PTS enclosure Temperature question

[icequeen]

I was wondering what temperature and humidity you keep your PTS enclosures at.

Thank you to anyone who answers.

[lostwithin]

Hi, my cage is fairly large so I always have a gradient from about 73-90,but for any excuse too play with my new temp gun ill check them for you.

Air temp in the bottom third is about 73; the center about 80, and the top is about 84.

The temp in the cool hide is at 74. And the temp in the warm hide is at 84.

The surface temp on the cage floor (the moss) is 73. And the surface temp in the warmest spot which is the top of the warm hide about 1/2 and a half from the heat lamp reads in with a surface temp of 93-95.

I doubt this helps you too much. Since I allow for them too cool down and heat up them selves. If I was too pick a temp best suited for them I’d say go with around 80 (26 C) with a gradient so they can get a bit cooler and a bit warmer. Like I said I give you all those temps just so I can play with my temp gun. ha ha ha .

As for humidity, they naturally come from a very humid climate. So the more the better, mine normally is around 50-60 because since they are arboreal so I would assume like allot of arboreal animals they deserver good ventilation. So with good ventilation 50-60 is as high as I can get. But I do keep the entire 4'x2' bottom covered with damp sphagnum moss. And as well there is sphagnum in the 10 inch pots that the pothos grows in. I also spray down the cage with a spray bottle nightly. They enjoy soaking in the sphagnum form time too time. The male often sleeps in the pot on the right side of the cage.

Hope that helps. How many PTS do you keep??

Devon

[icequeen]

Hi Devon,

Thanks for that information. Poor me...I dont' have a temp gun to play with :( Wish I did though.

My standard digital thermometer tells me that Dills cage is around the 70 to 85 degree mark ...one side of her cage is warmer than the other, due to lights, etc. And of course the bottom is cooler that as well.

I have a warm mist humidifier right in with her, so her humidity is runs around 70 to 80 %. After much experimentation, I found that she is most active, and has almost completely problem free sheds.

I have only had her for 1.5 years, and I am unsure of her actual age or her origins. She is a petshop rescue, and when I got her she was missing most of her toes on her front feet caused by retained shed.

After much work, and vet care, she got to keep her remaining toes. With the really high humidity (which they do have in thier natural habitat) I have found that she can shed almost totally without my assistance, with the exception of her toes. She still needs me to remove the bands of shed that get stuck on her "problem toes".

I only have the one PTS. I would like one or two more, but I have never seen any others around here, besides her.

They are such amazing, entertaining creatures!!

Kim

[lostwithin]

Hi, no they are not common, especially since wild caught ones are no longer coming in. Are you sure she is female? Just wondering, I still have found no sure way of proving sex. I assume mine are male female because that was how they were sold too the guy who sold them too me. Now he made it clear the sex was not proven and he does not know if it’s accurate. I found some information saying that the scull/head shape of males differs from females. And mine do visually differ from each other

Actually I am going too have a post up tonight or tomorrow about that. I want too compare the 2 and see if anybody out there thinks the difference is due too sex, or just individuality. Unfortunately very few people respond too posts about PTS. I would assume simply because there doesn’t seem too be that many of them around. But I will post any way ha ha , it hasn’t stopped me yet.

My male seems too be heading into shed right now, hopefully the humidity’s right. I will wait and see how it goes. He should be fine due too the fact he spends his nights in the moss bedding digging around and eating.

Devon

[icequeen]

I am reasonably certain she is a female. I used to correspond with a gentleman from Florida who is VERY knowledgeable about PTS. He uses a formula based on the PTS head/body ratio, and calculates whether they are male or female that way. He is quite accurate with his calculations, but I have no clue what the formula actually is.

My Dill was actually an international effort when she was rescued from the pet shop.
People from New York, Florida and South Carolina as well as Toronto were all involved. The original plan was that she was to go to South Carolina, then on to Florida, to become part of a very large circalus. The lady from New York was going to drive over, and pick her up, then drive her to South Carolina. From that point, she would move on to Florida.
BUT...the pet shop did not have any documentation on her. And every time anyone spoke to them, they gave a different story as to where she came from. There is no proof that she was captive born, and there are no CITES papers to show that she is a legal import...therefore, she can not leave Canada.
So, she was to go to Toronto...but...that fellow could not guarantee that he would not turn around and sell her again (he owns a reptile shop..so I had to question his motives...although resale was not the primary reason he was going to take her...I knew it was a possibility). So...in the end, I could not part with her.
I still wish she was able to go to Brian (Florida) and Sherri (South Carolina) who have since become a couple and "merged" their PTS family in Florida...she would have had a wonderful life with them, and had lots of company, but I don't regret keeping her either.
I just wish she wasn't alone.

