Blue tongue skinks are often shy, but tend to get comfortable and curious with their owners with time. But why is my blue tongue skink always hiding? In this post, we will discuss possible reasons why a blue tongue skink is always hiding and how to fix that.
#1: It’s normal
Before you start reading the possible reasons why your blue tongue skink is hiding, please remember that in general hiding is normal. This is especially true for older blue tongues, who will move around less and spend their time relaxing in the hide.
Blue tongue skinks are masters of hiding and burrowing – and that’s what they mostly do in the wild. They burrow a lot and hide from potential predators. Hiding and burrowing is a very normal part of a blue tongue’s daily routine. It can easily hide for half of the day or even longer, especially if you don’t try to interact with it.
Always look for other signs that could be indicating stress or disease, and take your blue tongue to the vet if you suspect anything.
Also, don’t forget to provide hides (2-3) for your blue tongue skink. Make sure that your blue tongue skink can get inside of them fully. If you approach your blue tongue skink, let it come to you first. With established blue tongues, you can try to remove your blue tongue from the hide if necessary.
#2: It’s new and scared
The first common reason why your blue tongue skink is hiding is because it’s new and scared. New blue tongue skinks will be stressed and will spend most of time hiding and not wanting to be touched.
Please allow time for your blue tongue skink to get used to its new home. That is why it’s very important to setup its enclosure before you bring it home. If your blue tongue is very stressed, you can cover the sides of its tank with a cloth for few days, and then slowly take each side off.
It can take 2 weeks for captive bred blue tongue skinks to get used to you. Wild caught blue tongue skink can be harder to bond with in the beginning – it can take them 4-8 weeks for them to become calmer and used to you.
You can read a post on taming and bonding with your blue tongue skink in this post.
#3: Blue tongue always hiding due to cage mates
If your blue tongue skink is stressed because of other cage mates, it could be hiding a lot. Blue tongue skinks should be housed alone, because otherwise they can injure each other and cause stress.
#4: Bright or wrong lighting
While bright light is necessary for your blue tongue skink to stay active and healthy, make sure that the light is not too bright. For heat bulbs, you need to choose bright white light, but not ones that are not too bright. Soft white bulbs tend to be too bright.
What is more, UVB light should not be positioned too close to your blue tongue skink, because it will irritate the eyes. Positioning distance will depend on the strength of UVB tube and whether it’s housed in a hood with a reflector like this, or without it.
Please don’t use coiled UVB bulbs. Because your blue tongue skink needs to be housed in a 55+ gallon tank, you need to distribute UVB in a large tank with a UVB tube.
If you are using a high output 10-12% UVB tube in a hood with a reflector, position it around 12-13 inches (30.5-33cm) away from your blue tongue skink. If using a high output 10-12% UVB tube in a hood without a reflector, position 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) away from your blue tongue skink. Same goes for light (heat) bulbs.
You can read a full guide on lighting and heating for your blue tongue skink here (new tab).
#5: It’s too hot
If the tank is too hot, your blue tongue skink will hide more, especially on the cooler side of the tank. Checking temperatures regularly with correct tools and housing your blue tongue skink in a big enough tank is essential for keeping ideal temperatures.
If your blue tongue skink’s tank is too small, you won’t be able to create a temperature gradient in it. An adult blue tongue skink needs to be housed in a 55 gallon or larger tank, that is also horizontal.
To make sure temperatures in your blue tongue skink’s tank are ideal, you need to have digital thermometers with probes ideally, on the hot, middle and cool sides. Please do not get analog thermometers, because they tend to be very inaccurate.
#6: Changes in the setup
If you have just moved your blue tongue skink in a new tank, it can stress about it. Moving your blue tongue in a completely new environment can make your blue tongue anxious. Allow time for it to get used to its new home.
#7: Possible sickness
If your blue tongue is sick, it could be hiding more. Has your blue tongue skink shown any symptoms of a sickness? Is it lethargic, not eating, has anything on the skin, unusual poop etc.?
Do you offer various food, gut-load and supplement your blue tongue’s food? Is your blue tongue skink wheezing or has any mucus coming out of its mouth? It could be suffering from a respiratory infection. If you suspect that your blue tongue skink is sick, please take it to the vet.
#8: Brumation
During brumation, reptiles become mostly inactive, don’t eat and mostly sleep. Brumation often starts during colder months of the year, often from October and February. However, this can differ depending on the country.
Brumation in blue tongue skinks often last 2-4 weeks, but can sometimes last up to 2 months! However, healthy adults should complete brumation without any negative effects to their health.
#9: Blue tongue skink is hiding because no one is in the room
In general, blue tongue skinks will sleep and hide a lot normally, especially with age. If there is no one in the room and it’s quiet, your blue tongue skink is very likely to lay in one corner and not move much.
In this case, try to approach the tank more often, and spend time with your blue tongue for a bonding experience. Most blue tongues are curious and love playing and exploring.
#10: Shedding
When blue tongue skinks are shedding, they tend to be moody and generally don’t want to be held. They also tend to hide more, can refuse food and bask less. Your blue tongue skink can hide and eat less few days before, during and after shedding has finished. This is normal and should pass.
#11: It’s not tame
If your blue tongue skink has been more aggressive from the beginning, then it could be its personality. Various blue tongue skink species tend to have different characters.
Out of all blue tongue skink species, Tanimbars tend to be more aggressive and less friendly. They also tend to take most time (around 5-6 months) to become somewhat tame, if at all. Most stay generally unfriendly. The friendliest blue tongue skink species tend to be Northern, Irian Jaya, Blotched, Shingleback and Merauke.
But of course it mainly depends on each blue tongue skink and its personality! You will need to put in work and try to tame your blue tongue skink even through hard times. Some will become tame, but still hiss and puff up from time to time.
#12: She is gravid
If your blue tongue skink is gravid, it’s going to hide a lot and be mostly inactive. Also, a gravid female blue tongue skink will gain weight and look round. Gravid females might also tend to reject food and act less friendly.
Burrowing and hiding are important for gravid females, too. Make sure to include hides with burrowing substrate and offer proper nutrition.
What should I do if my blue tongue skink is hiding a lot?
First of all, if your blue tongue skink is hiding too much and seems scared, think about any changes that have happened recently. Also, review the setup to make sure of humidity levels and temperatures.
New blue tongues will normally hide a lot, as well as blue tongues that are used to it. Generally, blue tongues can hide for over 15-20 hours a day without coming out! If you wish to tame your blue tongue skink, make sure to spend time with it.
Approach the tank, handle it, offer treats and take out of the tank. But you need to do it gradually. Some blue tongue skinks will sometimes hiss and puff up after being tamed, and that’s how some are. Don’t feel upset and continue handling. Because once you tame your blue tongue, it will become your best friend!
Make sure to read this taming and bonding guide for more useful information.