Ok so we need to put our Stars under 8-12 hours of UVB/UVA light a day but how about natural sunlight? how many hours of natural sunlight is good for them ina day? For the past 3 days, I have been putting them for about an hour under natural sunlight, only thing I was wondering is that since they keep running for the shade, than in the wild how much of sunlight do they actually get if they keep running to the shade?
Natural sunlight?
- Thread starter samstar
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Most tortoises are rather secretive by nature, so most hide a lot when they are not foraging or something.
The great thing is that you don't need to worry about how much sun they need- as long as they have shade, they will figure this out for themselves. If they want to bask, they will bask... unless they are hiding out of fear or to find warmer temps, etc. (It is nice when you can just leave them for a while so they can relax and do what they want.)
Part of the thing is that they don't need to absorb UVB all day- we only use the bulbs all day so they have the option of basking or hiding. They probably get most of what they need in about 15 minutes or so- but it is smarter to let them figure this out.
The great thing is that you don't need to worry about how much sun they need- as long as they have shade, they will figure this out for themselves. If they want to bask, they will bask... unless they are hiding out of fear or to find warmer temps, etc. (It is nice when you can just leave them for a while so they can relax and do what they want.)
Part of the thing is that they don't need to absorb UVB all day- we only use the bulbs all day so they have the option of basking or hiding. They probably get most of what they need in about 15 minutes or so- but it is smarter to let them figure this out.
Shoes?
Not sure where Mark got the 15 minutes from.. where did it come from Mark?
Actually I have to agree.. a Pharmacist who has one of my hatchlings told me that a square inch of bare skin exposed to direct sun at high noon in August for 15-20 minutes would provide an average "white American" with enough UVB for 3-4 days! How that equates to a Star tortoise needs.. I have no idea. [ which leads me to believe that UVB over-exposure is easy to do! ] Ever heard of skin cancer?
Terry K
Actually I have to agree.. a Pharmacist who has one of my hatchlings told me that a square inch of bare skin exposed to direct sun at high noon in August for 15-20 minutes would provide an average "white American" with enough UVB for 3-4 days! How that equates to a Star tortoise needs.. I have no idea. [ which leads me to believe that UVB over-exposure is easy to do! ] Ever heard of skin cancer?
Terry K
Redfoot NERD said:
The idea that humans only need a couple short exposures a week is well known: "The factors that affect UV radiation exposure and research to date on the amount of sun exposure needed to maintain adequate vitamin D levels make it difficult to provide general guidelines. It has been suggested by some vitamin D researchers, for example, that approximately 5-30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM at least twice a week to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen usually lead to sufficient vitamin D synthesis and that the moderate use of commercial tanning beds that emit 2-6% UVB radiation is also effective [10,33]. Individuals with limited sun exposure need to include good sources of vitamin D in their diet or take a supplement."
(http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)
While reptilian skin is different than mammalian, the chemical processes are similar enough that it seems a reasonable extrapolation, one that has been suggested on several sites.
Now this is all very technical for me, but because tort skin appears to be much thicker on the feet and arms, do they need more sunlight, or the same because of their size?
reptylefreek said:
This becomes an interesting debate when you start talking about the skin. www.uvguide.com.uk has a few studies on lizards they've done using shed skin, but most of the rest of the debate is mostly theoretical.
In general, it is harder for UV light to go through skin that is dark, thick, and scaled or feathered- so in theory, it should be harder for a Red-foot to get UV than for most grassland tortoise species.
Now, when you combine relatively small body sizes, very slow metabolisms, metabolisms that are really good at getting the maximum nutrition from pretty un-nutritious food, and so on, they probably don't need long basking times.
While I am not as 'up' on my grassland tortoises as I am the Red-foot, isn't that what we see in nature? Short basking periods throughout the day- morning basks, after meal basks, warm sun on a cool day on a heated rock basks, etc. for rather short periods.
By the way- when people say things like 'they get most of the needed UVB dose in about 15 minutes a day', it does not usually mean in one 15 minute period. A few minutes here, a few minutes there... it all adds up.
Madkins007 said:
We're talking about Star tortoises now.. remember those herbivors - that don't get their needed D vitamins from animal protein! My "herbs" BASK.. head and legs stretched out - long periods of time as long as it doesn't stay in the 90's any.
reptylefreek said:
Too technical for me too 'freek'!
My Stars "BASK" for hours as long as it doesn't get into the 90's any. Yours are probly too young or scared to bask long. Just make the sun, etc., etc. available and they'll figure it out on their own!
Terry K
Did you read the article 'freek'?
http://www.turtletary.com/Stars/REPTILESTARDoc.doc
sameer said:
Did you read the article sameer?
Terry K
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