An hour an inch is not always applicable.

[Unique Username]

I’ve seen multiple people recommend an hour of sunlight for every inch a hatchling/juvenile tortoise is. I believe this recommendation originated from sulcata’s. I have seen people give this recommendation for other species (Hermann’s Russians leopards, redroots) and I just don’t think its applicable. Its not unusual for a testudo to only reach four inches after 2 years, whereas a sulcata… Just wanted clarity/thoughts on the hour an inch rule.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I've never heard of let alone applied the hour per inch rule.

My adult 4"-6" Russians lived outside, 24 hrs, full time.

My young 4" CDT fosters were outside 8 hours a day.

And although my leopards spent an avg 8 hour day outside bt the time they were 2yrs old & 8", it was not because of an inch per hour rule.

 

[Yvonne G]

I've never heard that rule either. I've always heard if they get three or four hours of sun a week they don't need a UVB light, but that's really all I 've heard about sun.

 

[teresaf]

As I've understood it the rule of thumb is maximum amount of sunlight for a young tort has been touted as an hour per inch. Any more than that and the tort won't get the hydration it needs. No it's not going to fit them all. A 12" sulcata outside 12 hours a day in certain climates would pyramid. I may have that wrong but I've heard the minimum is a couple hours per week to soak up sun in order to not have to worry about those stupid confusing lights....

 

[Unique Username]

I've just seen it in 3 or 4 threads the last week, all by different people, and thought it was a little misinformed. I'm actually a little suprised some have never heard of it. I get the idea behind it and young sulcatas, I just wanted to clarify that outdoor time is more about the tortoises health and needs (whatever species) rather than a rule of thumb (which only really pertains to young sulcatas).

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

I think that rule of thumb came form Tom and yes has to do with pyramiding in young sulcatas and similar species I could be wrong though

 

[katieandiggy]

I’ve read it a lot of times and I’ve also mentioned it in some of my posts, but only to say that I’m breaking that recommendation as my Russian comes alive when outside. Since going outside it’s a completely different tortoise. Mine goes out around 10am and in around 4pm weather dependant.
I think it mainly applies to Sulcata’s and leopard’s due to the risk of pyramiding and also hydration. Drying them out too much is bad. I think Tom had done side by side comparisons of tortoises, one clutch that has been raised in a closed chamber with an hour of sun per inch of shell and also a clutch that was out in the sun most of the day and the results were that those in the closed chamber grew smooth and also had much better growth rates than those outside. @Tom correct me if that’s wrong.

 

[WithLisa]

Its not unusual for a testudo to only reach four inches after 2 years

Some Testudo kleinmannis never even get so big! And my Eastern Hermanns are 4 years old and still smaller than 4".

But yes, I've also seen this rule - and a few others that make no sense to me (like "no hibernation before they are at least 5 years old" or "no hibernation if they didn't spend at least a whole year in the same enclosure").
Well, I don't follow most forum rules anyway, mine have been outside fulltime right from the start and hibernated every year and they are doing fine.

 

[Tom]

I stated that as a generality. A 2" russian can dehydrate outside in the sun just as fast as a 2" sulcata. I use it in reference to very small babies of any species to counter the incorrect advice that "tortoises do better outside". Babies don't. I've done multiple side-by-side experiments that prove they don't. Or the DT care sheets that tell people to put their DT in an outdoor enclosure day and night and falsely tell people that its "good" for them. It isn't. Many of them die as a result.

I don't keep kleinmanni, so I have no idea what is good or bad for them. I have kept other Testudo species and I adjust this rule of thumb accordingly. I wouldn't put a one inch russian, hermanni or greek baby outside for more than an hour either. But by 3-4 inches, they spend most of the day outside, weather permitting. Same goes for a DT baby.

Its also climate dependent to a degree. Outside all day isn't good for any baby of any species. But a baby sulcata spending 6 hours a day outside in Fl is less damaging than a baby spending 6 hours a day outside in AZ or here.

 

[BloodbucketXXL]

I don't keep tortoises (just turtles) so I've honestly never heard about this anyway. But I'm always skeptical about rules such as this especially when one variable is linear and the other isn't.

