Russian Tortoise Enclosure

[Tom]

Raising height of lamp is only possible if i cut out holes for bulbs/lamp in the wooden enclosure. Otherwise they cant be raised much more.to measure temp under basking spot do i point thermometer down at torts shell and measure temp or do i measure temp of substrate by pointing directly at substrate directly under lamp? Is it the tort/ the air or substrate i want at a temp of 100 ish. He is asleep 247 unless i touch/ lift him out of enclosure to give him a soak. I feed him directly after soak and he sleeps again

You can use a different wattage bulb, or use a rheostat to get the correct basking temp, if adjusting the height is a difficult option for your enclosure.

If you are going to use the infrared thermometer you will need a rock, or something like that, that is similar in size to your tortoise. Put it under the lamp and let if cook for a couple hours. Then point your temp gun at it and get a temperature reading. You can try reading the substrate, but that is lower than your tortoises shell and evaporation, color, texture, and many other factors can skew the result. The use of a flat basking rock will eliminate some of these variables. The use of a thermometer with a remote probe that you can set in place will eliminate more variables.