An Unlikely Solution to Bluey Stress

[Laceflower]

See: VERY Stressed BT - Need Help ASAP! for more info

Hi, everyone! I wanted to share my experience with my Northern's 180-degree personality change - from outgoing and cuddly to fearful and stressed for apparently no reason. It wasn't winter slowdown (she ate as voraciously as ever and remained active as long as I wasn't around), but she hid from me and acted as though she were a short-term captive when she was born and raised (very well, might I add; her breeder was impeccable) in captivity. She went from begging to come out and explore to practically sprinting to a hide if I walked past, even if I had food. After two months of this behavior, having tried everything from starting over in her socialization to leaving her alone, I did something that seemed a little counterintuitive: I removed everything.

I took out most of the visual barriers she had been provided. Any extraneous décor I had added to make her cage feel like a condo, I removed. She was left with a hot hide, a basking area (that I went ahead and enlarged as she had grown an incredible amount since I had last seen more than the tip of her nose), a cool hide, a water bowl, and an open Tupperware container full of cypress if she needed to burrow somewhere moist. Aside from some plants and her skull, she had next to nothing. And, to my immense surprise, she immediately returned to her normal self.

I have no real clue why this worked. The only thing I can assume is that maybe she felt cramped - like she couldn't move around as much as she wanted - and it was stressing her out and manifesting in fearful behavior. Whatever the reason, she is now a happy, active, personable lizard once again, and it's as if this whole mess never happened. To anyone having this problem: try this!

Before and After:

[corikoifish]

SO happy to see your little buddy is back to normal! Hooray for minimalist design

[Laceflower]

SO happy to see your little buddy is back to normal! Hooray for minimalist design

Who'd have thought, right? Apparently we differ on our ideas of interior decorating!

[Janella]

They do like to have open space as well as space to hide and burrow. I am so happy to hear read this and that your baby is back to normal. Great news :-)

[Susann]

This is an approach that is known to work from time to time, depending on the skink and the circumstances. If you do a search on some word combinations of "removing hides" you'll find it can be a controversial subject; personally I've had some luck with it too and I believe it's a viable option when done with care.

Congrats and good luck!

[Laceflower]

They do like to have open space as well as space to hide and burrow. I am so happy to hear read this and that your baby is back to normal. Great news :-)

I am too! Thank you so much!

[Laceflower]

This is an approach that is known to work from time to time, depending on the skink and the circumstances. If you do a search on some word combinations of "removing hides" you'll find it can be a controversial subject; personally I've had some luck with it too and I believe it's a viable option when done with care.

Congrats and good luck!

Thank you! And don't worry; she still has LOTS of substrate to burrow under.