Outside temperatures

[Dakota]

Hello all, I have yet another question.

What is a good outside temperature for BTS?

I am moving to Cape Coral, Florida. It has a wet/dry season, along with a SLIGHT winter.

The temperatues are stated on this website. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Coral,_Florida

As stated above the record low is 24, but the low average is about 55.

I know one breeder that keeps his skinks out year-round that is across florida, and just slightly below.

Does anyone know if Bill Schwinn keeps his Meraukes outside, because he lives quite a ways above me.

I was talking to a breeder of Meraukes, and he say that they most likely respond to barometric pressure, so something to try out.

It's just a thought, and Dad wanted me to look into it.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. If it is safe, I would be keeping them in a screened in porch, in the enclosure that I have to finish.

What do you guys think?

[stinkyskinky]

I live in Fort Myers. I'm very new to skinks. But sounds pretty doable to me. There's no winter. there are some nice months of 70-80 days and a few nights a year it dips to 40's sometimes 30's. Would the heat and humidity be an issue. Id guess no with air circulation....but so too new to know. Just wanted to assure you cold temps wont be a problem.
Becca

[Jeff]

It is possible to keep them outside anywhere with the proper set up. The climate where you live just determines how easy or difficult it will be to create the proper set up. The place where you are going will be one of easiest possible places to get the set up right. The thing to remember is, if you screw up, your skinks could die. They only have to freeze ONE time to be dead. You have to consider the possibility of a power failure too.

If I was living in a place as similar to the natural range of my skinks as you will be, I would definitely keep at least some of them outside. I would work very hard to make sure everything was perfect, and test it thoroughly before ever putting them outside though. It's not the kind of thing where you want to just throw your skinks into an outdoor pit and see if they survive.

[Richard.C]

have u compared the weather in florida to say the merauke region?

onr thing with outdoors is supplying options,can they hide in a more moderate temp when theres cold periods,eg insulated hides,there quite hardy outdoors if climates cater enough to there needs

im not sure for certain but florida sounds alot like the climate of brisbane in australia,sub tropical rather than tropical,so can get cool in the winter,i know a few keepers have great sucess with northerns,westerns ,stumpies ect in that type of climate,which is temperate and tropical species,but with mods accordingly to cater for differing species

[Dakota]

It is possible to keep them outside anywhere with the proper set up. The climate where you live just determines how easy or difficult it will be to create the proper set up. The place where you are going will be one of easiest possible places to get the set up right. The thing to remember is, if you screw up, your skinks could die. They only have to freeze ONE time to be dead. You have to consider the possibility of a power failure too.

If I was living in a place as similar to the natural range of my skinks as you will be, I would definitely keep at least some of them outside. I would work very hard to make sure everything was perfect, and test it thoroughly before ever putting them outside though. It's not the kind of thing where you want to just throw your skinks into an outdoor pit and see if they survive.

What is the proper enclosure would be suitable? I don't plan to put them in a "pit", just the big cage out in the shade of the porch, where most bigs will stay out. I will mostly like keep them out in the summer, and just let them brumate in the house during the dry season (winter)

[Jeff]

A proper enclosure needs to have the correct heat gradient at all times. That can be more difficult to create outside because you have no control over the ambient temperature. The main way you can deal with that is , like Richard said, offer as many different options as possible for the skinks to choose. That is why outdoor closures are generally huge. There are only so many options you can offer in a typical "indoor" type enclosure. There just isn't enough room.

A good outdoor enclosure should offer both shade and sun for as much of the day as possible, and should shelter in both of these areas. The skinks need to have access to adequate basking temperatures AND their appropriate cool temperatures at ALL times.

It also needs to be secure from any potential predators in the area. On top of that, water will tend to evaporate faster outside, so you will likely need to provide a larger water source, and/or check it more frequently.

