Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok. so i just fed my BTS. this time i chopped up the veggies and greens REALLY fine into the meat. he ate all of it. but i realized he only eats when im not in the room or when im not looking at him. i know this sounds strange but i noticed when he started eating i would look, and then he would stop and not eat anymore. so this time i put the food in, let him know it was there then left the room came back looked in without letting him notice me. he was just standing over it. so i walked in, he left the food and hid when he saw me. all but two bites of the food was gone. has anyone else ever heard about BTS wanting privacy when eating?

and also... about the possible impaction... i called the reptile store i purchased him from b/c i trust them much more than the vets around here. the man who sold it to me breeds BTS, and it was one of his babies. the guy on the phone told me to soak him in water for 1-2 hours daily for about three or four days and if he is impacted that will help loosen it up. and if that doesnt loosen it up then i should bring him in so they can take a look at him. but i have a strong feeling he's not impacted... i guess i wont know until he poops out this past meal.

Looks happy and full! still got some food on his lips.

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1 Blue Tongue Skink
1 Savannah Monitor

that's a long time for a soak. I wouldnt do that unless you knew he was impacted. If he's eating... he's fine. just give him 24 hours to poop.
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1 Eastern Blue Tongue Skink
2 Tarahumara Mountain Kingsnakes - Knoblochi
1 Thayer's Kingsnake - Thayeri
2 Golden Greek Tortoises
1 Pyxie Frog - 14 years old

yeah... i wouldnt know. but i only did it once for about 45 minutes. and its not water that hes like swimming in it. he was wading in it. it was only about 1-1.5 inches deep. yeah, im just happy everything seems to be fine now, although he doesnt let me see him when hes eating haha. this is strange to me... so if anyone has any reasoning behind why he does this it would be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!

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1 Blue Tongue Skink
1 Savannah Monitor

Glad it seems your bluey is starting to eat. About the whole vet thing....

I dont think you should trust your "breeder" more than a herp vet. After all, he did say what appears to be an IJ was an indonesian, didnt he? If he can't even properly ID your pet, don't trust him. There are breeders in the this trade who can be tricky and deceive you. It doesnt matter how many years this guy has been doing it, he cant even properly ID your skink! Take him to a vet before it gets serious.

Many blueys will only want to eat in secrecy. I think it is due to their intelligence... Wild animals are truly vulnerable when eating, so the smart ones(evolutionarily) dont take risks. Even snakes are known to regurgitate entire meals to make an escape easier.
But then again, I've met some BTS that wont let anything hinder them from attaining a meal.

Risk/Reward
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1 Eastern Blue Tongue Skink
2 Tarahumara Mountain Kingsnakes - Knoblochi
1 Thayer's Kingsnake - Thayeri
2 Golden Greek Tortoises
1 Pyxie Frog - 14 years old