BTS Not Shedding

[Ezealan]

Hi! My Eastern BTS is almost 5 months old now, and over the last few weeks he's turned a very dull colour which usually means he's going to shed, but the only thing he's shed is around his nostril area. I saw him rub it against his hide and it peeled off, revealing a much brighter colour. Nothing else has come off, and his front left foot is looking a little flakey. I gave him a bath to soften things up, still nothing. He's not very active now and just likes to stay in his hide, come out for a couple minutes and sit under his heat lamp and then go back in. Usually when I walk past he climbs up onto the glass to meet me but these past couple days it feels like he's a completely different skink. He's also not been eating very much for about a week now, but every now and then will take a bit of meat from my hand.

I read that these are all common things that happen before they shed (not active, not eating much) so maybe I'm overreacting, but what do I do? Just wait it out? He does look normal, just very dull in colour. Is it possible that he won't even shed and this old stuff will stay on him until the next time he sheds? He's not peeling at all. I will get some pictures in a few hours if I can, It's almost impossible to get him out of his hide as it's a cylinder shaped log and he holds on for dear life if I try to coax him out.

Also his previous sheds have been very good. No problems there.

[wermy]

How is the humidity in his tank?

[Snowysmom]

Don't worry yet at all. My 6 months old is due for a shed now and has been hiding and basking and hiding, but still eating like a pig. This has been for a solid week now which is much longer for her to hide on me before a shed. Her color is getting duller by the day which means the shed is coming. I have kept track of the time span between her sheds since her 1st shed with me and each time sees to get longer. Last month it was 32 days and now we are up to 34 so far, so I don't worry and know things are on schedule. Sounds just like yours though. I just usually come home from work one day and she has completely shed in less than 24 hours. If all your sheds have been good and your humidity is appropriate, hang in there.

[Susann]

All this could be shed-related, but he could also be reading some weather-change cues and be thinking about brumating. Even though we don't recommend inducing brumation for a skink's first winter, sometimes there's nothing you can do to fight nature. Keep your eye on him for now, maybe bump humidity a little bit or give him a humid hide to see if he chooses it to speed up the shedding process (if either is advisable for Easterns?).

[Ezealan]

He's started to shed now! So relieved. And yeah I was told that humidity isn't such a big deal for Easterns. Thanks for the replies guys!