Amount Of Light

[kit-e-kat]

Hello To One And All In Tortoise Land!
I would like to get opinions on the amount of light that would be beneficial to my Greeks. Here's the scenario: I keep them in their pen (on wheels) in the garage overnight. It's about +- 50 degrees overnight in the garage. I roll them out at about 9 A.M. into the daylight, they get direct sun and shade. I usually roll them in at 6 P.M. The question is, should I supply some light in the garage over their pen, and if so, how long and what type of lighting. I ask this because I have read some comments that they give their torts up to 16 hours of light a day. The torts reside in the So. Cal. area. Any thoughts?
Thanks in Advance
John and Joanie

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm not a Greek tortoise person, but on other kinds of tortoises, if they are the hibernating kind, you want to provide them with 12 to 14 hours of "sunlight" per day so that they don't want to slow down into hibernating mode.

If your tortoises are eating and gaining weight and seem healthy, I'd GUESS that what you are doing is ok.

If you DO want to provide a light, I don't think you'd need a UV light because they're outside during the day.

 

[GBtortoises]

I keep Northern Mediterranean tortoises of which Testudo gracea ibera are part of. I usually recommend to people that 12-16 hours of access to either sunlight or artificial light is good for normal activity. Duration depends somewhat upon the time of year too. Realistically they can function normally on far less light. But they become less active without it. Given the fact that yours are getting about 8 hours now and kept cool at night can be sending a message to your tortoises that it's winter time and normal food intake and activity should be slowed down.
You shouldn't need a UV bulb. Just a simple incandescent to provide additional light. I would say a couple of hours earlier in the morning and a couple in the evening. Mine are on timers that I try to roughly coincide with the sunrise and sunset outdoors. I cheat in the winter by keeping the lights on longer to still give them a 14 hour day in order for them to remain active.

 

[kit-e-kat]

I'm not a Greek tortoise person, but on other kinds of tortoises, if they are the hibernating kind, you want to provide them with 12 to 14 hours of "sunlight" per day so that they don't want to slow down into hibernating mode.

If your tortoises are eating and gaining weight and seem healthy, I'd GUESS that what you are doing is ok.

If you DO want to provide a light, I don't think you'd need a UV light because they're outside during the day.

I have flourescence shop lights in the garage, but not directly above the pen. So they get some light. Would you suggest a regular 2 4ft tube shop light high above (8-10ft) the pen on a timer? Yes they are eating, alert and maintaining their weight. Thanks

 

[GBtortoises]

If it were me personally I'd provide them with 60 watt basking bulb in the morning especially being so cool at night (which is fine). This will allow them to get up to normal activity levels for when they go outdoors in morning. As long as it has been a warm enough day outdoors for them to be active I wouldn't be as concerned with a basking light later in the evening. As long as there was some source of light on long enough to extend their daylight hours overall to somewhere between 12-16 hours daily, depending upon season. The general idea is to simulate the outdoor photo period somewhat.

 

[kit-e-kat]

If it were me personally I'd provide them with 60 watt basking bulb in the morning especially being so cool at night (which is fine). This will allow them to get up to normal activity levels for when they go outdoors in morning. As long as it has been a warm enough day outdoors for them to be active I wouldn't be as concerned with a basking light later in the evening. As long as there was some source of light on long enough to extend their daylight hours overall to somewhere between 12-16 hours daily, depending upon season. The general idea is to simulate the outdoor photo period somewhat.

I took your advice and set up a reflector with a 60 watt incandescent household bulb about 3 feet above the pen at about a 45 degree angle. It's on a timer which is set at 6 AM and turns off at 9 PM. Do you think this type of bulb will do or a basking bulb be better?

 

[GBtortoises]

Any bulb that produces heat can be used as a basking light. It just depends on what you need it to do in addition to providing heat and light. Mercury vapor bulbs provide light, heat and UV. They're also much more expensive. If your tortoises are exposed to unfiltered sunlight outdoors on a regular basis there shouldn't be a need for UV lighting indoors. A regular incandescent will provide additional light and heat to get them "up and going" in the morning before you put them outdoors. A standard bulb, or the new Reveal bulbs work well. Both provide bright light and heat. Soft white bulbs as the name suggest, provide a softer, less intense light so really aren't what you'd want to use in this case.

