Sulcata hatchling sleep patterns

[Tinytortmama]

This kiddo is about 2ish months old and her basking and daylight bulbs come on at 9am. At this time she saunters out from her humid hideout to start her day. She is active all day until around 5pm. We also had the Arcadia T5 bulb that we turn in for about 2 hours a day along with a CHE that stays on 24/7 to maintain 80 degree temps. She doesn’t seem to like the T5 and will retreat to her hide. I have to pull her out of her hide to soak. Is this normal? Not sure how long babies sleep each day.

 

[wellington]

What kind of basking bulb are you using and what kind of enclosure with humidity other than a humid hide?
She needs to be in a closed chamber with 80% humidity all over. Also needs an incandescent flood bulb for basking.
A lot of babies sleep most of the day. Yours seems to not need or want to sleep so much.
When are you turning on the uvb? Have that come on at 9-10 for a couple hours when she gets up.

 

[Tinytortmama]

Not sure what’s going on when I try to reply but 90th times a charm 😂

Basking bulb is a 65w incandescent flood bulb, housing is a closed chamber tortoise table with greenhouse around it, maintains 80% humidity. CHE is set on a thermostat to maintain 80 degrees.

She is very active and not in her hide from 9am - 5ish pm.

I will set the UVB to come on from 9-11. Just wanted make sure her sleeping and tucking herself in so early is normal. Should I have the basking and LED to turn off before 8pm?

 

[wellington]

She sounds nice and spunky, cuz most hatchlings sleep a lot more.
If it were me, yes, I would turn the lights off earlier as long as she's tucked herself in for the night anyway.
I leave their lights on for an hour after my torts has tucked themselves in, then they go off. My torts are adults and live in a shed. The shed lights get turned off later then their own personal lights.

 

[Tinytortmama]

She sounds nice and spunky, cuz most hatchlings sleep a lot more.
If it were me, yes, I would turn the lights off earlier as long as she's tucked herself in for the night anyway.
I leave their lights on for an hour after my torts has tucked themselves in, then they go off. My torts are adults and live in a shed. The shed lights get turned off later then their own personal lights.

I’ll reset them then.

 

[Tom]

Not sure what’s going on when I try to reply but 90th times a charm 😂

Basking bulb is a 65w incandescent flood bulb, housing is a closed chamber tortoise table with greenhouse around it, maintains 80% humidity. CHE is set on a thermostat to maintain 80 degrees.

She is very active and not in her hide from 9am - 5ish pm.

I will set the UVB to come on from 9-11. Just wanted make sure her sleeping and tucking herself in so early is normal. Should I have the basking and LED to turn off before 8pm?

Your parameters sound good, but why are you waiting until 9am to make the "sun come up". I have my basking and led lights come on at sunrise and then stay on for 12-13 hours. Usually 6:30am to 7:30pm. Lights and heat should stay on even after the tortoise goes to bed, just like the daylight outside. In their native range there isn't a lot of seasonal difference in how much light they get daily since they are so close to the equator. Having the lights on for only 9 or 10 hours is unnatural for them, but it would be fine for a temperate species that is preparing for brumation as winter approaches. Tropical tortoises, like yours, need 12 hours of light per day.

There is almost no UVB outside in the morning. It builds gradually in the late morning, peaks mid day, and drops off to zero again in the evening, even though the sun is still bright and shining. While I don't think having your UV come on at 9am will hurt anything, it would be better to set it from 11am to 2pm or something like that. This simulates what happens outside for them.

To answer your original question, most of them sleep a lot. They avoid the mid day heat and sun, and if their belly is full and their body temperature is where they need it, there is no need to be out and about exposed to predators. Some of them or more fearless and bold than others. Sounds to me like you got an active one. I'll bet its a male.

 

[wellington]

Your parameters sound good, but why are you waiting until 9am to make the "sun come up". I have my basking and led lights come on at sunrise and then stay on for 12-13 hours. Usually 6:30am to 7:30pm. Lights and heat should stay on even after the tortoise goes to bed, just like the daylight outside. In their native range there isn't a lot of seasonal difference in how much light they get daily since they are so close to the equator. Having the lights on for only 9 or 10 hours is unnatural for them, but it would be fine for a temperate species that is preparing for brumation as winter approaches. Tropical tortoises, like yours, need 12 hours of light per day.

There is almost no UVB outside in the morning. It builds gradually in the late morning, peaks mid day, and drops off to zero again in the evening, even though the sun is still bright and shining. While I don't think having your UV come on at 9am will hurt anything, it would be better to set it from 11am to 2pm or something like that. This simulates what happens outside for them.

