BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

I am planning on breeding my two Northerns for the first time this year and have a few questions:

1) Chewy (male) has been asleep since November whereas Malla (female) is still active and basking a lot. The low temps at the cool end are about 70 during the day with a night time drop into the low 60s at night (once I saw a low in the high 50s). Basking temps are still near 100 with a mid tank temp near 80. Will Malla still cycle properly if she doesn't slow down much just from the cooler temps?

2) When should I plan to introduce them to one another? Here I. Northern Illinois we will be in our coldest months of the year in January and February. I plan to introduce her into his cage with the substrate either removed or covered for safety.

3) Any other tips at this time?

Thank you all in advance for any help.

?

Hi,

I don't think your female will want to breed unless you cycle her. I keep my northerns at around 18 or 20 degrees Celsius (around 70 degrees F) over the winter. You shouldn't need to go lower.

Mark.

My night time temps drop into the low 60s and the cool end is in the seventies during the day and I have been keeping the basking spot at 90-105.

Richard had said that the change in night temperatures should cause them to cycle but only my male has really slowed down and now he has been up some today.

Still think I should cool her down more?

Seth_I. wrote:My night time temps drop into the low 60s and the cool end is in the seventies during the day and I have been keeping the basking spot at 90-105.

Richard had said that the change in night temperatures should cause them to cycle but only my male has really slowed down and now he has been up some today.

Still think I should cool her down more?

I tried various approaches, but only the way I described worked for me with my animals. I bred them this year for the first time after a few years of trying...

Mark.

Thanks for you input. I think I'll cook things down further and then warm back up in February. That is the normal period to wake them and prepare to introduce Northerns in the Northern hemisphere correct?