It really is a lot more work to set animals up outdoors outside of their natural range, but in a case where your location is fairly similar to their climate, it could be worth it. The skink has the same needs he has inside, they are just a little harder to meet outside.

[Dakota]

Okay then, since outdoor enclosures are generally larger, what is a good size?
Also, I have heard of breeders of Meraukes and Indonesians keeping pairs together year-round, IF my guys turn out male and female, could I get them in the 4ft x 5ft as an outdoor enclosure?

Sorry for so many questions.. I just don't want to do anything that potentially hurt the little guys.

[Dakota]

http://www.merauke.climatemps.com/

[Susann]

Personally I don't believe in taking the risk of housing my Meraukes together for any period of time unless it's for breeding, and then we're talking minutes, not even hours. I know there are breeders who keep theirs together, but that's only because they haven't been able to get them to breed any other way.
Most everybody else who houses theirs together do it in a several yards by several yards big outdoor "pit" with rocky areas, dirt, and plants for them to LIVE in, and enough space to get far enough away if another BTS get ticked off or is grumpy.

I know that the weather in the Merauke area of New Guinea is very steadily warm without much fluctuation. But even when it's 90 degrees in the sun, in a forested area with all kinds of vegetation, on the ground a BTS could EASILY find any variation of 90+ degrees down to 65 degrees. They can easily find an area with loamy soil to dig down into to cool off, and 30 minutes later go find a sun-warmed rock to bask and heat up on. Right?
If you can pull off an outdoor enclosure that works, then I will envy your skinks , but the thought of providing the conditions I described above in a 4' X 5' cage on a porch ...sounds tough to me.

I really hope you figure out a way to do it though, it would be awesome for your skinks, and in MY opinion, the only way to safely house your skinks together.

[Dakota]

Thanks Susann! It was just a thought.. I think what I'm going to do, is keep them indoors for a couple days, so I can measure the temperature for the basking/cold spot, and see when the sun comes in for them to actually bask.. but during winter, I will just take them and keep them inside, just to be on the safe side, and let them burmate indoors (winter is the dry season there). Maybe, if I feel the winter is as mild as everyone says, I will keep them outdoors during the next winter.

..and maybe I will be having some babies soon!

[Dakota]

Thanks for the input, guys! Greatly appreciated.

[Richard.C]

winter is the dry season for tropical species,usually they mate in winter dry season so babies come in the middle of the wet season when food is more abundant,in nature they esteviate,when food becomes more scarce,but thats when the mate,middle of winter,so not full brumaters like temperate species,winter /dry season cool nights should be enough to cycle them

[Dakota]

winter is the dry season for tropical species,usually they mate in winter dry season so babies come in the middle of the wet season when food is more abundant,in nature they esteviate,when food becomes more scarce,but thats when the mate,middle of winter,so not full brumaters like temperate species,winter /dry season cool nights should be enough to cycle them

Hmm, so how should I introduce the guys? In the middle of the brumation? Should I continue to brumate them after being mated with?

[Richard.C]

introducing guys doesnt result in babies

all jokes aside,it depends on how you go about cycling them over winter,tgeres more than one way to do that,sone fully shut them down,others keep day warmth year round but let night drops get quite low during winter,others may do either but add more humidity to simulate wet/dryseaon

i live in a cold,often miserable climate,so keeping day warmth year round is easiest for me,i dont offer nite heat ever so in winter,nights get very very low,ib my uninsulated shed,the northerns stay reasonably active,though some periods they rest down cool end and stay inactive for a week or 2,thats whats best here,to cold to shut them down completely,and i feel safest way in my conditions to cycle them,wirks great so far to

that maybe harder to mimick in florida,so until u get there and suss out options its hard to know what,if any advice i can offer,but if folk have kept them outdoors successfully,thats a good enough reason to look into your options there,but theres lots of risks to so you need to weigh that uo as well

theres also the option of keeping them out in active season then bringing in when it cools abit to like you mentioned earlier

