Help!! Pacing!!!

[sulcalcifer]

I have a question about my 2-year-old sulcata that I hoping someone can help me with. So for about the past 6 months he will wake me up in the middle of the night by pacing back and forth throughout his box. He does it pretty violently so not only can I not sleep in my room because of the constant banging, but I'm afraid he's going to hurt himself. Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? I feel like he's stressed but I don't know what I should do!

 

[Tom]

We need to know more about his size, the enclosure size, your four temps, and what you are using for heating and lighting. It is not normal for them to bang around in the dark. Your enclosure is dark, but still warm at night, right?

 

[sulcalcifer]

Yes, I keep one basking light on at night to keep it around 80. I also have two 30'' UV lamps that I keep on during the day. He is 5 inches long and his enclosure is 3' by 6'. His temperature during the day is about 95 on the warm side and 80 on the cool side.

 

[Tom]

They need to dark at night. Use a ceramic heating element set on a thermostat to maintain your ambient temps day and night. If the basking lamp is keeping it warm enough during the day, your thermostat will just keep the CHE off. When the timer kicks the basking lamp and temps start to drop, the thermostat will kick the CHE on to keep him warm enough.

Once its dark, he will likely be still at night.

 

[sibi]

He's telling you, "I want lights out!"

 

[sulcalcifer]

I will try that! Thanks!

 

[lisa127]

Yes, that's what the problem is if you're using a white light for heat at night. You can get the CHE as Tom suggested, no light just heat. I myself use black incandescent bulbs instead of CHE but either one will work.