- Joined
- Jul 8, 2017
- Messages
- 5,750
- Location (City and/or State)
- Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
Hello, mentors!
I have the substrate all ready for my baby when he arrives, but a question...
I was reading about babies in the very detailed care sheet from http://bluetongueskinks.net/care.htm. The author (Luke?) stated that for babies, along with a smaller enclosure (thanks @Tom!) he recommends leaving them on paper towels even after the umbilicals fall off. His reason is that they learn that they can't dive underground and disappear to avoid capture by the huge monster that is chasing them. He believes the stress from not being able to dig is less than the stress of being chased. Here's how he writes it:
"One more tip: do you have a baby who just doesn't seem to calm down? People often give a baby many hiding places and deep substrate to burrow in. This can be good and bad when trying to interact with a baby skink. The problem is if he's a little hissy, he might learn that he can just hide in there all day and never come out. If he's "forced" to be out a little bit, I think this helps acclimate them better and faster, because in the long run, if they're scared all the time, that causes more stress than the initial stress of not having immediate substrate to burrow in."
I thought maybe a thin layer of substrate, and a pile under the humid hide for dampening.
Good or bad? How difficult is it to catch one in substrate?
What do you all think? I've never caught a lizard, so I'm thinking I may need to stack the deck in my favor any way I can!
Thoughts?
TIA, Wise Ones
I have the substrate all ready for my baby when he arrives, but a question...
I was reading about babies in the very detailed care sheet from http://bluetongueskinks.net/care.htm. The author (Luke?) stated that for babies, along with a smaller enclosure (thanks @Tom!) he recommends leaving them on paper towels even after the umbilicals fall off. His reason is that they learn that they can't dive underground and disappear to avoid capture by the huge monster that is chasing them. He believes the stress from not being able to dig is less than the stress of being chased. Here's how he writes it:
"One more tip: do you have a baby who just doesn't seem to calm down? People often give a baby many hiding places and deep substrate to burrow in. This can be good and bad when trying to interact with a baby skink. The problem is if he's a little hissy, he might learn that he can just hide in there all day and never come out. If he's "forced" to be out a little bit, I think this helps acclimate them better and faster, because in the long run, if they're scared all the time, that causes more stress than the initial stress of not having immediate substrate to burrow in."
I thought maybe a thin layer of substrate, and a pile under the humid hide for dampening.
Good or bad? How difficult is it to catch one in substrate?
What do you all think? I've never caught a lizard, so I'm thinking I may need to stack the deck in my favor any way I can!
Thoughts?
TIA, Wise Ones