Overnight heat/brumation

[amb44]

Hi yet again,

Turns out reading the care sheet over and over is no vaccination against having more and more questions when you actually get the skink!

I have been reading back through the forum and have come across differing opinions about leaving heat on overnight and brumation and I'm not sure what is best now. Solar is ~6 months old, and when I got him the store told me that they leave the ceramic heater on overnight, and that it would be better not to let him brumate, which I think is based on his weight. It's autumn here now so night time temps are dropping, which I understand from the care sheet is fine, but I'm worrying about the conflicting advice, and whether or not he would brumate which may be bad for him at this time. At the moment I am leaving the heater on all night, but the UVB light is off so I'm assuming that the night time temp. is still dropping. I have a 100 watt ceramic heater in a tank 900mm x 450mm x 600mm (which is about 36 x 18 x 24). My measured day time temps. seem fine and he has a raised basking spot. I don't live in an area that ever gets snow, at the most we get frosts but we basically have a light winter compared to many other parts of the world.

Also with regards to brumation - what is the 'policy' here? Are you absolutely required to let them brumate if they are healthy enough? I guess when I say brumate, I am meaning the full on sleep for four months kind of brumate, rather than let them slow down, sleep more and not eat as much which by the sounds of it nobody except the skink has any control over anyway.

Thanks in advance and apologies for all the worry and questions coming your way

Amy

[bella3]

I will answer as many questions of yours as I can, but I truly have never had any actual experiance with a BTS so please take what I say lightly, and pay more attention to what the others say. From my understanding, BTS will brumate if they want to, but you should definitly not brumate a sick skink. Other then that, if a skink wants to brumate it will.
I really do not know about the whole ceramic heater thing, sorry.
Please anyone correct me if this is not accurate.
Hope I was able to help just a little

[Richard.C]

that was pretty accurate bella,

amb,your in nz,so im guessing you have an eastern,it is good to keep them warm for there first winter,just day warmth is usually enough to do that with easterns,though some can sense the outside warmth and if your cool end temp is low enough,go there and brumate anyways even with heat still supplied,normally in much bigger cages than u mentioned though

with your ceramic heater on at night,plus day warmth to,your lil tyke should stay active for you over winter,which is good,allows you to get some growth into them,pack on weight ect before the 2nd winter

also in the wild in some areas they can brumate for 4 to 5 months,but in captivity theres no need to cool them for that long,no need to appoligise for asking questions either,thats what forums are for,and shows you care and want to do the best for youe animal

[amb44]

thank you both, you have diminished a substantial chunk of worry! and yes richard, he is an eastern.