My Valentine Hates Her Light

[Casjoyce5]

Hello all!

I haven’t posted on here for quite a while, so I’ll reintroduce Valentine and myself. We live in Montana and I’ve had Valentine since I was 10 (I’m now 37). Valentine is a Western Hinge-Back tortoise! We’ve received such kind help on this forum for quite some time (shout out to Tom)!

I wanted to ask if anyone has had an issue with their tortoise disliking their light. She used to spend time under it, when we first got it, but lately she just wants to get away from it and spend time in her fluffy little den (I put some sphagnum moss in there for her and she loves it). When I open the den’s top-lid and move the light over her, she seems to get agitated and starts running around her enclosure, wanting out!

I took Valentine to a reptile vet in Bozeman about a year ago and got the vet-suggested light for her. It is a Zoo Med 22” Reptisun 5.0 UVB. I have it set at the right distance to where my SolarMeter counts are for Mostly Partial Sun.

Any help, suggestions, or tips on how to encourage Valentine to enjoy her light more is appreciated. I feel like they have an innate sense of what they need, so I just want to make sure that I’m not trying to give her something that she knows isn’t good for her…?

Thank you all for your time and help!

Valentine & Cassie

 

[ZEROPILOT]

A 5.0 shouldn't make ANY tortoise uncomfortable. (Because it's not a coiled type)
I can almost just guarantee that it's not the light that's the issue. Maybe it's light itself? Is the temperature getting cooler? Many species slow way down this time of year. Many of them also "hibernate".
(Not the correct term. But more widely recognized) Cooler temperatures slow down digestion. The tortoise will eat less and sleep more. My RF are doing that right now. But they're still petfectly healthy.
If your house/the enclosure has cooled down. I'd recommend slightly raising the enclosure temperature to compensate. And maybe also ad an LED light or two to better represent daytime.

 

[Tom]

Hello all!

I haven’t posted on here for quite a while, so I’ll reintroduce Valentine and myself. We live in Montana and I’ve had Valentine since I was 10 (I’m now 37). Valentine is a Western Hinge-Back tortoise! We’ve received such kind help on this forum for quite some time (shout out to Tom)!

I wanted to ask if anyone has had an issue with their tortoise disliking their light. She used to spend time under it, when we first got it, but lately she just wants to get away from it and spend time in her fluffy little den (I put some sphagnum moss in there for her and she loves it). When I open the den’s top-lid and move the light over her, she seems to get agitated and starts running around her enclosure, wanting out!

I took Valentine to a reptile vet in Bozeman about a year ago and got the vet-suggested light for her. It is a Zoo Med 22” Reptisun 5.0 UVB. I have it set at the right distance to where my SolarMeter counts are for Mostly Partial Sun.

Any help, suggestions, or tips on how to encourage Valentine to enjoy her light more is appreciated. I feel like they have an innate sense of what they need, so I just want to make sure that I’m not trying to give her something that she knows isn’t good for her…?

Thank you all for your time and help!

Valentine & Cassie

Look up the "kinixys working group" and ask those guys. I know very little about hinge backs and have no experience with them.

Will @Kapidolo Farms knows a bit about them, and I'll bet @zovick does too.

I thank you for the shout out!

 

[Casjoyce5]

A 5.0 shouldn't make ANY tortoise uncomfortable. (Because it's not a coiled type)
I can almost just guarantee that it's not the light that's the issue. Maybe it's light itself? Is the temperature getting cooler? Many species slow way down this time of year. Many of them also "hibernate".
(Not the correct term. But more widely recognized) Cooler temperatures slow down digestion. The tortoise will eat less and sleep more. My RF are doing that right now. But they're still petfectly healthy.
If your house/the enclosure has cooled down. I'd recommend slightly raising the enclosure temperature to compensate. And maybe also ad an LED light or two to better represent daytime.

Thank you so much for your help! That makes me feel a lot better knowing you don’t think the light (5.0) is too much for her. It has definitely started cooling down here, but she’s in my bedroom and I make sure her enclosure temperature doesn’t drop too low… which I’ve struggled with due to having too warm of a bedroom at night, but that it a whole other discussion (the things we do for our babies haha). I do believe they know though when the seasons are changing, even if their enclosure is set to a specific temperature-range. Perhaps it’s just the season/temperature change that is making her want to burrow and be in her den more. How exactly do you use the LED lights? I switch on her light every morning and try to stay in the natural cycle and turn it off when the sun is setting or it’s getting dark…

Thank you again for your reply/help!

 

[Casjoyce5]

Look up the "kinixys working group" and ask those guys. I know very little about hinge backs and have no experience with them.

Will @Kapidolo Farms knows a bit about them, and I'll bet @zovick does too.

I thank you for the shout out!

