85 Degrees?

[samstar]

The basking spot for my Star under the megaray 120 watts mvb is about 100-105f and 85-90f on the cold side. He walks over to the basking spot every morning and waits for me to feed him than goes back to his hut after eating.

 

[brianfurtado]

The basking spot for my Star under the megaray 120 watts mvb is about 100-105f and 85-90f on the cold side. He walks over to the basking spot every morning and waits for me to feed him than goes back to his hut after eating.

My Greek does this as well. On the hot end the temps at ground level are 100-105 and the cool end (where her food is) is 77-80. She'll wake up in the AM when the lights come on and poke her head out of her burrow for a 1/2 hour or so and then go wait by the food dish. After I feed her, she goes back into her hide. I'll find her walking about in the middle of the day, on the warm end, but I never see her bask.

 

[chadk]

The basking spot for my Star under the megaray 120 watts mvb is about 100-105f and 85-90f on the cold side. He walks over to the basking spot every morning and waits for me to feed him than goes back to his hut after eating.

120 watt Megaray? I think you mean 100 watt.

 

[N2TORTS]

Where did this number come from? I keep seeing this posted as the minimum temp for tortoises to be able to digest their food. I've always thought it was a bit higher than that

* OK Roachman here we go .....
For one thing, the terms endothermic and ectothermic are just one of three measurments used to determine thermophysiology.
There are two more variables that must be thrown into the mix. That of resting metabolism and of resting temperature.
The two terms used for separating resting metabolism are: bradymetabolic and tachymetabolic. A bradymetabolic animal has a low resting metabolism, such as a gila monster while a tachymetabolic animal has a high resting metabolism, such as a Black Mamba.
Gigantothermy is another temperature conserving technique that is used by the larger reptiles such as tortoises. The basic formula for this is that the larger you are the easier it is to keep your body at a constant temperature range.
there are gigantothermic reptiles today that spend long periods of time in cold areas. These animals handle it by simply moving their body. When you move, your body uses energy and creates heat. So by simply moving a gigantothermic animal can keep its body temperature a constant. Besides that fact, it has also been shown that reptiles can gain heat faster than they lose , So the general rule is that the larger you get, the easier it is to keep a stable body temperature.
Rate of digestion, as it relates to both the time of passage through the gut and to the efficiency of digestion, is a factor of body temperature, quantity and quality of food. Efficiency relates to the breakdown and extraction of nutrients necessary not only to maintain basic body functions but also to enable growth and reproduction.
Higher temperatures + larger quantities of food high in fiber = faster passage but with less efficiency (typical of feeding during lush seasons)

Higher temperatures + smaller quantities of high fiber = slower passage but greater efficiency (typical of feeding during dry seasons)

High temperatures + large or small quantities of low fiber = rapid inefficient passage
Low temperatures + smaller quantities of high fiber = slower passage by seeking cooler places, thus reducing the drain on energy reserves)

Low temperatures + small quantities of low fiber = slower inefficient passage

Just some input .....
JD~

 

[Yvonne G]

Yeah...what he said! So there!!!

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Anyone ever consider the temp needs of different species... anyone???

Northern Redfoots seek dark hide at high 80's - personal experience from all ages.

Brazilians seem to like it even as low as the mid 70's - ( first out of their hide in the morning ) - personal experience from all ages.

Indian Stars seem to be O.K. into the low 90's maximum.. then seek dark hide - 4yr-olds ~ 10yr old adults - personal experience!

These are temps outside during late spring thru early fall.. mostly during sunny days.

So let's consider the needs of ALL of the different species and world locations...................... they can and will vary considerably!

NERD

The best "Weather" site I've found.. and you can check any region of the world temps & humidity - http://www.wunderground.com/global/Region/SA/2xST.html[hr]

The basking spot for my Star under the megaray 120 watts mvb is about 100-105f and 85-90f on the cold side. He walks over to the basking spot every morning and waits for me to feed him than goes back to his hut after eating.

My Greek does this as well. On the hot end the temps at ground level are 100-105 and the cool end (where her food is) is 77-80. She'll wake up in the AM when the lights come on and poke her head out of her burrow for a 1/2 hour or so and then go wait by the food dish. After I feed her, she goes back into her hide. I'll find her walking about in the middle of the day, on the warm end, but I never see her bask.

