BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

I'm making some money now and looking to get some hides for my 17 BTS. So I'm looking for opinions and suggestions here

For myself, I want 3 different hides in each tank: one under the basking light, one on the cold side, and one in the middle. The hides need to be able to fit an adult Northern. I like natural looking hides that are lightweight and easy to clean.

So what hides do you have? Which hides do your skinks love? What do you look for in a hide? What's the minimum size IYO? What are the pros/cons of your hides? Where did you get your hides? How much did they cost? How much work did they take to make? Feel free to include pictures I'm hoping this will be a thread full of BTS-hide information!

Tea Cup used to LOVE her half log, but now the DIY salt hide has taken her heart. I love them. I used Rye Flour, which made it more grain-y, which could help with shedding and toe nails. Of course, then my mom was all about me using all of the salt...

I think the hides need to be big enough so that the skink could fully turn around(picture a skink in a circle) plus 1/2in-2 inch.
Pro of 1/2 hide:
Natural looking, just a nice hide.
Con of 1/2 hide:
It's not very enclosed, 2 sides onpen.

Pro of salt hide:
Tea cup LOVES IT, and like I mentioned above, aids with shedding.

Plinko absolutely loved his cardboard box until he got some poop on it. Right now he has an expensive rock hide from a pet store that he likes. He also enjoys burying himself under his cork board.

WanderingChai wrote:Tea Cup used to LOVE her half log, but now the DIY salt hide has taken her heart. I love them. I used Rye Flour, which made it more grain-y, which could help with shedding and toe nails. Of course, then my mom was all about me using all of the salt...

I think the hides need to be big enough so that the skink could fully turn around(picture a skink in a circle) plus 1/2in-2 inch.
Pro of 1/2 hide:
Natural looking, just a nice hide.
Con of 1/2 hide:
It's not very enclosed, 2 sides onpen.

Pro of salt hide:
Tea cup LOVES IT, and like I mentioned above, aids with shedding.

you have a thread somewhere about how you made that hide, right? I'd like to see it!!

Have this right now:
http://exo-terra.com/en/products/reptile_cave.php
Plan on changing to this:
http://www.bigappleherp.com/Zoo-Med-Natural-Cork-Bark
and this:
http://proexotics.com/FAQ2.html#snakes_sexing
Thinking about:
those half log things.

I know everyone already knows my favorite, and Thor and Embers, but I will shamelessly show them again I hand knit ( with wool yarn) then wet felt these hides (wash in the washing machine until they shrink down and become a very dense fiber. My skinks really do love these, not only do they hide in them for a good part of each day, they will drag them to different parts of the tank, and hide under them or lay on top. They are like "blankies" for my two! I am happy to make these for others if interested (for a small fee ) Here are a couple photos.

A lot of people have really awesome hides <3 My guy likes to hide under his rock pile and spends much time each day disassembling my stack I re-stack in the morning just to find the *perfect* place to curl up under. But he also has a big piece of cork bark and a half log hide as well. In the past he has pushed the cork bark under the half log and then buried himself in the bedding below both pieces. Guess he thought being under two layers would keep me from messing with him...boy was he wrong

PlinkoPachinko wrote:

WanderingChai wrote:Tea Cup used to LOVE her half log, but now the DIY salt hide has taken her heart. I love them. I used Rye Flour, which made it more grain-y, which could help with shedding and toe nails. Of course, then my mom was all about me using all of the salt...

I think the hides need to be big enough so that the skink could fully turn around(picture a skink in a circle) plus 1/2in-2 inch.
Pro of 1/2 hide:
Natural looking, just a nice hide.
Con of 1/2 hide:
It's not very enclosed, 2 sides onpen.

Pro of salt hide:
Tea cup LOVES IT, and like I mentioned above, aids with shedding.

you have a thread somewhere about how you made that hide, right? I'd like to see it!!

I believe it may be the collaboration between Sapphire and I you are referring to

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=19832&p=391017#p391017

Edit: I have plans for something big and awesome atm - Fake rocks, fake rock background, fake tree/logs and fake plants - All handmade except the plants. I was going to make the plants as well, but decided that would be stupid considering I can buy them quite cheap on Ebay from America

blaze likes his star wars cardboard box hid lol

So what hides do you have?

I have no place to hide............
my bts has a long bark hide, a wooden guinea pig house and i recently tried adding a purple plastig tunnel.

Which hides do your skinks love?

without a doubt, the long bark hide.

What do you look for in a hide?

i want it to be able to cover him, but not necessarily do so. some days he is well hidden and cannot be seen, while other days he is half hidden and doesnt care.

i want him to be able to feel his hide is taken from nature, texture and a light smell i think are important factors.

the guinea pig hide is too high, so he doesnt feel squished together in it and thus wont use it while sleeping. so i look for low hides but think both are a necessity.

the tunnel wasnt a great hit, it is the first brightly coloured item i put in his terrarium, and he doesnt find it a reassuring place even if noone can see him in it. so i decided id stick to softer colours and less plastic. even if he probably wouldnt care.

How much did they cost?

the bark i got with the purchase of my skink, they use them as hides in the store as well for all their skinks.
the tunnel was 3 euro.
the guinea pig house was at ten euro. so, the most expensive one. its more for climbing, shedding and also used as a humid hide...

note that all i have written is just based on what my bts seems to prefer, not skinks in general.

All of my enclosures have at least 1 DIY raised tile hide with the water dish on top, 1 exoterra XL cave hide and 1 piece of cork bark they can fit under. Preference depends on the BTS, all of them get used though. Some enclosures have DIY raised basking spots / hides or more cork bark depending on the occupant.

If you have money, I'd look at getting a big batch of cork bark. I just love the stuff. Looks great, forms nice hides, allows them to perch on top as well... as I keep acquiring BTS I am looking to get a bulk order of it because I never have enough - maybe we could split a huge bale of it or something? I remember searching one time and finding a place that sold it bulk in Ontario, I was going to place an order with them at some point. http://www.jelinek.com/bark.htm

Coomassie loves his hollow cork log.