Hi

Look up the "kinixys working group" and ask those guys. I know very little about hinge backs and have no experience with them.

Will @Kapidolo Farms knows a bit about them, and I'll bet @zovick does too.

I thank you for the shout out!

Hi Tom!

Thank you so much for the referrals! I’ll search for that and see if I can get some additional help.

Thank you!

 

[zovick]

Hi

Hi Tom!

Thank you so much for the referrals! I’ll search for that and see if I can get some additional help.

Thank you!

I don't think I can offer much meaningful assistance in this case. My experience with Kinixys is limited to the two forest species (K. homeana and K. erosa), neither of which like very much light at all. In fact, the ones I kept were almost crepuscular in habit, retreating into the shaded areas of their enclosures when the lights came on in the mornings. Then they pretty much remained in the shade until the lights went off in the evenings. The one thing that would get them out of the shade in a hurry though was a platter of juicy night crawlers!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I don't think I can offer much meaningful assistance in this case. My experience with Kinixys is limited to the two forest species (K. homeana and K. erosa), neither of which like very much light at all. In fact, the ones I kept were almost crepuscular in habit, retreating into the shaded areas of their enclosures when the lights came on in the mornings. Then they pretty much remained in the shade until the lights went off in the evenings. The one thing that would get them out of the shade in a hurry though was a platter of juicy night crawlers!

Thank you.
The species is a total mystery to me

 

[ZEROPILOT]

What are you using to heat your tortoises enclosure?
It sounds like you're heating the entire room instead?
A CHE or Ceramic Heat Emitter can provide warmth both day and night since they put out no light. They're inexpensive. Don't cost much in electricity and last a very long time.
This way you can warm up your tortoise and cool yourself off.

 

[Casjoyce5]

I don't think I can offer much meaningful assistance in this case. My experience with Kinixys is limited to the two forest species (K. homeana and K. erosa), neither of which like very much light at all. In fact, the ones I kept were almost crepuscular in habit, retreating into the shaded areas of their enclosures when the lights came on in the mornings. Then they pretty much remained in the shade until the lights went off in the evenings. The one thing that would get them out of the shade in a hurry though was a platter of juicy night crawler

I don't think I can offer much meaningful assistance in this case. My experience with Kinixys is limited to the two forest species (K. homeana and K. erosa), neither of which like very much light at all. In fact, the ones I kept were almost crepuscular in habit, retreating into the shaded areas of their enclosures when the lights came on in the mornings. Then they pretty much remained in the shade until the lights went off in the evenings. The one thing that would get them out of the shade in a hurry though was a platter of juicy night crawlers!

Thank you Zovick! : )

 

[wellington]

Thank you so much for your help! That makes me feel a lot better knowing you don’t think the light (5.0) is too much for her. It has definitely started cooling down here, but she’s in my bedroom and I make sure her enclosure temperature doesn’t drop too low… which I’ve struggled with due to having too warm of a bedroom at night, but that it a whole other discussion (the things we do for our babies haha). I do believe they know though when the seasons are changing, even if their enclosure is set to a specific temperature-range. Perhaps it’s just the season/temperature change that is making her want to burrow and be in her den more. How exactly do you use the LED lights? I switch on her light every morning and try to stay in the natural cycle and turn it off when the sun is setting or it’s getting dark…

Thank you again for your reply/help!

Leave lights on for 12-14 hours. The whole bedroom doesn't need to be heated to torts temp, just her enclosure needs to be the correct temp.
When not brumating, or even some that don't brumate, will slow some for winter. The temps for those that brumate should be kept a bit warmer at night than normal. I'm not familiar with the hinged tortoises, but if they normally would brumate, keep night temps 5-10 degrees warmer than normal. Lights on longer and make it brighter.

 

[SuzanneZ]

I don't think I can offer much meaningful assistance in this case. My experience with Kinixys is limited to the two forest species (K. homeana and K. erosa), neither of which like very much light at all. In fact, the ones I kept were almost crepuscular in habit, retreating into the shaded areas of their enclosures when the lights came on in the mornings. Then they pretty much remained in the shade until the lights went off in the evenings. The one thing that would get them out of the shade in a hurry though was a platter of juicy night crawlers!

Ew. Thank you for the image.
Crepuscular is such a fine word. I'm like that. Glare, heat, all of it. You do not find me basking.

 

[Casjoyce5]

What are you using to heat your tortoises enclosure?
It sounds like you're heating the entire room instead?
A CHE or Ceramic Heat Emitter can provide warmth both day and night since they put out no light. They're inexpensive. Don't cost much in electricity and last a very long time.
This way you can warm up your tortoise and cool yourself off.