[Dakota]

introducing guys doesnt result in babies

Guys as an unisexual term.

all jokes aside,it depends on how you go about cycling them over winter,tgeres more than one way to do that,sone fully shut them down,others keep day warmth year round but let night drops get quite low during winter,others may do either but add more humidity to simulate wet/dryseaon

i live in a cold,often miserable climate,so keeping day warmth year round is easiest for me,i dont offer nite heat ever so in winter,nights get very very low,ib my uninsulated shed,the northerns stay reasonably active,though some periods they rest down cool end and stay inactive for a week or 2,thats whats best here,to cold to shut them down completely,and i feel safest way in my conditions to cycle them,wirks great so far to

that maybe harder to mimick in florida,so until u get there and suss out options its hard to know what,if any advice i can offer,but if folk have kept them outdoors successfully,thats a good enough reason to look into your options there,but theres lots of risks to so you need to weigh that uo as well

theres also the option of keeping them out in active season then bringing in when it cools abit to like you mentioned earlier

This is definitely going to be fun!

[Richard.C]

an example if i may of set up being correct even if they occur locally where you live,perhaps scott has seem the same,my outdoor set ups for blotchies also contain eastern blueys,cunningham skinks and water dragons,plus an eastern longneck turtle,all those species bar the eastern blueys thrive,all breed well except the easterns,the easterns are spasmotic,one year a couple produce,many years none do

part of the prob is the other species seem to dominate them,not so much aggressively but for example at feed time,the easterns hang back,the others bulldog there way in and dominate the foodbowls

more of an issue is conditions inside,the easterns struggle over winter,the others can sit in the open all winter and come spring are none the worse for doing so,not the easterns,uri are quite common,now in the backyard where these cages reside theres alot of wild easterns,and the odd blotch,but 99 percent of blueys in there are easterns,disturbed area with market gardens surrounding the area

from watching them over winter,theres quite a few resident ones they seek out areas that offer winter warmth,massive compost pile of grass clippings being a personel favourite,usually up to ten of various sizes and sex reside there over winter

anyways on sunny winter days the heat generated from clippings pile is amazing,its gets so warm in fact that on sunny days they have to leave pile to cool down to prevent using up fat stores over winter,then when sun goes they return to grass piles to prevent getting to cold,come spring warming the spread out again,some of these animals have done this every winter for the 13 years i was living there


so by watching what they do ive discovered for them,my arrangements with caging is unsuitable,even with hides that remain dry,rock piles ect,as they dont warm up higher than ambient temps

this is what i mean about having alot of options,watching what they do,obviosly helps here as we have wild ones we can watch but even captives give us clues,so close observation and experimentation is always warranted

part of the fun of keeping them as they are always teaching you things,especially if you offer many options

[Dakota]

Definitely agree.. I am going to go scavenge for lot of drift wood, and rocks to give them some good options.

Do your outside BTS act more wild than the captive kept ones?

I know my guys are sweethearts in the house, but when I bring them outside they are totally different skink.. flashing tongues, ect.

I still plan to hold them everyday, like I do now.

[Dakota]

And deep subtrate, also.

[Richard.C]

some get more defensive outside,more so if out in the open,remember in the wild out in the opens risky for them,plenty of stuff eats them,so bringing outdoors can make a tame non displayer suddenly turn

in the outside cage though,with plenty of cover they arent as defensive,well most of them,some still go into defense mode though,usually shyer ones,the majority see me as the bringer of food so when i appear they come over to me and check me out

[Dakota]

some get more defensive outside,more so if out in the open,remember in the wild out in the opens risky for them,plenty of stuff eats them,so bringing outdoors can make a tame non displayer suddenly turn

in the outside cage though,with plenty of cover they arent as defensive,well most of them,some still go into defense mode though,usually shyer ones,the majority see me as the bringer of food so when i appear they come over to me and check me out

That's great! My guys are starting to see me as the food person, as well.