Outdoor housing question..

[Dakota]

I'm excited, too!

[donkeybuff]

Probably better to have a cage and no axanthics than axanthics and no cage

[Scincoides]

Most definitely.

[Dakota]

[Toria Dawn]

Richard for your water trough (I could swear I saw a thread with yours or someone's pics of their setup) do the sides heat up quite a lot? I was thinking about getting one for a portable outdoor playpen next summer. But I'd be worried about the sides getting scorching hot. Roy likes to climb. Also would this be feasible inside? For the same question, the heat lamps near the metal… thanks!

[Richard.C]

alot of people use carrle troughs/water tanks ect indoors,attatch heat lights to lid so they are in middle of enclosure or u could attatch to walls

outdoors the tin can get hot in warm weather bit they move away from it,in cooler weather the benefit is they can warm up against tin,my outdoor cages are tin surrounded though its a 6 metre by 4 metre enclosure thats had a partition put in to halve it into 2 cages

the important thing with outdoor caging is to offer choices,in hot weather they need to be able tp escape extremes,in cool weather they need to have protection,just like indoors they need a thermal gradient

[Toria Dawn]

So they will stay away from hot walls? Royal likes climbing walls and I'd just be worried about him burning himself, but I really like the idea of it - especially to keep warm when it does get colder (inside the house, our windows lose heat easily). A heat/basking lamp wouldn't make it too hot? Thanks for the info.

[Richard.C]

indoors u shouldnt have issues with it getting to hot on walls unless a veru hot room or a heat lamp aimed at wall

when outdoors usuallu some area of the tin doesnt get as hot as exposed/protected sections,if theu get to warm theu will move to somewhere cooler to escape over heating if its available,outdoors it doesnt need to be a high temp day for basking areas to heat right up in the sun

[Scotts1au]

Can't emphasise enough the ability for the blueys to get out of the sun, but even under shelter it can still get hottttt. 45C day in Tatura it was 47 C under the bluey enclosure, even in their hide that I made. I think they only way they survived was to bury themselves under sand. After that, I changed the design to incorporate shade cloth and blinds. I've heard lots of stories of cooked lizards even in lesser extreme weather. Even last year here in Bendigo (which is slightly cooler) I still had heat problems in summer - still born babies. So will be incorporating more and more shade and temperature control.

[Richard.C]

i resort to having a sprinkler on that covers a 3rd of the cage in crazy weather,bore water,thankfully here thats not overly often,but scotts right,they definatly need coolness to escape heat to

scott toria was asking about indoor caging like an indoor pit

[Toria Dawn]

I was. I actually was thinking if I could find a square on and put it on its side and cut holes in the top for lamps. Make a glass door for the front. I don't know though, I'm not very handy and an indoor pit seems a lot easier!!

I was also thinking of an outdoor pit, but not to keep him in permanently. Just like a playpen for an hour or so on a nice day. Being in the cold white North I don't think it would be warm enough to keep one permanently outside. But even for short periods having part of it shaded so he doesn't get too hot it a good idea.