Either/any of you ever consider it's because it's TOO hot under that light? Is that temp on the substrate or the top of their carapace ( where it's warmer )???

 

[-EJ]

Terry... let me ask you this... what is the standard temperature of a human bean? It's accepted that it is 98.6F. I suspect that different genus have different temperatures but I also suspect that all tortoises have a similar optimal temperature.

My experience concerning that both northern and southern RF seek out the same conditions. I don't see a focus on a specific temperature.

Having kept many different species... they don't vary buy much in a 10 degree range.

Anyone ever consider the temp needs of different species... anyone???

Northern Redfoots seek dark hide at high 80's - personal experience from all ages.

Brazilians seem to like it even as low as the mid 70's - ( first out of their hide in the morning ) - personal experience from all ages.

Indian Stars seem to be O.K. into the low 90's maximum.. then seek dark hide - 4yr-olds ~ 10yr old adults - personal experience!

These are temps outside during late spring thru early fall.. mostly during sunny days.

So let's consider the needs of ALL of the different species and world locations...................... they can and will vary considerably!

NERD

The best "Weather" site I've found.. and you can check any region of the world temps & humidity - http://www.wunderground.com/global/Region/SA/2xST.html[hr]

The basking spot for my Star under the megaray 120 watts mvb is about 100-105f and 85-90f on the cold side. He walks over to the basking spot every morning and waits for me to feed him than goes back to his hut after eating.

My Greek does this as well. On the hot end the temps at ground level are 100-105 and the cool end (where her food is) is 77-80. She'll wake up in the AM when the lights come on and poke her head out of her burrow for a 1/2 hour or so and then go wait by the food dish. After I feed her, she goes back into her hide. I'll find her walking about in the middle of the day, on the warm end, but I never see her bask.

Either/any of you ever consider it's because it's TOO hot under that light? Is that temp on the substrate or the top of their carapace ( where it's warmer )???

 

[chadk]

what is the standard temperature of a human bean? It's accepted that it is 98.6F. I suspect that different genus have different temperatures but I also suspect that all tortoises have a similar optimal temperature.

Not sure what a human bean is

But there is more too it than the internal body temp. Some folks find it harder to stay warm in a 65 degree house - requiring warm clothes just to be comfortable. Other people I know do great walking around outside in 40 degree temps in just light t-shirt. Kinda like this guy: http://www.werealotlikeyou.com/#profiles/4550degreesshirtsoffguy

Then there are those with pale skin that burns after a few minutes of direct sun, while others with darker skin can stay in the sun all day. Not even humans can agree on the 'ideal temp' of their enclosures

 

[tortoisenerd]

The basking spot for my Star under the megaray 120 watts mvb is about 100-105f and 85-90f on the cold side. He walks over to the basking spot every morning and waits for me to feed him than goes back to his hut after eating.

Are you saying that there isn't a spot below 85 in the enclosure? In my opinion you should raise the bulb to have a spot a little cooler than 85/90 to give the tort a chance to cool down, especially if you see the tort in that cool area a lot, meaning it might want an even cooler area. Also, 105 is getting a bit hot, and I assume you are measuring at the substrate level so at the top of the torts shell it is significantly higher. So, I'd consider raising your bulb a bit to get a gradient more like 75-100. I think I remember you saying your house is very warm so you may not be able to do any better than that. The coolest part of your enclosure should be able to be room temperature, so if it is higher than that your enclosure can be made larger. Watching your tortoise's behavior and where it likes to spend the majority of its time can give you a clue as to temperatures and hides. For example, even if you see your tort always in the warm area, you could not assume that is what it wanted if you didn't have a hide in the cool area. Best wishes.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Ed the simple truth is.. it doesn't matter who says what - you take issue to it and I doubt 'most' folks even know what you mean when you do post it.

You're bringing a warm-blooded homo sapien into this equation.. and we're talking about cold-blooded reptiles! You know those creatures that some live close to the equator and some closer to the North Pole.. that they actually "hibernate"! [ for the lack of truer terms ]

See the difference?

