BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hi!

I’m in Yangon, Myanmar and my daughter really wants a bus. I’m thinking Indonesian as the weather is almost identical there. Given the natural heat and humidity here would I need a heat lamp ? Could I just do uva and b for when it’s not in the garden?

Thanks

Yes I would still recommend a heat lamp. Even though the natural ambient temperatures and humidity levels will most likely be perfect, your bluey will still need a basking area where the ground can be heated up from preferably an overhead source. The sun provides this for them in the wild by heating up rocks and patches of soil for them to lay on and your lamp will simulate that. I keep the surface temperatures of my basking areas for Meraukes between 110 to 130 degrees, which would be impossible to replicate without a heat source.

Since you are in Myanmar - An outdoor enclosure with a sunny and a shady area and protection from local free ranging predators will be perfect for your Indo or IJ bluetongues. Ensure the pit cant be flooded when it rains (else there's a risk the skink will drown).

I keep my skink in a ferret cage outside on the deck in the summer in the SE USA. It's hot and humid here in the summer (typically gets up to 90-95 in the daytime.)

If your climate allows you to keep a skink outdoors, I say why not? Nothing beats the natural uv from the sun. As kingofnobbys stated, make sure the skink has access to a cooler shaded area as they can easily overheat and die if exposed to direct heat and sun without an avenue for escape on hot days. And of course be wary of predators.