Reptile & Amphibian Forums

It seems odd to me that they are sitting on the bottom of the cage. I expected them to be up high as much as they could. They're in a large wooden cage that was built for an iguana. It's wood on all sides except screen on the front, with a sliding screen door. I have two large logs in there for them to climb, that are plenty sturdy. I have a wicker basket hanging from one that swings some but it is hanging by a branch of one of the logs so it won't slide down. It's about half way up the tallest log. On the floor of the cage is a plastic hide log that was sold as part of a set for ferrets. I also have a large glass baking dish for them full of water on the floor, plus their food bowl. The bottom is covered with newspaper. The temps have been in the 80's during the day and the 70's at night. I'm not out there much after the lights are out but when I am turning them low for a while and when I first come out in the morning, plus during the day, they are almost always on the floor of the cage or very low on a log, rather than up high like I would expect. Any thoughts anyone? I just got them Wednesday. The two females look good, the male is a little thin. They have been treated for parasites. -Lucy

SOUTHERN FLORIDA CORUCIA RESEARCH CENTER (SFCRC)

Location: LEE/1.

Lucy,

There could be many reasons for this behavior. I assume they have all their claws. If you are observing them in the daytime, Corucia's kept outdoors (I hope your keeping them within a screened porch or the equivilent) will go to the lower levels normally. Your set-up sounds good however, Wire sides greatly increase climbing area and provide needed air circulation more efficiently. A screened top provides the opportunity to include hanging vines. If you just recieved them, They may need time to acclimate as well. Keep an eye on the thin one. If Medicated properly, they should be eating normally and slowly gaining wait. If not, Check with your vet immediately.

Sincerely,
Brian
SFCRC

Brian,

No unfortunately it's too cool for them to be outside here in Arkansas now. It's in the 50's through 70's and dropping. I put my lizards outside whenever I can but they arrived at the wrong time of year for getting out much here. They are in the garage so they get the humidity but it's heated from the other lizards, who get more heat than they do (uros and beardeds) but their cage stays in the 80's during the day and drops at night. They have been eating what I give them so maybe they're climbing around a lot at night and I just don't see them after the lights are out. Maybe they just like to sleep more on the bottom during the day. I've had them less than a week so I don't know that I should have seen a significant weight gain yet but I'll be watching for it. The stools don't look watery, they are well formed and large. I'm definitely planning to get them checked if I have any suspicion of parasites of if they don't start gaining but I was told that they were treated for parasites and I think that he was telling the truth.
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Lucy
www.smalldragons.com

Do they have their own heat source/basking areas? Mine don't really 'bask' much, but they do hide in the warm areas during the day. I have a UVB mecurcy lamp on the top- (t-rex active heat UVB) that keeps the top around 90degrees. They all usually are in the hides in this zone during the day. I also have a middle shelf with a heat pad stuck on the bottom to provide a second warm zone. When I have babies, I have a third heat zone on the bottom where mom and babies will hang out for the first few days. Your temps sound to cool to me, and if the whole enclosure is 80ish due to the ambient temp of the gargage, they have no way to thermoregulate by moving around. Here is a pix of my two PTS set-ups. I also feed on a middle shelf. They poop on the bottom, so I separate the feeding and bathroom areas.
Good luck, Jess b

PTS houses

How many live in each cage? Are they built from cabinetes that were furniture?
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Lucy
www.smalldragons.com

thanks! They are actually 'home built' from plexiglass, wood and screen. One has a painted plywood back and bottom and one has melamine coated particle boaed back and bottom. One has 3 PTS (a pair and a unknown sex adult- unrelated, but female has a baby due soon). One has a pair, their 01 twins, 02 singleton, and 03 twins born yesterday. It is getting way too crowded, and the 01 twins will need to move out- one is definetely acting like a male, and I worry about fighting with dad!
cheers, Jess b

It's in the mid 80's during the day, but you're right I do need to put their own heat source in so they can thermoregulate more. I just was worried that they were going to get TOO hot, as I'd read that they could die if too hot and never saw warnings so much about too cool. Of course, I know they can get too cool, also, but I wanted to watch a few days and see how the temps stayed in there for them without their own heat source since the outside temperatures have been dropping and I've just added more lizards with their own heaters (uros) to the garage the same day i got the skinks. So I was sort of waiting to add a heater for them. Maybe they need it, though, I can start with something small like a black light bulb or small wattage bulb during the day. Thanks. -Lucy
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Lucy
www.smalldragons.com

Do you have a hiding box on the bottom of your cage?I have 2 hiding boxes, one on the top of my MTS cage another on the bottom.My MTS prefers to stay on the bottom.He climbs and walks all over the cage only when he has a burst of energy but most of the times he likes to take short naps inside his hiding box on the floor.

I have one hide log on the bottom, a plastic one with three entrances. One of them seems to like it. Then I have a large wicker basket hanging from the tallest log. I haven't seen any of them in this. Perhaps it's too large for it to seem like a place to hide. maybe I'll try to alter that some by adding a half log or something. They need more than one spot to hide and sleep.
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Lucy
www.smalldragons.com

SOUTHERN FLORIDA CORUCIA RESEARCH CENTER (SFCRC)

Location: LEE/1.

Hello,

It is most likely too open for them. The opening should be just wider than the width of the largest skink. A good template-if not used outright- are the the artifical stumps I have mentioned in previous posts.

Sincerely,
Brian
SFCRC

Okay. I may have missed those previous posts but I can get the idea of the opening being just wider than the widest skink. The basket is definitely too open for them. I'll add a half log that's low and see if that works. If not I may have to make something
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Lucy
www.smalldragons.com