Brumation question

[NewBTSnana]

Question about brumation. We are new BTS owners and ours is an Indonesian. Will he hibernate too like the Northerns do? I've been in a panic this week thinking he's sick. I'm so thankful for this site and everyone's willingness to share their expertise. Our "Nugget" has been burrowed pretty much since last weekend and isn't eating at all. He has come out every couple of days to bask and he's still drinking plenty of water. I've continued to keep the lighting on our normal routine and am misting his tank 3-4 times a day, as always. We just got him at an expo in August, so this is all new to us. Is there anything else we should be doing for him? How long does brumation typically last?

[splashy07]

Personally I have never had an Indo brumate, in the past I have kept three types, classic, Merauke and Halmahera. My Northerns and Easterns go from 2-3 months. I'm not saying it isn't possible, let's see what the Indo keepers have to say!

[mb606587]

My Irian Jaya has brumated for months in years past. She doesn't do it consistently every year. My Meraukes will stay burrowed most of the day and will not eat as frequently as they were. While my IJ refused all food from say December to February, my Meraukes never went more than 2 weeks without eating. I think it depends on what species you have and how old is your skink. Going a week or two without eating, especially for an adult, isn't that uncommon this time of year.

[NewBTSnana]

We came home today and he DIED!!! We’re a mess! My daughter thinks now that he had mites. We could see them on him after he was gone. Certainly never noticed them before. Would that have killed him? Did we do something wrong? Can they transfer to us our our other animals? We have dogs and a cat. Help! We’re in shock

[mb606587]

Oh I'm so sorry to hear that. If you can see them then yeah he had them. While a severe mite infestation does have the potential to kill a reptile, there were probably other factors at play. Any Indonesian BTS you buy at an expo or pet store will 99/100 times be a recent wild caught import regardless of what you're told. Most of these come with internal AND external parasites (mites) that if not treated will cause death within a few months. Unfortunately there were probably other health concerns besides the mites, which is why it's important to get these guys to a reptile vet if not purchased directly from a known and reputable breeder. Do your best to disinfect the enclosure and area but reptile mites are generally harmless to other pets.

[NewBTSnana]

Thank you for the information and your reassurance. We miss him so much. He had so much personality. He was obviously our first one, and we've learned a very difficult and heart-wrenching lesson.
We live in the central Indiana/Indianapolis area. Do you know of any reputable breeders that we could go to when we're ready to try again? It won't be for awhile because our hearts are broken, but now that we've had one, I can't imagine not having another one.

[mb606587]

Yes, I am sure you will have much better luck with a Captive Born and Bred skink. Unfortunately during this time of year, it is very difficult to find one. We are currently in breeding season, so most breeders are just starting to pair their skinks together. You won't find any CBB babies until late spring and throughout the summer. Any other babies you see right now are freshly imported as this is considered "Import Season" in the US. You may be able to find some sub-adult Northerns but you will probably pay a bit more right now. You can check this site's Classifieds. As far as local breeders in Indiana/Indianapolis, I do not know any off the top of my head, but most breeders across the country will have no issue shipping overnight to your door. I'd recommend a Northern Blue Tongue Skink to first time owners due to the fact that their humidity requirements are much lower and easier to manage than the Indonesian species. You can't go wrong with any of these breeders right here on this site's Recommended Breeder List. If you are looking for another Indonesian BTS and providing humidity isn't a daunting challenge for you, I'd look no further than Sue's Blues for the biggest and most colorful Meraukes. It seems most of these breeders have abandoned using personal websites and now opt for Facebook so finding them and following their facebook pages would probably be the best option. I would use this time to do as much research as humanly possible, and this time around, there's no reason you won't have a happy and healthy BTS for many decades to come!