Like, with turtles people are always talking about this "rule" where the minimum size enclosure is 10 gallons for ever linear inch of shell. So, for example, a 1" turtle would require 10 gallons and a 2" turtle would require 20 gallons. The problem being that tank size is linear while a turtle's growth (in relationship to its carapace length) ISN'T linear. You can double the length of a tank by making it twice as long along one axis, but turtles grow in 3 dimensions. A 2" turtle isn't twice as large as a 1" turtle, it's 8 times as large as a 1" turtle. So if you're following a "rule" that says that you can get by with doubling the tank size every time your turtle gets eight times bigger, it's not hard to see that someone is eventually going to run into a very big problem if their turtle gets big enough.

Again, I have to clarify that I have never heard of the hour per inch rule and therefore have no basis to say that it's wrong. But hearing it sounds really weird to me. Seeing as how time is linear while a tortoise's growth isn't. If I have a tortoise that doubles in length, and then I double the length of time that it stays in the sun, then things aren't all equal. The tortoise's surface area definitely more than doubled with ever doubling of its length. So surely there has to be a point where the tortoise gets big enough where the rule no longer applies, right? The two things being tied together (time in the sunlight and the animal's SIZE) can't possibly scale up at the same rate because one is linear and the other isn't. Am I incorrect here?

 

[teresaf]

I don't keep tortoises (just turtles) so I've honestly never heard about this anyway. But I'm always skeptical about rules such as this especially when one variable is linear and the other isn't.

Like, with turtles people are always talking about this "rule" where the minimum size enclosure is 10 gallons for ever linear inch of shell. So, for example, a 1" turtle would require 10 gallons and a 2" turtle would require 20 gallons. The problem being that tank size is linear while a turtle's growth (in relationship to its carapace length) ISN'T linear. You can double the length of a tank by making it twice as long along one axis, but turtles grow in 3 dimensions. A 2" turtle isn't twice as large as a 1" turtle, it's 8 times as large as a 1" turtle. So if you're following a "rule" that says that you can get by with doubling the tank size every time your turtle gets eight times bigger, it's not hard to see that someone is eventually going to run into a very big problem if their turtle gets big enough.

Again, I have to clarify that I have never heard of the hour per inch rule and therefore have no basis to say that it's wrong. But hearing it sounds really weird to me. Seeing as how time is linear while a tortoise's growth isn't. If I have a tortoise that doubles in length, and then I double the length of time that it stays in the sun, then things aren't all equal. The tortoise's surface area definitely more than doubled with ever doubling of its length. So surely there has to be a point where the tortoise gets big enough where the rule no longer applies, right? The two things being tied together (time in the sunlight and the animal's SIZE) can't possibly scale up at the same rate because one is linear and the other isn't. Am I incorrect here?

I guess I shouldn't have said RULE of thumb. Just a general guideline to go by for newbies until they get the hang of general tortoise care. There is soooo much to learn when you get your first tortoises that you can't possibly learn it all at once. Bits better to have basic sunlight minimum/maximum reqirement guidelines vs having pyramided tortoises with MBD because newbies didn't know any better yet. We can't answer every question asked about tortoise care on this forum completely accurately due to time constraints so we tend to generalize a bunch and send the newbies towards the beginner mistakes threads ect....

 

[daniellenc]

An hour an inch pertains to hatchlings not adult tortoises which has always been clearly stated on here. A hatchling requires stability in temps and humidity which is hard to maintain in many areas of the world where the climate is not ideal.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Not sure about the hour and inch rule and I don't know about tortoises, but I have water turtles (sliders) that are about a yr and a half and since they were hatchlings I've given them about 4-6 hrs outside each week in the sun. Ive only used a UVB lamp briefly for a month or two in the winter. They all seem healthy and I've never had an issue with MBD.

 

[teresaf]

Not sure about the hour and inch rule and I don't know about tortoises, but I have water turtles (sliders) that are about a yr and a half and since they were hatchlings I've given them about 4-6 hrs outside each week in the sun. Ive only used a UVB lamp briefly for a month or two in the winter. They all seem healthy and I've never had an issue with MBD.

That's what I said above. Just a few hours a week min. Max for yound torts is about an hour per inch daily MAX as a general guideline.

