Sleepy sulcata

[jnirvello]

Don't worry about UVB. The sun's UVB passes through cloud. I live in the UK - clouds are a speciality

On cloudy days the problem is whether your tort is warm enough to eat, be active and digest food.

A few days of bad weather aren't a problem; bad weather happens in the wild too. It's prolonged periods of cold weather that are a problem.

Then you have 3 choices:

1. Have an indoor enclosure with heat and UVB lamps. Works for the Testudo and very young Sullies and Leopards, but not an option for large sulcatas and leopards as they need too much space.

2. Have heated outdoor accommodation - a basking lamp in a shelter and a heated nightbox. They can wander outside, but get in when they want to bask.

3. Hibernation - for Testudo, but NOT for Sulcatas and Leopards that cannot hibernate ever.

Is the direct sun too hot for baby sulcatas? I let mine get some exercise in the sun as well as in my back porch.

 

[JoesMum]

Yes the direct sun can get far too hot.

It is important to have areas of deep shade that a tort can retreat into on sunny days.

Tortoises need outdoor enclosures with full sun for basking deep shade areas. This is easier to achieve in a large enclosure.

Be aware that if you have any type of screen round your porch then that will reduce the UVB your tort get too.

 

[JoesMum]

A temperature gun like this is best for measuring spot temperatures both indoors and out.

You can check that your torts are getting the 95-100F they need for basking and also check temperatures in shaded areas

 

[jnirvello]

I know I have asked this before but he loves his new lamp! His body temp is about 93.5 under the light and he leaves it for a little and will hide in his log.... should I turn the light off for a little so he can cool off or is it his choice to lay under it? Do they know if they’re too hot?

 

[JoesMum]

Leave both basking and UVB on for 12-14 hours continuously.

Your tort will move to the optimum spot for what he wants. They know when they're too hot and will move somewhere cooler for a while and move back when they're ready.

The sun doesn't switch off for wild torts, they just find somewhere shady and return to bask when they're ready

Using a timer makes controlling lamps much easier. You can have a lie in, or go out in the evening, without worrying that the lamps haven't been switched on/off

 

[Taylor T.]

Yes, they know. What you are noticing is called thermoregulation. This is how exothermic (cold blooded) animals keep their body temperature stable. When they want to be warmer, they go under the heat light. Similarly, after they have basked for a while, and brought their body temperature up, they will seek shelter to bring it back down.

 

[jnirvello]

Okay! So it’s probably not smart if I turn off one light because ‘I think he’s too hot’ he enjoys the heat

 

[Taylor T.]

Correct.

 

[jnirvello]

Correct.

Thank you!!!!!