UV for baby salcata

[Baatiha]

I have a baby salcata (about 2 weeks old) and he lives indoors but i don't have a UV lamp and was wondering how long outside in southern AZ he would need. Also if anyone knows how many outside hours of sun would equal haw many inside hours with a lamp?

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

An hour of outside time in a safe enclosure a couple of times a week will meet your new babies UV needs. I like to offer no more than an hour of outside time per inch of tortoise, as a general rule.


I always like to let new members know that most of the care info out there in the world for sulcata babies is wrong. Its based on 30 year old incorrect assumption about how they live in the wild. Because of this, most breeders don't start them correctly.

Here is the correct care info:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[Baatiha]

wow thank you so much thats much less than what my father and i thought and much easier to accomplish in the 105 degree heat

 

[Tom]

wow thank you so much thats much less than what my father and i thought and much easier to accomplish in the 105 degree heat

In your climate, when it comes time to leave him out longer, you will need an underground shelter of some sort for spring summer and fall. Self-dug burrows are great for summer, but too cold in winter.

 

[Big Charlie]

Put him outside early in the day when it isn't as hot. Make sure he can get out of the sun.