 

[BloodbucketXXL]

I guess I shouldn't have said RULE of thumb. Just a general guideline to go by for newbies until they get the hang of general tortoise care. There is soooo much to learn when you get your first tortoises that you can't possibly learn it all at once. Bits better to have basic sunlight minimum/maximum reqirement guidelines vs having pyramided tortoises with MBD because newbies didn't know any better yet. We can't answer every question asked about tortoise care on this forum completely accurately due to time constraints so we tend to generalize a bunch and send the newbies towards the beginner mistakes threads ect....

Sure, I guess I'm just pointing out that beginners really need to think about the advice that people are giving them and not just automatically take it as an absolute truth, because there's no possible way that all of these rules and guidelines are always going to be 100% correct. Something that only applies to hatchlings? Well, what exactly IS a hatchling? There's no specific moment when it stops applying, it's a matter of degree. And then there's differences in each species' unique needs, as well as differences in climate. There are so many variables involved that I don't see how most of these types of guidelines can be useful to beginners in any more than a really general sense. Meanwhile, stuff like "an hour an inch" or "ten gallons an inch" actually imply specificity. Those are direct mathematical relationships between variables, but there's no possible way it's that precise. Sometimes I just wonder if the way that we talk about this kind of stuff is actually confusing beginners even more.

 

[daniellenc]

It's not meant to be taken as literal as you have implied. I think you're putting too much thought into this. Hatchlings are more fragile, and require stability in temps. Hatchling is anything under a year as most yearlings are referred to as juveniles. A younger tortoise does well with constant temps and high humidity which has been proven time and time again. Depending on where you live temps and humidity will never be constant for a keeper in Florida vs. one in Canada. So as a GENERAL thought an hour an inch regardless of climate is suitable as long as temps aren't below the recommended minimums. This means even if it's a dryer climate some natural UV is recommended and instead of over explaining about climates and making things confusing it's an easier way to explain things to newer keepers. It's not meant to be precise just a guideline until they have learned a bit more and can use their own judgement about age, size, temperature, and humidity.

 

[Markw84]

All my experiences have coincided with what @Tom has found and I certainly agree with the intent of this "guideline" suggestion. Young tortoises, while actively growing do better in a more controlled indoor environment. And the contrary advice that nothing is as good as being outdoors is just not correct when talking about a young, growing tortoise in certainly a temporary outdoor enclosure most can build. An outdoor enclosure simply does not provide the environment a small tortoise would ever choose to occupy if it were to survive in the wild. Now, if you were to put in a deep moist substrate covered in wet leaves, then bury the young tortoise in the shaded part of the enclosure, you would probably be good, and the tortoise happy and healthy. However, most get the idea by the "outdoors is good" advice that they need exposure to sunlight and basking and would in fact, then take a tortoise that is hiding under cover and place it in the sun trying to encourage basking. Being exposed is extremely desiccating. Internal organ function will be affected and you will find pyramiding is promoted. Perhaps if people created an enclosure more like a composting bin, or red worm farm, we could have better results for a young tortoise. But we all associate "outdoor time" with sunlight and fresh air. So we make the enclosure as we would like to see the tortoise exposed and walking about "enjoying" the outdoors. So we end up forcing the young tortoise to spend its time looking for a place to dig in and get cover and find a moist, protected hide. As it searches for such a place, we often confuse this activity for "happily exploring"!!

Consider all we've gone through trying to find the best enclosures to grow a healthy smooth tortoise. Nothing works like a completely closed system where we can maintain high humidity and constant temperature. An open table or tank or tub simply does not work as well. Why do we thing it would be any different with an outdoor enclosure? Open, just does not work as well.

Aquatics are totally different, but even there you will see some interesting similarities. When you put an aquatic outside, you are putting it in water. You give a very small basking area, but most of the enclosure is all water to stay in. When you put a young tortoise outside it is put on dry land with maybe a water dish. With an aquatic, the best basking for a hatchling or young turtle is actually hiding in plants while submereged in the water, not out on a basking rock or platform. They simply dry too fast. And if you look at what they choose on their own... when I thoroughly weeded and trimmed my entire pond area this late spring, I found 15 very young turtles dug in and hiding in the plants. I find them as I pull weeds and they come up in the root-balls. I saw none out basking with the rest of the turtles, but found there were indeed many in the entire area - just all hiding under cover.

