He hates the light!

[cwa]

I just got a tort for the first time on Friday. He seems to be an adult male (about 5" and has a long tail curled to the side), and I was given a basking light for him. My husband just turned the light on for him and he went crazy trying to get away from it. It ran to the opposite side and tried to climb the walls. As soon as he turned it off, Dozer calmed down and was fine.

Do they HAVE to have a basking light? Our house is generally in the mid 70s heat wise. His winter/indoor cage isn't very big as it is a plastic guinea pig cage. That is what we have for now. I am building him an enclosed pen outside for him for summer, but that is a ways off. My house is too small for a huge Rubbermaid.

 

[Kristina]

He really should have a basking light. If necessary, you can use a red colored party light or a 60 watt black light bulb. Proper temperature under a basking light for a Russian should be high 80's to 90.

It might have been too much for him, if the enclosure is small. Get a digital thermometer with a probe, or a temp gun, to check the temperature under the light.

Kristina

 

[Millerlite]

He might need to get use to it. Make sure its not to hot for him, also when the lights are on tortoises are more active, when they are off they are calm. They need a basking light though, they need at spot at 90 degrees so they can have energy, they are reptiles.

 

[tortoisenerd]

He needs a UVB source as well as a heat source. Not sure of the light type you had, but if he really turns out not to like the light, you'd at least need a UVB tube and a heat emitter if a bright light wasn't for him (which is odd because Russians are known to like a lot of light).

Also, is the face of your bulb parallel to the substrate? It shouldn't be at an angle for several reasons. What kind of bulb? What is the temperature at the substrate level directly under the bulb (it will be slightly higher at the top of the tort's shell if it is under the center of the bulb)?

What kind of environment was he in at his last home or the store, etc?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

They generally need the UVB rays and a hot basking light so they can metabolize the food. If you don't have the UVB rays or a heat light they will act alright for a while, but then they will stop eating and eventually die. If you can have a hot basking light to keep his body temp up and you put him out in the sun for an hour or so everyday he might be alright...

 

[Yvonne G]

Also, put the light at one end, and not over the whole habitat. That way he can scoot over to the other end to get away from it.

Yvonne

 

[cwa]

He is in the same cage he was in before, at least since Christmas. The lamp they had been using just sits parallel to the substrate by laying flat on the top of the cage. I will use one of my lizards red heat lamps instead and clamp it somehow if this would be better.