Ideas for Skink "nursery" Pictures?

[StaceyLeigh]

I am trying to come up with a good yet economical plan for a skink "nursery". I would love to see pictures of what others have done. I have 1 possibly gravid skink, and need to be prepared for babies end March/early April. One of my biggest questions is do they need both heat plus extra day light, or can you use something like heat tape for heat? I have been thinking of getting plastic containers, something like this; http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-3.7 ... 0/20699636, then I could just add some holes in the top for air. I know there are many different options, so please share how you have set up your housing for babies, Thanks!

[StaceyLeigh]

Any suggestions? I want to set this up 2-3 weeks before I am expecting them to be born, just in case.

[Richard.C]

U can use just heat tspe,especially if tubs get a good amount of light ,probably a good way to go with juvie northerns with housing them seperatly

U may need a fair few tubs

[Jeff]

In my opinion, it depends on how long you plan to keep them in your set up. I generally sell all of my babies in 2 months or less, so I am comfortable keeping them in shoebox size tubs with heat tape at the back for that long. I have pretty bright light shining on them from the outside of the tubs during the day too. Here is one of my baby racks:



Any skinks that I keep longer than that go into larger tubs in similar racks until they move into permanent enclosures or go to a new home.

[StaceyLeigh]

Thanks! Great picture Jeff! I have found 16qt. plastic tubs which are 17"L X 12"W X 7" H This will only be for the 1st 6weeks or so, I plan to sell all starting at 4 wks old. If I still have any past 8 wks old I would move them to bigger housing. I plan to put the totes on a rack near a window for light, then use the heat tape for heat. Of course I may get this all set up and no babies , but hopefully there will be some. I really think my female is Gravid, she basks constantly, has started to eat again after a 3 week break, and is getting wider just in the tummy area.

[StaceyLeigh]

I am bringing this back up to ask another question. Jeff in your picture it looks like you are just using the Heat tape as the heating source, is this correct. I was not planning to have a basking light, only daylight for them, and using flex watt heat tape for heat on 1 end. Just want to be sure this is a good plan before I finish it all off. I am turning a small walk in closet into a skink "nursery". My husband did all the electrical wiring this weekend, so I will be finishing this up next weekend. I have all my plastic totes, just waiting on the Heat tape, and cords.

[Jeff]

Yes, their only heat is Flexwatt on the back wall. I try to create a photo period with lighting in front of the racks. The ambient temperature in the room where these are is 78-80f, so they would probably be ok without any heating at all. They do move back and forth in the tubs though, so I think they use it.

[StaceyLeigh]

My Flex Watt Heat tape will be at one end, on the bottom. They need a a hot end of 95-100 to digest food properly right?

[Jeff]

No. That is ideal, but it doesn't need to be that warm. I wouldn't keep them like that long-term, but for the few weeks that I have them like this they do fine. They eat like pigs, and poop regularly. The "hot" end of this rack never hits 90.

[StaceyLeigh]

Ok, I understand! Thanks for the info. Just making sure I get this right.

[StaceyLeigh]

Ok finishing up the "skink Nursery" this weekend in anticipation of Calypso's babies. Posted a picture of one side. It is a closet I re-did for this project. I have a question about the top of the totes. Keep them on and drill holes, or can they be left off, as babies are too small to get out? I am using 4" flex watt heat tape on the bottom of one end, you can see this in the picture.