BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hi,

I've a couple of plastic hides that my Northern bluey uses. However, the bugger likes to climb very much! The plastic is quite slippy, and if the hide is angled on the substrate he can slide off with quite a speed, and has banged into the walls, basking rock etc, so I'm looking at hides he can climb safely.

I found this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Komodo-82734-F ... ooden+hide

However, it is made of 'chinese pine'. I know to avoid pine, eucalyptus, spruce and cedar for substrates, but does the same hold for hides? I liked the look of that one as I could change the shape as he grows.

Cheers!

I have modified my plastic hides into suitable basking sites by affixing a piece of cut to size cork tile to the hide. It looks nice and the lizards do not have any trouble climbing on to them. They also do not get too hot as to cause discomfort.

splashy07 wrote:I have modified my plastic hides into suitable basking sites by affixing a piece of cut to size cork tile to the hide. It looks nice and the lizards do not have any trouble climbing on to them. They also do not get too hot as to cause discomfort.

I thought about something similar, but wasn't sure about which glue to use, and how it would be affected by the heat of the lamps. Any suggestions?

I use aquarium safe silicone.

splashy07 wrote:I use aquarium safe silicone.

Thanks! I'll give it a go.

Out of interest, do your skinks prefer it it simply laying in/under a full/half cork tube?

I had hides made from several concrete pavers stacked as hollow pyramid for a long time , then discovered Hubba Huts , and bought a jumbo sized Hubbahut for each of my two adult BTs, they love them and soend as even more time basking on top these they ever did the flat top of the pyramid of pavers and I feel they are safer for them too.

Just be sure to make sure all the big staples that hold the cardboard advertising material is removed as these pose both a snag risk for their finger and toe nails and fingers and toes & can also cut the skinks belly open ( I know of an example where this happened with pet python (a staple was left hanging and not noticed).

I've since converted over from molded acrylic hides and plastic hides for all my pet lizards.

Some of them have cork semi-flats and some have the plastic hides with the cork bark tops that double as basking areas.
Depending on the height and lighting of the cage.
The ones I use for the plastic hides are marketed as cork tile, they come as flat pieces that you can cut to size. The reason I do not like all wood hides is that they take too long to dry when you have to wash them. These cork tile flats dry very fast. I do not use pavers as they could get too hot in my particular setups.

Covering with cork would make a beautiful naturalistic look. Another option you could use is covering it with a moss mat. Whichever look you prefer.

Here's a few examples of some of mine.

Those bit of flat cork on top of the black plastic hide are very different from the ones I bought from Amazon:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FPKV2WK? ... FZIBef2qew

My ones were quite flexible and feel like they might crumble with minor use. Will keep looking for thin, flat, natural cork bark, or just cut if a large piece into many smaller parts that I can hopefully piece together.

Mine are made by Zoo Med marketed for reptile cage backgrounds.

I have a very large piece of driftwood. Spent a good week sanding the rougher edges and making sure it had no bugs in it, but it was well worth it!

Driftwood is beautiful, I used to use large pieces when I kept water dragons and iguanas. Pretty much indestructible and aesthetically pleasing. Just a pain if they soil it and you have to remove the whole thing, wash it and let it dry!
I keep a spare hide with the cork bark top just for that purpose, can do a quick change while one dries. I love driftwood, wish I didn't give all mine away! Looks like I have to recruit my friend who is a surfcaster fisherman to find me some more!

splashy07 wrote:Driftwood is beautiful, I love driftwood, wish I didn't give all mine away! Looks like I have to recruit my friend who is a surfcaster fisherman to find me some more!

Grrrr.... SO jealous! I'm in the middle of a desert. Grew up on the west coast of Sweden; can not tell you how many times I've seriously thought about just filling up a suitcase...

Trade ya! I'd love to be in the middle of a desert! There isn't any kind of dried up wood around there? Would love to go looking, for all kinds of things! Found some nice pieces in Florida, had to boil them out as they were full of ants!

Finally found the picture of the cork tile I use. It comes in different sizes, I get the large ones and cut them to fit the tops of the hides.