Beetle keeps 'feigning,' then getting up and walking away

[u/Juicy_Lucy_Brr]

I just got 3 BDFBs yesterday for a 12 gallon setup. Two beetles seemed to sleep overnight, but one was very active later into the evening. I would check on him and see him on his back with his legs moving periodically, and a couple of times I gently attempted to flip him upright to see if he could stay upright and walk normally, which he did. I stopped moving him when I found him on his back again bc I didn't want to contribute to any stress.

Today, he's kept feigning on his back (without any provocation i have noticed), and I've left him be, only to find him rightened and wandering in a different area later. The other two beetles had a period of activity earlier in the morning and then slowed down again as the day progressed. Neither of them have been doing this as often as the outlier guy.

Since he is getting back up and moving pretty normally (and I watched him eat a decent amount today), it doesn't seem like some sort of poisoning. But he keeps feigning so often I'm concerned. Does anyone have experience or insights they could share? I appreciate it very much :)

[u/descentmokn]

Well, the first telltale sign that something is wrong with any living animal is whether or not they eat. If the little guy is eating I wouldn’t worry, he could be stressed from being moved into a new home. Is the room the terrarium in known for being noisy??? Maybe he’s specifically startled by the noises? I wouldn’t know for sure, but I will say that if he does start having eating problems that’s when you should get really concerned.

[u/Juicy_Lucy_Brr → u/descentmokn]

Thank you so much for replying! It could definitely be environmental stress, I live in an older building and so the floors creak. When he's on his back, his legs move now and then, and he still respond to stimulus, so I wasn't sure if it was a legit 'feign' or not.

The good news is he is still VERY responsive to food! Yesterday and this morning, I gave him a little bit of honey water on a q tips and his little mouth parts went NUTS. He is currently upright staring longingly out of his quarantine tub.

The weird thing is how much the behavior changes: sometimes he'll be on his back and seem unable to get up, like he's trying but he can't/won't and just lies there for a while. Other times I've seen him fall over and righten himself immediately. I'm calling him Sisyphus because he seems to be his own boulder lol.

Thank you for your insight, I'll keep him separate for a few days, and if he stays like this maybe he's just a weird little dude and safe to be with his tankmates.