To answer your original question, most of them sleep a lot. They avoid the mid day heat and sun, and if their belly is full and their body temperature is where they need it, there is no need to be out and about exposed to predators. Some of them or more fearless and bold than others. Sounds to me like you got an active one. I'll bet its a male.

Why leave them on if they are tucked away for the night? My leopards, in fall/ winter, wake early, but by approximately 4 pm one is done for the day, the other, will be out for another hour, sometimes little longer and then he's done for the day. So lights on for about 10-11 hours. They go off after the later one has settled for the night which would make it their lights on for approximately 10-11 hours. The overall shed light goes off about an hour or two after their personal lights have gone off. Depends on when I remember to go out and turn it off.
The Russian lights stay on longer as I don't brumate him.

 

[Tinytortmama]

Your parameters sound good, but why are you waiting until 9am to make the "sun come up". I have my basking and led lights come on at sunrise and then stay on for 12-13 hours. Usually 6:30am to 7:30pm. Lights and heat should stay on even after the tortoise goes to bed, just like the daylight outside. In their native range there isn't a lot of seasonal difference in how much light they get daily since they are so close to the equator. Having the lights on for only 9 or 10 hours is unnatural for them, but it would be fine for a temperate species that is preparing for brumation as winter approaches. Tropical tortoises, like yours, need 12 hours of light per day.

There is almost no UVB outside in the morning. It builds gradually in the late morning, peaks mid day, and drops off to zero again in the evening, even though the sun is still bright and shining. While I don't think having your UV come on at 9am will hurt anything, it would be better to set it from 11am to 2pm or something like that. This simulates what happens outside for them.

To answer your original question, most of them sleep a lot. They avoid the mid day heat and sun, and if their belly is full and their body temperature is where they need it, there is no need to be out and about exposed to predators. Some of them or more fearless and bold than others. Sounds to me like you got an active one. I'll bet its a male.

Well I had them set for earlier but she was tucked away before I got home from work and could soak her and spend some time with her. That’s why I reset them for 9 AM to 8 PM, but she never makes it till 8 PM. She always goes in her humid height earlier than that. I will try resetting them for earlier in the morning and do the UVB mid day that makes perfect sense.

 

[Tom]

Why leave them on if they are tucked away for the night?

If you went to bed at 4 pm, wouldn't you still know the sun was up? Even though they have decided their needs are met for the day and they are taking cover, they should still see 12 hours of daylight. Unless its an animal that you want to brumate and you are shortening their day/night cycle to make sure they know its winter.

 

[Warren]

This kiddo is about 2ish months old and her basking and daylight bulbs come on at 9am. At this time she saunters out from her humid hideout to start her day. She is active all day until around 5pm. We also had the Arcadia T5 bulb that we turn in for about 2 hours a day along with a CHE that stays on 24/7 to maintain 80 degree temps. She doesn’t seem to like the T5 and will retreat to her hide. I have to pull her out of her hide to soak. Is this normal? Not sure how long babies sleep each day.

If your tortoise is bothered by the T5 light, it may be too close to the tortoise. You may have to purchase a Solar Meter to correctly set the height on your T5 light. Just a suggestion, good luck 👍.

 

[wellington]

If you went to bed at 4 pm, wouldn't you still know the sun was up? Even though they have decided their needs are met for the day and they are taking cover, they should still see 12 hours of daylight. Unless its an animal that you want to brumate and you are shortening their day/night cycle to make sure they know its winter.

If I went to bed at 4, I got bigger problems than the sun being out lol. In winter though, it's dark at 4:30 with the time change, ugh.
For the tortoises though, yes, I see what you are saying.

 

[Tom]

If I went to bed at 4, I got bigger problems than the sun being out lol. In winter though, it's dark at 4:30 with the time change, ugh.
For the tortoises though, yes, I see what you are saying.

For the first time in my life, we are not doing the time change here in CA. FINALLY! Sheesh. I always thought that was so stupid. Now instead of getting dark at 5pm, it will get dark at 6.

In regard to the tortoises, I think its even more important to keep those lights on and bright during the shorter days of winter.

 

[wellington]

For the first time in my life, we are not doing the time change here in CA. FINALLY! Sheesh. I always thought that was so stupid. Now instead of getting dark at 5pm, it will get dark at 6.

In regard to the tortoises, I think its even more important to keep those lights on and bright during the shorter days of winter.

Every year, they talk about not doing the time change, but every year they still do it. It is very stupid! I hope one day, we won't have to do it either, 🤞.