Brain]

Skinks are not dogs. I technically wouldn't expect it to ever like you. Bts are solitary animals in the wild and could careless to have company or a companion.

[Linnea]

as RK said, they are solitary animals and do not enjoy social interaction the way humans do, even if skinks for sure are good at expressing themselves clearly

peeing in self defence happens, some do it a lot, pooping is also a stress sign, so your bluey doesnt like being lifted much. you can notice if they have peed or pooped they suddenly relax their legs entirely, so it is like a last resort. skinks may also poop when they suddenly move a lot when outside, just like any human.

some good notes to remember that might help you determine how your skink is feeling:
- hissing is done with the skinks mouth open, or partly open. it is a very sharp sound. this is a warning signal that indicates self-defence actions will be taken if necessary.
- huffing, which is more usual, is done with the blueys mouth mostly closed. its usually a quite deep sound. this is a signal that means "be careful, mind me, im here too and its a bit uncomfortable". it is not a sign of agression. some blueys huff more than others.

if you skink feels stressed while handled, dont let other people handle your skink. one human is better to start with than two. my skink is totally cool with being handled now, but if there is more than one person in the room it is still too much for him, and it may not get better.

my suggestions?
- your skink need to rest from this episode, and hiding is normal - they may ignore basking for weeks at a time. it is also winter so yoru skink is more prone to take it easy and slow down.
- if you decide to handle your skink more, which is optional, start by doing it alone. try to bring a treat some of the times so it will be a nicer and more interesting experience to him.
- try not to handle your skink while he is about to shed or while working to get the shed off the first 2 days. this is a stressful time for any reptile, and if he is already scared of being held, he will likely display more defensively.

other than that, you skink will love you if you feed it and give it time some are arrogant, stubborn, easily annoyed, ignore you or hide a lot, but if its one thing they all have in common, they love food. think of it as your gift to the skink. and a happy and secure skink will most surely have great days for handling too.

[Lea]

Yes, my skink used to always poop when we had him out. He has stopped now that he is older. Hiding is also normal after first handling them; mine did the same.

Okay so it's normal? What bothers me the most is that he gets mad and hisses at me when I want to pick him up! I just wish he'd like me D:

It's normal, but not every skink will be a pooper. It's a reaction to suddenly being lifted out of their comfort zone and yes, a defence. You can limit the stress caused by handling by holding him close to a solid surface and by supporting his limbs and tail on your hand or arm. Unfortunately, some skinks will always react to handling by delivering a poop or by excreting urine.

Pooping can also be the result of the physiological upset- pressure on the abdomen, or just gravity, if held other than on a level. Be aware of how you handle and try to give as much support as possible, not just to the body, but also the limbs. Limiting the stress related to handling may decrease the amount of pooping. Also, avoid handling after feeding as it can cause gastric disturbances.

[tylociraptor]

For the first week or two that I was handling Misha, she would poop/pee from time to time as a kind of self defense/nervousness reaction. She never does it anymore, unless she's in my hood... is really relaxed... and does a wee tinkle, lol!

[JonghyunTheSkink]

I actually think that he's peeing on us mostly. I believe he's afraid of heights so he gets really scared. I'm not sure why he's so scared though.

[Richard.C]

Yep its a sign of nervousness,self defence ect,with some patience it should pass,the hissing and huffing is also a sign,takes a bit of patience on your part for them to learn to trust you,but generally they settle quickly if not stressed to much,they soon ascotiate you with food and learn you arent the big scary threat they thought you were

A keeper reaching into enclosure of a nervous skink or chasing it around the csge trying to secure it is akin to a bird of prey trying to secure it for lunch,in there eyes,natural intstinct is to flee /hide,and or if cornered hiss,huff and if that doesnt work,display tounge or lunge at aggressor,the latter often a last resort

They do calm down,but emphasis is on earning there trust

Also some,even tame ones can be prone to peeing pooping on being handled,centralians and stumpies have been my worst culptrits for it,centralians can be shy,but the stumpies are very tame,the oppasite of timid,lol

I dont over handle them though so could be nervous of being picked up,or just how they are initially picked up

[JonghyunTheSkink]

Yep its a sign of nervousness,self defence ect,with some patience it should pass,the hissing and huffing is also a sign,takes a bit of patience on your part for them to learn to trust you,but generally they settle quickly if not stressed to much,they soon ascotiate you with food and learn you arent the big scary threat they thought you were

A keeper reaching into enclosure of a nervous skink or chasing it around the csge trying to secure it is akin to a bird of prey trying to secure it for lunch,in there eyes,natural intstinct is to flee /hide,and or if cornered hiss,huff and if that doesnt work,display tounge or lunge at aggressor,the latter often a last resort

They do calm down,but emphasis is on earning there trust

Also some,even tame ones can be prone to peeing pooping on being handled,centralians and stumpies have been my worst culptrits for it,centralians can be shy,but the stumpies are very tame,the oppasite of timid,lol

I dont over handle them though so could be nervous of being picked up,or just how they are initially picked up

I've read everything on here that people have told me and it's all really helpful! I appreciate you guys helping me out to better understand my buddy Jonghyun!

[Toxique]

And on the subject of heights, when you're only about a foot long and hardly more than a few inches off the ground, being picked up and lofted up is pretty scary. It would be like if godzilla grabbed you round the middle and played with you at his height.

And also, don't be discouraged on him being huffy, but 'liking' and 'disliking' don't really go with reptiles as people have said, they're interesting animals but they're not glommy for attention like a dog would be. I'm not saying you can't form a bond with a reptile, but take it at their pace, let your boy trust YOU first, try and keep it between you two for a while until you can get him more adapted to being held, then slowly branch out to others. All will come in due time, never fret on that! You do seem to quite love the little guy, and if you just take it slow and learn to read what he's telling you, and work with him, you're going to do fantastic!

[JonghyunTheSkink]

And on the subject of heights, when you're only about a foot long and hardly more than a few inches off the ground, being picked up and lofted up is pretty scary. It would be like if godzilla grabbed you round the middle and played with you at his height.

And also, don't be discouraged on him being huffy, but 'liking' and 'disliking' don't really go with reptiles as people have said, they're interesting animals but they're not glommy for attention like a dog would be. I'm not saying you can't form a bond with a reptile, but take it at their pace, let your boy trust YOU first, try and keep it between you two for a while until you can get him more adapted to being held, then slowly branch out to others. All will come in due time, never fret on that! You do seem to quite love the little guy, and if you just take it slow and learn to read what he's telling you, and work with him, you're going to do fantastic!

What's funny is I am reading this after I just discovered that he HATES when I stand on a stool and try to get him out of his tank. His tank is pretty tall so I'm too short to reach in and grab him. He lunged at me because it frightened him really bad. I know to never do that again.

[Spindown]

I was pooped on A LOT by my Indo when we first got him...he grew out of it as he got more accustomed to us. He hasnt done it at all since the first few months we had him, and we got him in 2/2010

[JonghyunTheSkink]

So the other day I was able to get Jonghyun out of his tank without him peeing on me! I feel as though I am making great progress with him. Also, I discovered that he loves baby food. That's what the people at the pet store fed him along with his veggies.