Basking light

[Crohnsaholic]

I have a baby redfoot (2.5 inch long shell), my temps are all good as well as humidity. He has a hide that offers complete shade, I give a warm bath frequently, and I give him a good varied diet. I use a basking light to give him a place to get warm if he chooses to be. I have heard mixed reviews on this, what is your guys' opinion on this? The basking temp is between 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit

Thanks .

 

[Madkins007]

I think Red-foots benefit from basking as much as most other species do. I also think it is important to offer it a lot of shade and hides so it can choose what it wants.

Some of the debate over this comes from a misunderstanding of the Red-foot's home territory. Some people feel the Red-foot is primarily a deep forest species that occasionally wanders to the open areas, while most feel that it is a grassland species that does well in the forests. Evidence for the latter includes is that there simply is no deep forest in much of it's range, and one of it's local names is the Savannah Tortoise.

 

[terryo]

I've never used a basking light. I don't have a hot side or a cool side either. The whole viv is in the high 80's, and I only have a long tube UVB 5.0 (in the hatchling viv) and a 10.0 in Pio's viv. Sometimes, in the morning when I go to turn his light on, I will notice Pio sitting under the heat emitter.....maybe he's basking?? Also Solo will climb up on his hide, where I've put lots of moss for him, and sit there right under the heat emitter. Maybe they're basking...When outside, Pio will sit in the steam in the hot sun for quite a while, basking.

 

[Balboa]

Hmmm I never really thought about it, but yes, whether you meant to or not you provided a basking spot under those emitters. It would be hard to use an emitter and NOT wind up with a warmer spot.

I've never really specified this, but in my enclosure the "basking" spot is one of the darker areas that's in the open section. (because where the fluorescent light ends, the CHE starts)

Even though I call it a bask, its really only a thermal bask, Rocky uses it occasionally to boost her temps in the morning or after eating.

 

[DaisyDuke]

I have one tort named Sheldon. So I am just going on my own personal experience. Honestly, I don't think Sheldon would like NOT having a basking light. Sheldon seems to have a daily routine and isn't happy when it is "broken". For instance Sheldon wakes up a few minutes after I turn her light on in the morning. Then walks out from her half log any where from 15 minutes to an hour or so after I turn the light on. Then she spreads out under the light and just looks around for a while before going for a little swim in her "pool" and a bite to eat then a walk around her habitat and some more basking. There were days where I stayed at my boyfriends so I got in later in the afternoon and did my daily things and didn't turn her light on until hours after I usually do and I noticed she stayed in her hide all that time until I turned her light on. Temps in her habitat are great at night and day so she isn't cold. It's comparable to us and the sun coming up, at least from what I see with sheldon and how Sheldon responds to it. It's one of those things that seems to be what you feel is best for your tort.