2 year old berber skink

Question
QUESTION: Is it normal for skinks to be under the sand 75% of the time I have a heat pad in the middle And a heat lamp on the other side at a tempertue of about 100 degrees. It is a 50 gallon tank

ANSWER: Hello Steve,

No, that is not normal for your skink to be spending that much time under the sand.  He really should be out & basking underneath his lights.  You might try decreasing the basking temperature to 95 or so he may be getting too hot possibly.
What type & brand of UVB light are you using, is it a fluorescent tube bulb or a compact/coil light?  How close is it to him?  What type of basking light are you using, is it a bright white basking light & how close is it to him?
There have been some UVB lights that cause lethargic behavior & squinting eyes, etc.  
How is his appetite doing?  

Tracie  

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The uvb light is 13 watts Repti Glo 5.0 coil light and was 15 inches away. The basking light is sun glo 100 watt light the temperature is 95 degrees It also 15 inches away I REMOVED the uvb light, to see if it makes a change in his mood.

ANSWER: Hello Steve,

Ok, good.  The compact/coil lights are very hard on their eyes & they don't put out very good UVB emissions, either.  I would get a Reptisun 10 fluorescent tube bulb instead.   
The Sun Glo is fine.  What type of thermometer do you use?  A stick on type, a digital probe or a temp gun?
Is he eating very well right now?  I hope he is doing better.  Let me know how he is doing.

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The thermometer is a stick on just below the surface. He is eating very well.  He eats about four superworms and four or five mealworms every two or three days. He seems to be doing better. He is staying out a little longer then before. I will try that fluoresent tube Reptisun 10 I will let you know how it goes. Thank-you for your help.

Answer
Hello Steve,

How are things going?
Great he is eating well for you.  Yes, please do try the Reptisun 10 tube bulb.  The output is good & it should really help a lot.  
Also, the stick on type of thermometer can be very inaccurate.  Maybe try finding a digital probe or a temp gun to help determine what the true basking temperatures really are.  The stick on types are good at measuring the ambient temperatures, but are not very good at measuring the basking temperatures.

Let me know how he is doing!

Tracie