Blueys in an outdoor pit

[Tyl3r]

Hi everyone,
How old to Blueys have to be before they can go in an outdoor pit? It will have 'bird' wire all around so the birds won't be able to get in and attack him/her.

Thanks,
Tyler

 

[NickGeee]

Where is your location?

 

[Tyl3r]

Central Coast. They won't go outside until summer of course as it would be too late now.

 

[Tyl3r]

Bump.

 

[lizardwhisperer]

I'd be worried about them eating poisoned insects that come into the pit from the neigbour's, and if you're on the coast, the humidity levels are a bit high and so they'd the prone to RI.

So I suggest only in the pit on warm dry sunny days and not 24/365.

Find the local club and seek out local bluetongue owners ask them.

 

[Insanity]

I'd be worried about them eating poisoned insects that come into the pit from the neigbour's, and if you're on the coast, the humidity levels are a bit high and so they'd the prone to RI.

So I suggest only in the pit on warm dry sunny days and not 24/365.

Find the local club and seek out local bluetongue owners ask them.

RI...really....

 

[mike72]

I would keep them inside for a year and get them to a decent size before putting them outside. feed them up so they are a decent size with plenty of fat reserves. start putting them outside during the day on warm sunny days in october and they should be ok to stay out 24/7 by about mid to late november (weather depending).

the most important thing is you outdoor enclosure size and position. it will need to be big enough so they can thermoregualte. I would expect 2mx2m at a mimimum outdoors. The enclosure will need to be positioned so that it takes advantage of as much sun as possible throughout the day (i.e. north facing) whilst maintaining an area of shade at all times so they can cool down if needed.

It is also critical to provide a warm dry area for them to bunker down in. I watertight wooden box filled with hay or shavings is suitable, yo uwill need to change the shavings/hay periodically to prevent it becoming moist. If they dont have a perfectly dry retreat RI will likley be a problem.

 

[mcloughlin2]

By about a year of age they are past the more fragile stage of life and are suitable for life outside 24/7/365. They can be placed earlier and I have done it but there is an increased risk if they are put in at a few months of age and go straight into winter - as mentioned above they won't have sufficient fat reserves. If it's the other way round and they go into the pit at 6 months of age and we are going into summer giving them another 4-6 months of warm weather things will be fine.

I would suggest not having "wire all the way around" as they then become too exposed to the elements. Depending on what outdoor enclosure design you choose I would suggest have at least two sides with a weather proof material (plywood, corflute, colarbond) to provide some protection from cold wind and rain then at the opposite end extreme heat in summer.

The location of the cage should NOT be in an area with as much sun as possible. All you want is morning sun, any more then that and on the first 35c + day your lizards will die without some underground bunker to shelter in.

Oh and poisoned insects is such a low risk I wouldn't even allow it to enter my thoughts when planning an outdoor enclosure. Also seeing that the central coast area of NSW is home to a massive population of eastern blue tongues there is no issue at all with RI providing they are not kept in a swamp. I keep blotched blue tongues outside with no ill effects.

 

[lizardwhisperer]

My bluetongue skink day pit is a converted 40cm tall colorbond steel raised garden bed on a slightly sloping slab of concrete (4m x 2m) , gives great drainage of rain water if it rains when my skinks are in residence, I have some fence steel sheets over the north side (to provide shade and a dry area - there are some old bricks and hollow long in that area for them to climb onto or go into).
I've got some long grass in there growing in shallow plastic trays for them to explore and my bedding is loose stones. (again for their drainage benefits).

The slab originally had a bird avery on it when we bought this house.

I was planning on growing veggies and herbs in the garden bed when I bought it but I don't have a green thumb and gardening is not my thing so I removed the soil and converted it after a few less than successful growing seasons.

We like having our bluetongues inside with us to enjoy them.

 

[lizardwhisperer]

By about a year of age they are past the more fragile stage of life and are suitable for life outside 24/7/365. They can be placed earlier and I have done it but there is an increased risk if they are put in at a few months of age and go straight into winter - as mentioned above they won't have sufficient fat reserves. If it's the other way round and they go into the pit at 6 months of age and we are going into summer giving them another 4-6 months of warm weather things will be fine.

I would suggest not having "wire all the way around" as they then become too exposed to the elements. Depending on what outdoor enclosure design you choose I would suggest have at least two sides with a weather proof material (plywood, corflute, colarbond) to provide some protection from cold wind and rain then at the opposite end extreme heat in summer.

The location of the cage should NOT be in an area with as much sun as possible. All you want is morning sun, any more then that and on the first 35c + day your lizards will die without some underground bunker to shelter in.

Oh and poisoned insects is such a low risk I wouldn't even allow it to enter my thoughts when planning an outdoor enclosure. Also seeing that the central coast area of NSW is home to a massive population of eastern blue tongues there is no issue at all with RI providing they are not kept in a swamp. I keep blotched blue tongues outside with no ill effects.

I imagine many wild bluetongues who live in the area head under houses and into sheds and garages when it's nasty or wet or cold to find warm sheltered dry refuge from the weather or to find a cool shady spot on hot days.

The wild lizards will be made generally from tougher more resilient stuff than their multigenerational captive bred cousins. They will have developed or had passed onto them by their parents genetics and resistance to toxins used by us to control pest insects, while captive bred lizards don't have this resistance. I know it's low risk but it is a risk I would rather not chance my pet bluetongues' lives on.

 

[Tyl3r]

I'd be worried about them eating poisoned insects that come into the pit from the neigbour's, and if you're on the coast, the humidity levels are a bit high and so they'd the prone to RI.

So I suggest only in the pit on warm dry sunny days and not 24/365.

Find the local club and seek out local bluetongue owners ask them.

I don't have neighbours. I live on 10acres. No neighbours on all sides of the house for 150m.

 

[Tyl3r]

Thank you guys! I will keep my blueys, when I get them, inside for the first yr of there lives and introduce them to the outdoors at the end of spring/early summer so they won't be going out straight in to the cold.