BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hi everybody,

Loki started to burrow himself on the cool side of his enclosure and decides to stay there without coming out ever. Since this is his first year, I don't want him to brumate and would prefer to have him active and eating in the meantime.
I've read that increasing the temperatures in the enclosure and providing night heat would stop it but that raises a couple of questions:

- In order to increase the day time temperatures, I'll have to set my thermostat to a higher temperature but that would also raise my basking spot temperature to higher temps and then be out of the healthy range (right now the basking spot is a half-round cork bark and spots/a very small area of it would go up to 41-44C (106-111F) if I try to raise the cool side to 22-23C (71-73F). I believe that hot spots would exist in nature as well but I don't want to take a risk of having Loki burn himself.

- How should the night temperatures be? I already upgraded the enclosure with a CHE and with current conditions and setup, the cold side drops to 19C (66F). Would this need to be warmer to stop brumation?

- What about waking Loki up. Right now he's burrowed under his substrate but if I wake him and get him out, he usually is quite active for some time before he goes back into his sleeping place. I don't want to disturb his behaviour too much but I would also not want to stop his growth at this point in time...


Thanks a lot for your input here!
Loki & Thor

Raising the temperatures may help. That hot spot will be fine provided that your skink has a gradient and access to cooler areas. Night temperatures need to be warmer. I run a single space heater in my basement and that helps keep it at 75 degrees, which is what you should shoot for. As for waking him, I'd give him the opportunity to come out on his own first and then wake him when fresh food is provided. But if all else fails, let him brumate. Typically juvenile skinks put on size after brumation and it's overall growth isn't affected.

Thank you so much for your feedback! The temperature gradient is still big enough over the 5ft width and Loki is already more active again. Still hiding a lot but way more out and about and also taking food every other day We're back on track!