I don't know if 1" per hour is the best guide, but it is easy for anyone to get an idea that will help them. It makes people aware of the problems of desiccating a young tortoise instead of the persistent idea that outdoors is best. For me - what I follow is about 1 hour max until they reach about 100g. Then perhaps 2 hours max until they reach about 1/3 the size of sexual maturity. Then about 4 hours max until 1/2 size of sexual maturity. At that point I can leave them out all day if in a proper outdoor enclosure with plenty of moist, hiding cover for them to push under.

But what do you tell most who don't know sexual maturity size, or the age of their tortoise? For example - I go by experience and use 16" / 16 lbs for sexual maturity size for a sulcata. For a Burmese star, I use 3000 g for a female and 1500 g for a male as guideline sizes for this purpose. But I am in the central valley of California, and have plenty of plants and cover and sprinklers in my enclosures.

So... as @daniellenc points out - there a just too many variable to every try to create a rule. But as a general guide that gets the right results and idea - 1" per hour is not a bad idea!

 

[teresaf]

Sure, I guess I'm just pointing out that beginners really need to think about the advice that people are giving them and not just automatically take it as an absolute truth, because there's no possible way that all of these rules and guidelines are always going to be 100% correct. Something that only applies to hatchlings? Well, what exactly IS a hatchling? There's no specific moment when it stops applying, it's a matter of degree. And then there's differences in each species' unique needs, as well as differences in climate. There are so many variables involved that I don't see how most of these types of guidelines can be useful to beginners in any more than a really general sense. Meanwhile, stuff like "an hour an inch" or "ten gallons an inch" actually imply specificity. Those are direct mathematical relationships between variables, but there's no possible way it's that precise. Sometimes I just wonder if the way that we talk about this kind of stuff is actually confusing beginners even more.

It's only specific if you don't put "about" in front of it....I get what you're saying. It's not written in stone because it's a VERY general guideline. We're trying to help out the most new folks that we can without asking a million questions...don't have time to ask every single newby what type tortoise, what age, what country, what grow zone...ect. Don't get me wrong, all the info they're looking for is here. They just need to read...read...read. in the meantime we're just helping them keep their torts alive and as healthy as possible without writing a BOOK.

 

[Tom]

It's only specific if you don't put "about" in front of it...

No Teresa. I hover over and around the sunning enclosure with a stop watch and at precisely 59 minutes and 59 seconds I begin reaching for the one inch baby tortoise, so that by the time my hand reaches the baby, it has been exactly one hour. At which point I rush the baby back indoors where I have a ruler waiting to make sure it hasn't grown while it was outside, and isn't actually larger than one inch now. You can imagine what a feat this is when sunning more than one or two tortoises at a time.

 

[wellington]

Sure, I guess I'm just pointing out that beginners really need to think about the advice that people are giving them and not just automatically take it as an absolute truth, because there's no possible way that all of these rules and guidelines are always going to be 100% correct. Something that only applies to hatchlings? Well, what exactly IS a hatchling? There's no specific moment when it stops applying, it's a matter of degree. And then there's differences in each species' unique needs, as well as differences in climate. There are so many variables involved that I don't see how most of these types of guidelines can be useful to beginners in any more than a really general sense. Meanwhile, stuff like "an hour an inch" or "ten gallons an inch" actually imply specificity. Those are direct mathematical relationships between variables, but there's no possible way it's that precise. Sometimes I just wonder if the way that we talk about this kind of stuff is actually confusing beginners even more.

If newbies would read older threads and participate more then a couple times, they would learn everything they would need. Everything, everything, has been stated to death. They just don't take the time to research and read and read more then one post that gives them the answer they want too see instead of what they should see.
Members do have to remember to repeat things correctly. Then, sometimes more research or observations change and then the info will change with it. Example: the MVB used to be the best uvb bulb out and used too last a year. Well, with members purchasing uvb meters, we have learned they don't last that long and they don't give out as much uvb. Also learned they are really overly drying to the torts carapace. So, this new info is slowly spreading and new recommendations are being given. If you don't read more then a couple post/threads, don't stick around more and participate more, then a lot of info will be missed.
In this case, it was always a recommendation of Tom's as to how long a hatchling/baby, should be kept outside. It was never suggested as a recommendation for adults, unless another member stated it wrong. Its an easy recommendation to remember and should work for them all.