BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

What are peoples opinions in taking their skink out of their hide???

Uh.. normal? Skinks hide much of their day.. so sometimes you kinda have to.

well thanks for your opinion sassy i understand people always do this i just heard one person say everyone shouldnt be doing this, can't hurt to ask

i guess you could call it "hide control" i have to do it with the merauke, he will literally not come out for days...the first week 2 weeks i had him i had a camera on him during the night...he NEVER came out except once a day for a quick drink and thats it..all his messes were in his hide box so i decided i dont want him being TO anti-social so during the day i'll take his hide box out...now when he came to be he was....a brat..he'd huff and puff and run away..i find that since i've started taking his hide box out..he's lost maybe 25% of the attitude..he now has time to warm up and bask which as i said before..he didn't leave his hide box the first 2 weeks he was here when the lights were on..so basking even for an hour a day is awesome..and even the bf reached in and petted him last night and he wasn't to *ticked about it..but he huffed and puffed the whole time..he's not the "sweet hearted cuddle bunny who gives kisses" i was told but..he is what he is...i didn't want a cuddly kissing skink..i just wanted another pet..which is what i got so no complaints there...

any how

i think if your skink isn't basking or coming out even just to stretch those stumpy little limbs..taking the hide for a few hours a day or so isn't going to harm them..it might *tick them off...but some times you know whats best for them before they want to accept..with my Tili..i dont have to pull the hide bc i'll seen her moving around a lot, drinking, basking, stretching her little stumpy legs out..soon enough they'll have play yards outside.

Coomassie has 3 hides. He has a half log, a cork log, and under his water dish. If he is under his water dish or under his water dish, I will bother him if I have to. The cork log is his and I will not remove him from it. He knows that the cork log is his safe space. If he wants to be left alone, he goes in the cork log (he also sleeps there). If he sees me and wants to come out, he will come out of the cork log.

if they arent coming out theres an obvious reason for that,ripping them out of there hides isnt the answer

try offering more hides in differing temp zones,choices,keeping them is about what they want,not what we want them to do,observe them,make adjustments,see if things improve,if not try something else,if u observe them,they show you what they need

i gave him a smaller hide and it has made him start coming out more, thanks for the advice everyone