I love the visual I get of your boy rummaging around in the moss on the bottom of his cage! I bet it's amusing to watch.

Will this be his first shed? Dill is looking pretty dull right now, so I think a shed is coming up for her as well.

[icequeen]

Oh...and by the way...I wanted to mention to you that PTS absolutely LOVE mulberry leaves!!

I was going to post this in the other thread about the Pothos, but I forgot, and then I wasn't sure if you were reading them as well, or not...so...I'll put it here instead.

I live in London Ontario, and a lot of people here have mulberry trees on thier front lawns. Some trees have fruit on them, and others are fruitless...but holy cow...Dill LOVES it. Other PTS keepers have told me the same thing about thier skinks as well.

I'm not sure if you're familiar with Mulberry or not so I thought I'd post some pics, just in case you want to go hunt some down and see if your PTS like it.

Mulberry leaves come in lots of different shapes, and you'll likely see some of each shape all on the same tree.
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1944moralb_branch01.jpg

The trees come in a "weeping" variety, which tend to stay small, or they come in huge full size versions too. Most often these days though, you tend to see more of the weeping variety.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/19444555.jpg http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1944Mulberry_tree.gif

I have found that people are really nice about letting me take home some leaves for Dill. Once I explain that I'm planning on feeding the leaves to a mulberry loving lizard, they always tell me to help myself. Of course, I always double check that no pesticides are used on the tree before I start pulling leaves off.
So far, I've never been told no when I ask.
I should just invest in my own tree...but I'd end up pulling all the leaves off of it long before it ever had the chance to mature.

[lostwithin]

Hi, I have heard that they enjoy mulberry leaves, as well as grape leaves. Luckily I have grapes going and down the road a friend has quite a patch,. I plan too clean the leaves off both as they all die off completely at the end of the summer any way. I also plan too invest in a mulberry tree which I can prune and feed.
I am now in the process of planting a garden just for these animals. Completely pesticide free with plants specifically chosen for there diet.
That is too bad she could not cross into a colonies they are very social animals. If you ever must let her go, or think you would like her too be put into a larger group let me know. I would be glad too give her a good home. All my animals receive excellent care. and elaborate cages, when something listed as "minimum requirements " I look at it as just that I wouldn’t want too be living my life on bare minimums so neither do my animals.

I realize I am no expert with Pts, I just recently managed too get mine but I did spend a long time researching before I even managed too find a pair. I am in the process of saving up the money too expand too own a few groups, Since there is very little captive breeding of these animals which is a shame for more then one reason. There wild habitat is being depleted, and as with most unique and isolated animals this is bad news. With the fairly low numbers of them in captivity if the wild population became low enough the species could be facing extinction. Too join the list of Extinct Giant skinks, like the Cape Verde Giant Skink. (Though in a name too show I did some research lol, makes me sound more impressive)

It's a shame. that’s why I first became interested in this species there seem too be few captive breeders, and the animal is in a situation where they are at risk of being wiped out.

Devon

.

[icequeen]

I never even thought about grape leaves as a food. I'll have to check them out too, and see what Dill thinks of them. She LOVES papaya and canteloupe melon too. I don't know if you've ever tried your PTS on those foods as a bit of a treat. Those two fruits, and sweet potato baby food have to be her all time favourite...well, maybe some pureed peas too. But I only give her those things as a treat. Although, I usually do puree up a small peice of melon to poor over her greens to make them a little more interesting for her, and to increase the fluid intake a bit.

The wild population of PTS is incredibly low as well. Their natural habitat is systematically being destroyed in the Solomon Islands, not to mention the fact that the people of the Solomons also eat PTS. Supposedly their meat is very sweet. Not that I would EVER consider my girl as a food source!
So, between poaching, deforestation, and being captured as a food source, it's no wonder they have earned an unfortunate place on the endangered list. Are they CITES schedule 2 now? I had heard that's where they were as of last year, but that could have just been rumour.

As far as breeding in captivity, once again, they have a specific set of problems that go along with that.
The fact that they carry only a maximum of 2 babies, but usually only one, the long gestation period, and the fact that PTS are known to miscarry or give birth to slugs.
The best anyone could hope for is a maximum of 2 PTS babies per year. Not very promising if a person were looking to "mass produce" them (not that you are...just speaking in general terms).

I hope I'll be able to keep Dill with me until either she, or I, passes on from old age...but if I ever had to part with her I'd want her to go to an owner like you. Someone who KNOWS about PTS, and cares to keep them comfortable and healthy.