How many "daylight" hours do you provide?

[ashers]

Kinda worried. Baby Cosgrove (1 year old hermanns) has been extremely inactive these past few weeks. I read on another thread that winding down of activity during the winter can be offset by increasing the hours of "daylight". He currently has his lights on for 12 hours....how many hours does everyone else provide? Thanks for any feedback.

 

[Heliopteryx]

I provide thirteen hours of daylight. I'd read that 12-14 hours was acceptable.

 

[lisa127]

My lights for my reptiles are on from 6:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. So 14 hours. No one is slowing down for the winter.

 

[ashers]

Thanks for your responses. I will up it to 14 hrs.

Over the last few days I've seen several posts about animals sleeping days on end - not necessarily hibernating -but an overall slowdown as winter sets in. I didn't have a tortoise last winter so didn't know if this was normal or not.

 

[Pokeymeg]

I have the lights on 7:30am to 7:30 pm...in the summer that is elongated by natural light (I don't change the time though), so MIN 12 hours.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

my light goes on at 8am and off at 730pm.

this is for a leopard tortoise under 1yr old.

 

[cherylim]

Emrys has his lights on for 14 hours. In winter he tends to be a little slower to wake up once the light's gone on, but once he's up he's active. In summer, he's often already waking up by the time the lights go on since the sun gets up a little before I do!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

14.5 hours (on @ 6am, off @ 8:30), via a simple timer...works great.

 

[sheldon1306]

RE: How many "daylight" hours do you provide?

I've been on the 7:30 to 10 schedule for almost a year. Sheldon and I have a schedule almost to a tee. My alarm goes off for 645, by the time I wake, get ready for work his light kicks on and his head is just poking it of his hide. Habitual is key ive heard...

 

[mainey34]

Atleast 10 hours.

 

[GBtortoises]

14-15 hours a day is ideal for normal activity. Less duration (below 12) along with less intensity may cause your tortoise to believe that it's "weather" is turning to fall and winter causing it to slow down and reduce food consumption to begin to prepare for brumation.