Newbie questions about maybe getting a BTS

[Saber]

That's good. It shouldn't get lower than that. I just like to keep the heat low at night to save electricity. I'm asleep under a bunch of blankets so I don't mind! Can skinks use blankets?

Tape might be something to try. I don't like using tape for long-term things though because all tapes I've ever used seem to get sticky over time, like the adhesive leaks up through the material or something. I think I am just going to get the least transparent one I can find and if he doesn't seem to be using it try covering it with something.

[NickBrahz]

Well most skinks love to climb and explore blankets and chill in them so in a way they can use them, i envy you being in a cold place i can't remember the last time i used a blanket or even a sheet for that matter, it can be to hot even wearing a shirt to bed.

[Saber]

Aww hehe. Yeah he can totally explore the blankets when I bring him out of his cage.

Oh yeah, that reminds me . . . When you take them out of their cage, do they poop and pee all over the place while they are exploring or being held? I thought I read somewhere that they only poop once a day but I don't know if that's every day or just after days where they eat.

[NickBrahz]

Well seeing you are get that 4 year old one, then he will only poop once a week, the more you feed them the more the poop, when they are little you feed them daily so they poop daily, if you feed him at the same time each week then you will be able to get him on a fairly regular clock so then he should poop at around the same time aswell so you wait for him to poop then let him out or you have him in a towel until he does then let him explore, now as for peeing they can pee a few times a day so thats mainly what you have to worry about, though the pee is clear and it's just water theres no smell or colour to it, just simple wipe the area it pees at and it will be all good.

[Susann]

Personally, with Indo species, anything under 70 makes me a bit uneasy if there is no place warmer for them to go if needed. I know I tend to worry overly much though, but I like to offer a place in the tank with a bit of heating, just in case. I have CHE (ceramic heat emitter) that stays on around the clock, with the lights supplying the additional daytime heat for when they are on.
If you are getting a Northern though then I believe 65 is fine.

I do not believe UTH are suggested for use with anything other than glass, but that doesn't mean people aren't having success with them on other surfaces. However, chipboard tends to be very thick, and I would imagine a UTH would overheat quickly, at least the reptile type heat mats. I used the reptile heat mats for years on glass tanks with no problem, but one blew shortly after putting them under my plastic tanks. It was scary as it got VERY hot.

A Tupperware box with a hole is perfect, and the transparency should be fine if you cut the hole a bit higher up so you can fill it with moss and/or whatever you were going to use, for him to root around in.

Skinks tend to poop the day following a meal, OR whenever they get warmed up, active, annoyed, or scared following digesting the meal. That means, if they've been lying in a hide not moving around for a couple of days after eating, they may not have pooped yet, and will do so whenever you pick them up. And even if they have pooped, if they are straining hard to get away from you, or if they get really annoyed/scared, they may still poop some. Same with peeing.
What I do if I'm handling the day following a meal, I'll put them down in a warm place, either with no carpets or rugs, or covered with towels or paper --or I just hold them with a towel in my lap-- and let them crawl around exploring, staying there until they've done their business. After that I'll feel more comfortable taking them other places or handing them to other people.

[Saber]

Pooping once a week? I'm jealous.

Thanks again for all the help, I tend to ask like every question possible sorry, haha.

[NickBrahz]

Better to ask questions and be safe then to not ask and be covered in poop.

[Saber]

YES, definitely! Poop on me is bad!

[NickBrahz]

What i do is i feed him around 10ish and then when the sun is good enough usually around 11-12 i then take him outside where i place him in a container, within 5-10 minutes from the direct sunlight he will go bathroom, though if you do this keep an eye on him last week i left him alone for a few minutes to do something i come back and he has done a runny poo and then walking all through it and the entire underside of him was just stained with poop and it had a very bad odor even from afar i had to carry him as far away as i could trying not to breath to then give him a little soak.

[Saber]

So they poop only a couple hours after they eat? Wow that's pretty fast.

Does it matter what time of day you feed them? If I need to keep him from stepping all over his poop I should feed him only when I can be around for a couple hours to watch him then.

About how much food do they eat at a time? If I feed him dog food with some greens, would he eat about half a 3 oz can at once? Not even that much? Also do you need to use calcium and D3 supplements if you are feeding dog food, or is there enough in the food itself? I don't want to give him TOO much.

[NickBrahz]

No i feed him then a few hours later he is pooping out the previous days food it takes about a day for them to get it through there system.
Seeing yours is a full grown im not to sure my little guy can eat about double the size of his head but he eats everyday so somebody else will have to answer, im also not sure how much an oz is so another will have to answer, i use calcium and D3 because mine is still growing so i want him to have big strong bones i don't know if you still need to give it to a full grown, but depending on the diet he should get all the calcium he needs i just give mine the extra for him to grow good.

[CWyatt]

Agro uses a sterilite shoe storage box that I've cut a hole on the side at the end large enough for him to get into. I've then put in moistened sphagnum. There is no problem with it being clear.

[CWyatt]

Agro uses a sterilite shoe box with a hole cut in side (rough edges smoothed) and moist sphagnum inside. It's being clear has never been a factor as he uses it without pause.

[Saber]

Agro uses a sterilite shoe box with a hole cut in side (rough edges smoothed) and moist sphagnum inside. It's being clear has never been a factor as he uses it without pause.

Oh good, yes that's just the kind of thing I was thinking of, thanks.


OK one more random question . . . I got a bale of aspen shavings from Petsmart and they seem clean and nice enough, maybe a little dusty, but it seems like they smell a lot when shut up in the enclosure. Not a bad smell, just a wood smell. Do skinks not mind it, or just get used to it? Probably a weird thing to worry about, haha, but I am just curious.

[CWyatt]

No smell/fume problems with aspen. Cedar and pine is another issue.

[Saber]

Yeah I think I am just being too paranoid. It only smells when you stir it up a bit and it's a clean wood smell. I'm sure he's very used to it by now.

[CWyatt]

He is indeed.. It's what I've used from day one. I keep it thick so he cab burrow in it.