*I posted this on another thread, but I have been meaning to make my own thread about it. Just something I have noticed.
A lot of people say that their Russians dig down and don't seem to move a lot. Quite often it is a new pet, that just hasn't acclimated, but I also notice that the behavior in question almost always correlates with higher temperatures.
I am starting to believe that most people keep their Russians a bit too warm, much like I believe that many people keep their Sulcatas a bit too warm. By observing both my Russians and my former Sulcatas, I have discovered that the only active basking *I* have ever witnessed took place before 11 AM, which in my area, means before the day hit peak temperatures.
I keep my Russians outside. First thing in the morning, they bask for about an hour, from 9-10 am. They rarely come out of their burrows before 9 AM. Then they graze for about an hour. Once temps hit about 80* F, they all go back to the shade, and remain there the majority of the day. In the afternoon, when it starts to cool down, and the sun drops in the sky a bit, they come out and graze for another hour or two. By 6-7 PM, they are starting to tuck themselves in for the night, even though it doesn't get dark until 10.
My point here is that if it is TOO warm in the overall enclosure, it may make them want to hide more. Mine seem the most active at 65*-79* F, and once it hits 80*, they go into hiding from the sun. I even experimented with this, and put them in a small enclosure in the full sun, with just a tiny shade area created by a piece of plywood. They all crowded underneath it, even though all four barely fit.
It makes COMPLETE sense to me. Russians and Sulcatas are both burrowers. So, in the hot hot hottest part of the day, when temps really ARE 100*F+, are they sitting out in the desert sun? I highly doubt it. They are in their burrows, which probably never top 80*F, conserving moisture.
Just something to think about when setting up your enclosure. A hot spot of 90*F is probably plenty adequate.
A lot of people say that their Russians dig down and don't seem to move a lot. Quite often it is a new pet, that just hasn't acclimated, but I also notice that the behavior in question almost always correlates with higher temperatures.
I am starting to believe that most people keep their Russians a bit too warm, much like I believe that many people keep their Sulcatas a bit too warm. By observing both my Russians and my former Sulcatas, I have discovered that the only active basking *I* have ever witnessed took place before 11 AM, which in my area, means before the day hit peak temperatures.
I keep my Russians outside. First thing in the morning, they bask for about an hour, from 9-10 am. They rarely come out of their burrows before 9 AM. Then they graze for about an hour. Once temps hit about 80* F, they all go back to the shade, and remain there the majority of the day. In the afternoon, when it starts to cool down, and the sun drops in the sky a bit, they come out and graze for another hour or two. By 6-7 PM, they are starting to tuck themselves in for the night, even though it doesn't get dark until 10.
My point here is that if it is TOO warm in the overall enclosure, it may make them want to hide more. Mine seem the most active at 65*-79* F, and once it hits 80*, they go into hiding from the sun. I even experimented with this, and put them in a small enclosure in the full sun, with just a tiny shade area created by a piece of plywood. They all crowded underneath it, even though all four barely fit.
It makes COMPLETE sense to me. Russians and Sulcatas are both burrowers. So, in the hot hot hottest part of the day, when temps really ARE 100*F+, are they sitting out in the desert sun? I highly doubt it. They are in their burrows, which probably never top 80*F, conserving moisture.
Just something to think about when setting up your enclosure. A hot spot of 90*F is probably plenty adequate.
