bask

[realis88]

whether bluetongue may bask in the afternoon?
because clouds covered the sun in the morning sometimes

[Linnea]

dont they bask whenever they like? they kinda fix that themselves.

i dont think morning noon or evening will make much difference, though i guess its hard for them to calm down and sleep in the evening if theyre all hyper? but thats just a guess...

[Anderous]

i just got my first BTS last week and what i have noticed is that he likes to come out and explore/bask in the evening. Im pretty sure its because he was in a pet store that closed around 7, so over the past week like clockwork he keeps coming out at about 6 or 6:30 and exploring until the lights go out at 9.

[James Wilson]

Blue-tongues are generally diurnal, and they generally come out in the morning to bask until they acheive temps for proper daily body functions and activities. However, it is reported that some desert dwelling species can be crepuscular or even possibly nocturnal during the extreme heat of the Australian summer, and I have seen this to be true with many otherwise diurnal species of the southwestern deserts here in the US as well.

[realis88]

so whether or not his conclusions bluetongue bask in the afternoon?
I catch bluetongue because nature is not the result of marriage and its characters are still adjusting to the time he was in the nature and obviously they may not bask night because they never knew the UV light rays

[Jeff]

My belief is that the ONLY reason a blue-tongued skink will bask, is to raise his body temperature. In the wild, when a BTS basks, he makes himself vulnerable to all kinds of predators. This is something that their instincts will tell them not to do unless they have to.

Like James said, the "normal" cycle for wild skinks is to bask in the morning to get their body temperature up before they look for food. This is necessary to give them quicker reaction times while looking for food, and then so that they can digest whatever they eat. If however it is overcast or just cold first thing in the morning, they won't be able to get warmed up. In this case, they will most likely wait until it gets warm before they venture out. If it gets warm later in the day, it would make sense that they would come out and bask whenever it gets warm.

In captivity, there is a completely different thing going on. Since we create more or less "ideal" circumstances for our animals, my guess is that they might figure out that the "perfect" conditions are available all day, every day. Once they realize that, they are probably smart enough, and lazy enough to realize that they can bask anytime they feel like it.

It also seems to be the case that skinks will regulate their body temperature many times during the day. It is very normal for my skinks to bask 3 or 4 times during the day. When their body temperature falls, they come out and bask. When they get warm enough, they return to their hiding places until their temperature falls enough that they need to come out and bask again. I don't think there is anything unusual about a BTS basking at any time of day.

[James Wilson]

My belief is that the ONLY reason a blue-tongued skink will bask, is to raise his body temperature. In the wild, when a BTS basks, he makes himself vulnerable to all kinds of predators. This is something that their instincts will tell them not to do unless they have to.

Like James said, the "normal" cycle for wild skinks is to bask in the morning to get their body temperature up before they look for food. This is necessary to give them quicker reaction times while looking for food, and then so that they can digest whatever they eat. If however it is overcast or just cold first thing in the morning, they won't be able to get warmed up. In this case, they will most likely wait until it gets warm before they venture out. If it gets warm later in the day, it would make sense that they would come out and bask whenever it gets warm.

In captivity, there is a completely different thing going on. Since we create more or less "ideal" circumstances for our animals, my guess is that they might figure out that the "perfect" conditions are available all day, every day. Once they realize that, they are probably smart enough, and lazy enough to realize that they can bask anytime they feel like it.

It also seems to be the case that skinks will regulate their body temperature many times during the day. It is very normal for my skinks to bask 3 or 4 times during the day. When their body temperature falls, they come out and bask. When they get warm enough, they return to their hiding places until their temperature falls enough that they need to come out and bask again. I don't think there is anything unusual about a BTS basking at any time of day.

Well said!

[Katrina]

Remember everyone - Realis88 is from Indonesia and does not speak English. He reads his answers through a translation, so try to remember to keep it simple.

[Nae]

Ok, simple, Im good at simple Ill see if I can simplify Jeff's.

Normally, bluetongues bask in the morning. But it is fine for them to bask in the afternoon if the weather is not suitable in the morning.

In captivity, they learn they can bask whenever, as suitable temperatures are available all day.

[James Wilson]

That works as well.

[Jeff]

Even simpler. Yes, BTS will sometimes bask in the afternoon!

[Susann]

If you give him a basking-light/lamp that is on during day-time hours, you just let him bask at whatever time he chooses.

But since you mentioned cloudy weather; does your skink live outside? Or do you just take him outside when it's sunny, to let him bask? Or, does he have a light in his cage?

I ask because I think it's easier, for ME, to just give my skink different areas with different temperatures in his cage, and then just LET HIM decide where to go and what temperature to choose.