BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

I am wondering about bumping my basking temps because I keep seeing more posts and people keeping their northerns between 100-105. I have always kept my temps between 95-100 according to the caresheet and they are usually somewhere between 96-99. But it seems like more people are leaning towards higher temps, should I go ahead and bump them up? I've just heard that they experience higher temps in the wild and those temps might be better.

Your temperatures are fine as is if your skink is regularly basking. For a Northern I think 100 degrees is where you want to be at. If you want to experiment a bit, just raise your basking area an inch closer to your light and see if that alters the behavior any. If you notice more basking then you're on to something.

Northerns are quite varied in their temperature likings. Some of mine like 85. Others like 95. A few will run for the cool zone when it goes above that. Your temps are fine. Northerns are the most resilient and tolerant of them all.

mb606587 wrote:Your temperatures are fine as is if your skink is regularly basking.

He does seem to regularly bask most of the week for a little while each day, but I do notice he basks for a long time after he eats. I know that its normal for him to bask after he eats but he stays there for a couple hours. Is that normal? It seems like a long time which makes me wonder if its too cold. He has sort of come out of his mini brumation that started in October and his appetite is great, but I was just curious about that.

They do usually bask for long stretches when coming out of brumation. They're giving their systems a start up.

BlueBella wrote:But it seems like more people are leaning towards higher temps, should I go ahead and bump them up? I've just heard that they experience higher temps in the wild and those temps might be better.

Many keepers with certain Indonesian species, Halmahera and Merauke especially, are experimenting with varying degrees of success with higher basking temperatures of 115 degrees and up. I, myself, keep most of my Meraukes' basking rocks at 125 degrees. I have not heard of much success with the Australian species of BTS at these higher temperatures.

Ok thank you for the replies I will just keep the temps where they are. He is eating and pooping so I assume he's pretty comfortable, I just was curious about higher temps.

Mine was basking alot when it was 100. Now for some reason I changed substrate and the tenperature goes to 110 and he basks less. I think ill try a 75w bulb instead of 100w to try to get it down a bit.

Hes an eastern btw.