Basking times

[gill]

I have had Tilly my horsefield tortoise for 3 weeks and she was previously fed on pellets and lived in a vivarium. She is beginning to eat the weeds that i have grown from seed and spring greens etc but doesn't come out of her house into her enclosure where i have grown plants and weeds. Her dual uv basking lamp is on a timer and i also have a diffuser heating bulb on a thermostat for when the basking lamp isn't on How many hours a day should i have her basking lamp on. Currently i have it on from 8am to 12md and 2pm to 5pm. She spends her time basking on her blue slates or in her plant pot or i see her sometimes at the doorway but won't come out. If i bring her out she goes straight back. I wonder if i should have the lamp on less to encourage her to come out or do i have it on enough. Any advise would be appreciated as i am keen for her to be to be happy and well looked after

 

[Tom]

Where are you? Please go into your user profile and update your location info.

Since you called it a horsfield and you thermometer is set to C, I'm going to guess you are in the UK. Am I right?

If you are going to use a basking lamp, it needs to be on 12-14 hours a day to simulate the sun. If you are using one of those screw in type cfl UV bulbs, I would stop. Those sometimes burn their eyes and you don't need it if your tortoise has access to sunshine.

If the weather outside is cold and overcast, your tortoise will likely prefer the warm shelter of the lovely tortoise house you've made. You can encourage the tortoise to go outside more often by turning off the heat and light inside, but if its not warm enough outside, then you should probably leave the lights and heat inside on. What a dilemma?

My usual strategy is to have a large, suitable indoor enclosure and a large suitable outdoor enclosure. I use the outdoor one during fair weather, and I use the indoor one for inclement weather. I'd like for other UK horsfield owners to chime in here. Your climate is outside of my realm of experience.