How to clean skink's tank during brumation

[Maddi]

I'm incredibly new to this forum (I normally use Reddit but this seems more specified for blue tongues so yay),

My Jeff (Northern) is going into his second brumation in his life, last year I flew blind and this year I've figured it all out (thanks to the FAQ here).

I wanted to know how to clean my tank while he's brumating - he's normally grumpy anyway and now he's extra grumpy so I don't know how to go about it, last year I waited for him to come out and I grabbed him up and did it but he has been brumating for a few weeks now and I really need to fix his tank.

What can I do to keep him comfortable? I have a cat bed with blankets that I normally have on top of a heat pack when he is out of his tank but is that not enough? I would also have him in the bathroom after I've left the heater on in there too.

What do you guys do?

Any tips beyond the info page for dealing with brumation?

I'm so glad to have found this forum and I thank you all in advance!

[alichamp]

Hi and welcome.

If he's brumating and has been for some time, why would you need to clean his enclosure? My initial thought is that interrupting his brumation to clean is unecessary, unless I'm missing something...?

[Maddi]

Again, I'm clueless with it all (first reptile and he's only young), I'll wait until he's finished then, before he began brumating I didn't get a chance before he went to sleep so it's not 100% tidy is all, I was due to clean it but then he went away.

[alichamp]

No worries! I wondered that if he's actually brumating he wouldn't be eating or pooping so I was wondering where the clean up comes in to it

How young?

[Maddi]

So do you think overall I should clean it or still wait for him to finish? It doesn't smell bad or anything, it was just due for it.

Jeff is around 1 and a half years old now, last year with brumation it was very short and spaced out (couple weeks in, out for 2, in for 1, out for a while etc) and I was honestly just winging it because he hadn't matured or fully grown yet so he was quite unpredictable at times. He came from a pet store that was quite...unethical at times so he was already quite withdrawn and skittish for a while. We learnt to co-exist and nothing more

[Susann]

Jeff is adorable, and thank goodness for alichamp for giving you good advice, as always
If there is poop in the tank, reach in and pick it out. There is no need for you to remove Jeff from his enclosure in order to tidy it up while he's brumating, and certainly no need for you to force him to warm up while you're cleaning his tank. It's not completely wrong to uncover a brumating skink, or even move them to make sure all is well, but there should be no need at all to raise his temperature while doing a quick check. That would be like the maid coming in at 3 am and rolling you off the mattress just to put different colored sheets on your bed...

[Maddi]

Thank you Susann! I will let Jeff sleep then, lazy thing!