Beginner Bluey Owner Help!

[Halogen]

I just recently got my blue tongue skink at the Midwest Reptile Show April 9th. I have a couple questions that I could not find myself.

1. How deep should my substrate be? I understand that blueys like to burrow and mine does but what is a recommended amount?

2. How should I interact with it at first? I've handled it for small periods of time but have mostly only watched?

3. Is it normal for my skink to drag its hind legs while moving? I have seen him use his hind legs on inclines and going down things however he mostly just walks around with his front two when he walks around. I included a picture of what his leg looks like while looking to help.

4. When should I turn the lights of for him? I go to bed at around 9:30 to 10:00 and have to wake up early at 6:00 , is this bad for my skink and if so what is a recommended time?

5. Do skinks normally poop in their water dish or is mine being silly?

6. Should I buy a heat lamp for the nights in case he gets cold or will he just burrow to get warmth?

Could someone also check what type he is? I'm not sure and he has a red belly if that helps with anything.
If there is something I could do to improve his cage that would be great as I want him to be a happy guy.

[tcopitho]

You have a very nice looking merauke, tiliqua gigas evanescence. These guys need a higher ambient humidity to stay healthy, I'd suggest switching to a substrate that will hold humidity better, such as cypress mulch or coco coir.

1. Dosn't hurt to have a good couple inches of substrate and two or more hides.

2. It's best to let him settle into his new home for a couple weeks to a month before handling too often. It also depends on the personality of your skink. Sounds like you're doing good, but if youre unsure there are some good threads on this site about handling, I'd recomend doing a search and see what you come up with.

3. Dragging the hind legs is normal. I wouldnt worry about that behavior unless there is actual loss of mobility or strength in the hind legs.

4. I give my guys a ten hour day cycle. I have a really cheap light timer that turns them on and off so I do not need to worry about it and will not forget. I personally ally aim for consistency, I don't think your current setup is detrimental, but the light timer is sure nice to have.

5. Mine poop I their freshly cleaned water dishes two to three times a week just to spite me

6. You don't want your nightime time temps going below the 60, so if your home gets cooler than that at night it'd be a good idea to set up a little heat at night so he at least has the option to warm up.

Best of luck with your new bluey!

[kingofnobbys]

Mixture of cocopeat (sold as Kritters' Krumble here in Australia - medium grade is good) mixed leaf litter is popular for BTS here in Australia, about 2" -3" deep, they love to tunnel through it and bury themselves in it.
A paver under the basking light will be much appreciated by your BTS, in the wild they seek out rock slabs or boulders that are warmed by the sun to bask on.

Water dish, make sure it is wide and shallow as a BTS can drown in it's water dish if it's too deep and has slippery sides. Fresh water DAILY.

UVB , my experience is with eastern (Australian) BTS and they need 5% UVB , anyone who says no UV for your BTS is giving bad advice.

Eastern BTS like a basking spot at about 32-35degC, I'm not sure about your species of BTS. I try to keep my tank temperatures at about 21-24oC overnight. I run a 16 hour photocycle (lights on 6am , off 10pm , household timer , and yes my BTS spend a lot of time napping / having siestas. Routine is everything.

They typically wont bask long , but they will bask most days after a meal.

A hide in the warm zone and a hide in the cool zone will be good .

Rear leg dragging --- my BTSs and water skinks all do this occasionally especially when pooing and when shedding and tunneling through their beddings and when snuggling..... cradle him on tummy and along your arm and he'll soon snuggle in closer to you.

A good way of gaining a skink's (or dragon's) trust and bonding with it is always offer a yummy food treat when you approach your skink, he'll soon learn you are not going to hurt him and he can trust you and he'll associate you with pleasant experiences.
Take it slow to start unless he is claim and relaxed when you handle him .... if he's had good people experiences and been handled (well) he'll come around very quickly, otherwise it might take a few weeks.

My BTSs all enjoy time on the floor in a safe area of the house to explore and crawl about....they are a naturally curious and intelligent.

[alichamp]

anyone who says no UV for your BTS is giving bad advice..

It's not as black and white as this and providing UVB light in itself may not be enough.
The reason people provide UVB is to prevent metabolic bone disease (mbd) which is when the animal isn't getting enough calcium and the body starts taking it from bone supplies so they go lumpy and this causes skeletal problems. UVB lighting is one thing keepers provide to prevent it but it seems that proper diet and supplementing with calcium + d3 powder may be more influential.
However, I agree that providing UVB light, + proper diet, + supplement is the best approach for newbies to keep a healthy bts when it comes to this aspect.