Terry K

 

[jackrat]

I think 85 is a bit cool myself. I would bet that its closer to 90-95 to be able to digest. I also do not agree with the general saying that torts need to be soaked because we are "cooking" them with such hot lights. Roachman has the right idea--his sullies are out in the heat and loving it. Its natural for them.

The human body is 98.6F in its restful state, and the average basking spot for a tortoise is right around that. I like to keep my kids a bit hotter by having ambient room temp not fall below 70F in the winter. In the summer directly under basking lights, it can get up to 110F+.

All have big water dishes and a cool side equipped with some moist soft eco earth if they need to cool off. I do not worry about anybody overheating, not even my youngest.

Reptiles rely on instinct, even the babies and if something is too hot, they move. I've seen so many keepers on here, worried about why their tortoises never seem to use their cool sides--I wonder if its because they are not at all as "hot" as we think they are under their basking spots.

IMO the only reason to be worried about your temps, is when the tortoise starts to avoid their basking spot and warm side. That tells the keeper that the wattage of the bulb is too high because the temp is no longer comfortable for the animal.

Just my thoughts.

How many sulcatas do you keep,Meg?

 

[samstar]

The basking spot for my Star under the megaray 120 watts mvb is about 100-105f and 85-90f on the cold side. He walks over to the basking spot every morning and waits for me to feed him than goes back to his hut after eating.

120 watt Megaray? I think you mean 100 watt.

The newer one's are either 120 or 160 watts.

 

[chadk]

The basking spot for my Star under the megaray 120 watts mvb is about 100-105f and 85-90f on the cold side. He walks over to the basking spot every morning and waits for me to feed him than goes back to his hut after eating.

120 watt Megaray? I think you mean 100 watt.

The newer one's are either 120 or 160 watts.

Are they so new that they don't have them listed at their website yet???

Are you sure you don't meant "120 volts"??

 

[matt41gb]

What kind of enclosures are we even talking about here? Are they 10 gallon aquariums, big tortoise tables, what? I think the type of enclosure depends on how you can heat/cool your tortoise.

I keep red foots and a large sulcata. Where I live, temps average in the 90s for much of the year. A couple of months are all about the 100s. I provide both my red foots and sulcata plenty of burrows to cool off. They choose when they want to use them.

In the cooler months I'll allow them to stay outside overnight no lower than 60f. Anything lower and they are inside the heated shed. During the winter I keep the shed at pretty much a constant 80f, with some variance since heat rises, the top of the shed is a bit warmer.

I don't understand why everyone wants to cook their animals. Unless they're outside in more natural conditions, I won't keep them over 90f in any given spot. I think anything above those temps are just too hot. You can increase the humidity a bit to take the edge off of the heat.

I know sulcata live in very hot and dry Africa, but as stated before, sulcatas seek burrows that are surprisingly humid. This is where they cool off, plus this is where they receive much of their shell growth.

I have never had a problem with digestion in either of these two species at the temps I provide. I think a lot of it is common sense, and doing some research on where each species comes from. I believe a captive tortoise will behave differently than a wild tortoise when it comes to seeking certain temps.

 

[-EJ]

Sorry... don't get youre point.

Ed the simple truth is.. it doesn't matter who says what - you take issue to it and I doubt 'most' folks even know what you mean when you do post it.

You're bringing a warm-blooded homo sapien into this equation.. and we're talking about cold-blooded reptiles! You know those creatures that some live close to the equator and some closer to the North Pole.. that they actually "hibernate"! [ for the lack of truer terms ]

See the difference?

Terry K

 

[samstar]

The basking spot for my Star under the megaray 120 watts mvb is about 100-105f and 85-90f on the cold side. He walks over to the basking spot every morning and waits for me to feed him than goes back to his hut after eating.

120 watt Megaray? I think you mean 100 watt.

The newer one's are either 120 or 160 watts.

Are they so new that they don't have them listed at their website yet???

Are you sure you don't meant "120 volts"??

http://www.kimbosreptileworld.co.uk/megaray-120w-self-ballasted-p-145.html