Amount Of Sunshine

[kit-e-kat]

About how much sunshine is needed for good health. My two Greeks will sit in the sunshine, position and reposition themselves, and will sometimes leave the sunlight and stay in the shade or in their house for the rest of the day. They may stay in the sunlight for 20-40 min. and maybe get some sun when cruising around. Maybe they know what they need as far as the amount of sun they go for? I could use some advice or pointers.
Thanks,
John

 

[webskipper]

About how much sunshine is needed for good health. My two Greeks will sit in the sunshine, position and reposition themselves, and will sometimes leave the sunlight and stay in the shade or in their house for the rest of the day. They may stay in the sunlight for 20-40 min. and maybe get some sun when cruising around. Maybe they know what they need as far as the amount of sun they go for? I could use some advice or pointers.
Thanks,
John

So they are outdoor Torts? Be careful about taking them outside for sun bathing. They are not dogs and don't like their environment changed very often.

An hour of sunshine is necessary to assimilate calcium.

 

[GBtortoises]

In an outdoor setting, they will know how much sunshine they need, along with knowing when to seek shade. A typical day outdoors should normally consist of coming out in the morning to sun themselves enough to raise their body temperatures to normal activity levels. Then usually foraging for food, depending upon how intense the sun is and what the ambient temperature is on a given day they may then seek shade to wait out the heat if it is an extremely warm day or may continue foraging if the temperatures are bearable to them. Normally by mid afternoon, if they haven't already, they will almost always seek some shade until early evening. Once the sun begins to lower in the sky and the temperatures cool a bit they will often come back to forage and possibly bask in the sun one last time during the day.

While it is not a good idea to make frequent and sudden changes to their routine. But if you establish a routine, even if it involves putting them outdoors around the same time in the morning and bringing them back indoors around the same time in the evening that will become their routine and they will do fine with it. It's important not to make frequent and sudden changes in their environment and familiar surroundings. Most tortoises will adapt to any sensible routine as long as it is just that, a routine.

The more often you can keep them safely outside and exposed to natural sunlight and a somewhat natural environment the better off they'll be.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I move my animals in and out all spring and summer. They are familiar with their outside pens and don't seem to be stressed by me moving them.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Like Maggie, I put mine outside any day it's warm (over 70) so I'm hauling them in and out every day. They don't seem stressed at all. My vet told me a half hour of sunlight per week is the minimum (if not using a UV bulb.)

 

[Tom]

I've gotten a lot of conflicting info on this over the years. I think this is because there are so many variables. Age, size, species, season, weather, diet, supplementation, etc. I think 20 minutes two or three times a week is enough to hold off MBD. More is better. As long as you don't cook them in extreme weather or a lack of shade, I don't think there is any such thing as too much. Even if more is not necessary for health reasons, its still good to have them outside in a large enclosure getting exercise and fresh air.

I've always put every species of tortoise or turtle that crosses my path out in the sun as much as possible. I always design the enclosure to suit the species, more shade for red-foots or yellow-foots, pools with haul-outs in the middle for aquatic species, etc. I have never encountered any stress related problems with this. I've never had a routine, I just put them in their outside pen whenever I can for as long as I can.

Further, who says a little stress once in a while is such a bad thing? Does any one want to argue that wild torts don't experience a fair amount of stress daily?

The benefits of being outside far outweigh any perceived risks, in my opinion. IF (notice that's a big IF) its done correctly and safely for the age and species you are dealing with.

 

[kit-e-kat]

I have their pen on wheels and I roll them out around 8 AM and roll them into the garage around sundown. In the garage, I leave the heatlamp on in one corner until 8PM. I think they may come out occasionally while they are in the garage.
Thanks for all the great info! I would expect nothing less from the family of wonderful turtle/tortoise lovers!
John

 

[webskipper]

Are you using a baby cradle trundle? Clever. What's the temperature in the garage? If it is around 60 then you won't need the heatlamp.

Let them tell you their needs and how they need light.

If I did not have live plants the timer would shut off the light by 3 PM (lights on at 8AM). I get up at O'dark hundred and maybe get to enjoy them for an hour when I get home.

 

[stells]

In the shade they will still get the natural UV... just because its not direct sunlight doesn't mean there isn't any... somebody on SW actually measured the UV in the shade and still got good readings... obviously that doesn't mean that they don't need a sunny area...