Three feet may be a bit far away to provide enough heat. The basking surface directly under the center of the light beam should read a temperature of about 95-100 for young tortoises, 100-105 for adults once the light has fully warmed the area. That might take a half hour to hour depending upon ambient air temperature. The temperature is best measured at the highest point of the carapace of the tortoise or by setting something in it's place that is approximately the same height as the tortoise. From this you can adjust the light fixture closer or farther away as needed. If you have to get mount it closer than 12" increase the wattage of the bulb, move the fixture outward at a safe distance to achieve the temperatures that you want.

 

[bikerchicspain]

I have my lighting on a timer so it comes on at sunrise and goes of at sunset, because that combined with so ive read somewhere regulates their mating habits,but dont quote me on that. Danny is the best to ask

 

[GBtortoises]

Light duration is one of the factors. As are temperatures and in some cases seasonal weather changes. But if breeding is a consideration you have to remember that here in the U.S. we're at a different longitude than the Mediterranean, Middle East or North Africa. Simply put, we don't get as much daylight as often as they do. That is one reason why most people recommend 14-16 hours of light for tortoises in captivity. Most parts of the U.S. don't get that much naturally for very much of the year if ever.

 

[-EJ]

I always thought that also being from NY and all but I come to find out (when I was into Egyptians) that San Diego was on roughly the same lattitude as North Africa. Now... most the the Med tortoises are on the same lattitude as northern NY and south. This does not mean they have the same climatic conditions but do have very close to the same light cycles.

I suggest 12 hours a day unless you are trying to induce breeding in which case you can rig up a light sensor to the outdoors and have that control the light cycle indoors.

Light duration is one of the factors. As are temperatures and in some cases seasonal weather changes. But if breeding is a consideration you have to remember that here in the U.S. we're at a different longitude than the Mediterranean, Middle East or North Africa. Simply put, we don't get as much daylight as often as they do. That is one reason why most people recommend 14-16 hours of light for tortoises in captivity. Most parts of the U.S. don't get that much naturally for very much of the year if ever.

 

[kit-e-kat]

Any bulb that produces heat can be used as a basking light. It just depends on what you need it to do in addition to providing heat and light. Mercury vapor bulbs provide light, heat and UV. They're also much more expensive. If your tortoises are exposed to unfiltered sunlight outdoors on a regular basis there shouldn't be a need for UV lighting indoors. A regular incandescent will provide additional light and heat to get them "up and going" in the morning before you put them outdoors. A standard bulb, or the new Reveal bulbs work well. Both provide bright light and heat. Soft white bulbs as the name suggest, provide a softer, less intense light so really aren't what you'd want to use in this case.

Three feet may be a bit far away to provide enough heat. The basking surface directly under the center of the light beam should read a temperature of about 95-100 for young tortoises, 100-105 for adults once the light has fully warmed the area. That might take a half hour to hour depending upon ambient air temperature. The temperature is best measured at the highest point of the carapace of the tortoise or by setting something in it's place that is approximately the same height as the tortoise. From this you can adjust the light fixture closer or farther away as needed. If you have to get mount it closer than 12" increase the wattage of the bulb, move the fixture outward at a safe distance to achieve the temperatures that you want.

I am using the 60 watt incandescence bulb for light, and a 100 watt basking bulb in their normal basking area. I shut down the heat lamp at 8 PM, and the light source at 9 PM. I've tried this for 3 days now, and yes, it seems that they are up and about earlier. Time will tell. I may step up to a 100 watt bulb for an increased amount of light.
John

 

[GBtortoises]

I always thought that also being from NY and all but I come to find out (when I was into Egyptians) that San Diego was on roughly the same lattitude as North Africa. Now... most the the Med tortoises are on the same lattitude as northern NY and south. This does not mean they have the same climatic conditions but do have very close to the same light cycles.

I suggest 12 hours a day unless you are trying to induce breeding in which case you can rig up a light sensor to the outdoors and have that control the light cycle indoors.

Light duration is one of the factors. As are temperatures and in some cases seasonal weather changes. But if breeding is a consideration you have to remember that here in the U.S. we're at a different longitude than the Mediterranean, Middle East or North Africa. Simply put, we don't get as much daylight as often as they do. That is one reason why most people recommend 14-16 hours of light for tortoises in captivity. Most parts of the U.S. don't get that much naturally for very much of the year if ever.

The charts listed on the website below, along with some other sites is what I base it on. When talking about light duration I am comparing mine here in upstate New York to the Mediterranean. But I do know that the the south, west and even upper midwest receive more sunlit days than I do here.
www.pettortoise.co/uk/tortoise_climate.php

I live at about latitude degree 43.5. Athens, Greece is at 38.

Where I live we only receive 15 hours of light for barely 2 months in the mid summer. Mid winter we receive about 9-10 hours.