BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

ok - getting my skink on tuesday (YAY!) and i just noticed something that i hadn't thought of before...

i have my lamp timer set from 8a.m. to 8p.m. (12 on / 12 off). ok? good, great.

BUT, as i've said before, it gets down to just below 70 in the tank at night. keep that in mind...

now, the basking spot maxes out around 92 to 96 degrees with the tank sitting at a steady 80 degrees and 50% humidity.

here's the problem: it takes 4 hours for the basking rock to reach the 90+ degrees mark. it only takes 1 hour for it to lose heat and fall below 90 degrees. so, the skink is only getting 9 or so hours of proper basking time.

now, i suppose this is ok, because the skink will only bask when it wants to, rather than all day long. and it will learn that the basking area feels best 4 hours (in skink time) after the "sun" comes up..

am i right?

also, can i break the 12 on / 12 off rule? i would like to do 14 on / 10 off if possible. will the skink go mad?

Wow, that was a lot of numbers. Honestly, I never really followed the exacts to that extent, youre skink will be just fine. Theyre very hardy animals, and its not really the temperature of the rock that matters because it doesnt take 4 hours for the skink to reach the right temperature.

i dont think this is much of a problem, most skinks r pretty hardy i think

I think YOU are going to go mad thinking about all those details.

Here's the routine I've developed:

March through September: 12 hours on, 12 off, median high temperature of basking rock 105'F.

September through November: 8 hours on, 16 hours off, median high temperature of basking rock 95'F.

If not choosing to brumate, same schedule as above until March again.

If choosing to brumate, November through February, no basking light, UV compact fluorescent 8 hours on, 16 hours off, median all-around temperature 68'F.

That's my yearly schedule. Of course it takes about the same time for basking rocks to heat up and cool down, so the light may not reflect the *exact* basking time as the actual temperatures, but this isn't going to do anything to the bluey.

I know some keepers actually will choose to keep their lights off all together once in a while, because naturally, there are cloudy days when basking can't really happen. The bluey is prepared for this.

KW

HEE HEE!

ok, here's the reason i'm so specific and why the skink will be a welcome relief: we've had a horned toad (albino pac-man frog) and EVERYTHING has to be PERFECT in their home or they will get sick (red leg disease, thorn, stuff in their eye, weekly attempts to hybernate, etc).

so, i kinda sometimes fall back into that paraniod "oh, no, my frog's temp dropped by 0.33 degrees! run for the hills!" mentality.

sorry.

and thanks!

I know how that is. Green Tree Pythons are kinda similar in that way, theyre awesome animals but its just so much work and so much money you dont even get to enjoy having it.

lol, im all like OMG! too over the small stuff. I understand you alllllllllllllllllll the way!

most people in australia would kill to have a Green tree python and they're from our *darn country


over here they cost minimum $5-6000 and most of the time around $10,000

Boonaen,

Consider this;

In southern Oz, sunrise in summer is circa 6:00 AM and it will not warm up 'til about 10:30 AM on most days so thats over 4 hours.

My blueys don't bother getting out of bed before 9:30 and they live in an outdoor pit. i don't bother putting food in the enclosure before 11:30 unless it is a very hot day.

awesome. this all means that my skink's future home is just perfect!

i figured it was... i mean, after all... I made it. KIDDING!

hee hee - pay no mind, i just won 10 in a row in Guild Wars, so i'm feeling squirrely!

boonaen wrote:we've had a horned toad (albino pac-man frog) and EVERYTHING has to be PERFECT in their home or they will get sick (red leg disease, thorn, stuff in their eye, weekly attempts to hybernate, etc).

so, i kinda sometimes fall back into that paraniod "oh, no, my frog's temp dropped by 0.33 degrees! run for the hills!" mentality.

That stinks! My cranwalli is one hardy bugger!

bluecheezytree wrote:lol, im all like OMG! too over the small stuff. I understand you alllllllllllllllllll the way!

Unfortunately I don't think the understanding goes both ways...

KW