I’m using a ceramic heat emitter, but I’ve noticed when my bedroom’s temp. starts to drop, so does her enclosure’s. My ceramic heat emitter is a 100w, and I only have the one. I’ll attach a picture of her enclosure!

 

[Casjoyce5]

Leave lights on for 12-14 hours. The whole bedroom doesn't need to be heated to torts temp, just her enclosure needs to be the correct temp.
When not brumating, or even some that don't brumate, will slow some for winter. The temps for those that brumate should be kept a bit warmer at night than normal. I'm not familiar with the hinged tortoises, but if they normally would brumate, keep night temps 5-10 degrees warmer than normal. Lights on longer and make it brighter.

Thanks for this!

 

[SuzanneZ]

I have my lights and heat laid directly on the top wire. Yours seems far away from your tortoise.

 

[Casjoyce5]

I have my lights and heat laid directly on the top wire. Yours seems far away from your tortoise.

I’ve always been afraid to leave the house with heat lamp and light laid on top of the wire… especially because the sides of our wire-top have wood… perhaps I’m overreacting though haha.

 

[wellington]

I’ve always been afraid to leave the house with heat lamp and light laid on top of the wire… especially because the sides of our wire-top have wood… perhaps I’m overreacting though haha.

I didn't even notice the pictures. You need to remove the moss, they eat it and it causes impactions. Also with the lights/heat so far away, I doubt that she is warm enough.
If it makes you nervous. Cut a hole in the mesh the size of the bulb/heat. Rim that hole with tin foil and set the fixture on the mesh with the bulb over the hole.
A tube florescent should be used for uvb. That does not need a hole in the mesh. A incandescent flood bulb should be used for basking and a che or two used added day heat if needed and night heat. The flood and che can be set over a hole in the mesh.

 

[SuzanneZ]

I consider fire, too, but if your wire isn't plastic, it doesn't burn. I just ran to check and, yes, the wire is hot, but I can keep my hand on it. And with that elbow you have, you could just get it close.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
Maybe Suzanne is right about mounting height for lamps. CHE, perhaps gives more heat to the room, than to the enclosure. You can try to lower it a little and make temperatures in bedroom lower. When adjusting height, put thermometer under it for 1 hour. Check, that temperatures are acceptable (no more than 85). I think you use thermostat with CHE, but if not, please get one.

Humidity of 25 percent is very low. This could be the reason for tortoise to stay in humid hide. You can make an easy experiment - put CHE fixture and UV lamp on top of the mesh, cover mesh around the fixtures with a aluminium foil. If it helps with temperatures, humidity and tortoise activity - consider some sort of permanent cover, like a portable greenhouse top.

Also, you can try to provide shady areas in the main part of the enclosure - like potted plants or boxes and check if it helps too.

 

[Casjoyce5]

I didn't even notice the pictures. You need to remove the moss, they eat it and it causes impactions. Also with the lights/heat so far away, I doubt that she is warm enough.
If it makes you nervous. Cut a hole in the mesh the size of the bulb/heat. Rim that hole with tin foil and set the fixture on the mesh with the bulb over the hole.
A tube florescent should be used for uvb. That does not need a hole in the mesh. A incandescent flood bulb should be used for basking and a che or two used added day heat if needed and night heat. The flood and che can be set over a hole in the mesh.

I didn't even notice the pictures. You need to remove the moss, they eat it and it causes impactions. Also with the lights/heat so far away, I doubt that she is warm enough.
If it makes you nervous. Cut a hole in the mesh the size of the bulb/heat. Rim that hole with tin foil and set the fixture on the mesh with the bulb over the hole.
A tube florescent should be used for uvb. That does not need a hole in the mesh. A incandescent flood bulb should be used for basking and a che or two used added day heat if needed and night heat. The flood and che can be set over a hole in the mesh.

Oh boy… I didn’t realize they’ll eat the moss! I’ll remove it! So I ended up just lowering the lamp to basically sit on top of the mesh and it seems pretty safe and is warming up her enclosure better… I even got to lower my room’s temperature… such a simple fix haha. Thank you guys for this! I’ll look up the incandescent flood bulb. I don’t think I’ve heard of this one before.

Thank you for all of your great advice! : )

 

[Casjoyce5]

I consider fire, too, but if your wire isn't plastic, it doesn't burn. I just ran to check and, yes, the wire is hot, but I can keep my hand on it. And with that elbow you have, you could just get it close.

Thank you so much Suzanne! I lowered it with that elbow and got it close. Her enclosure is heating up better this way, without my room needing to be as warm! As I said above, who knew such an easy fix haha?! Thank you for making me feel better about this! : )

I consider fire, too, but if your wire isn't plastic, it doesn't burn. I just ran to check and, yes, the wire is hot, but I can keep my hand on it. And with that elbow you have, you could just get it close.