# of daylight hours, temperature and hibernation?

Joma

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Just wondering if there is any research/information/ brilliant insights on which has a greater/lesser effect on hibernation behaviours - length of daylight hours, temperatures, both?
 

Yvonne G

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both. The days get shorter and the nights get cooler.
 

Markw84

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I believe light has a far greater effect than temperature. The length of daylight hours, plus the color and intensity of the light as the sun gets lower. There is a dramatic reduction in UV in the light as the sun gets lower and UVA is an important circannual rhythm trigger.

In watching my aquatic turtles in a "semi-natural" pond for several decades, once we pass Oct 1st here, they simply aren't interested in food any more. It doesn't matter if we are having a warm or cold Sept/Oct - its always the same. Temperature will definately effect how deeply they brumate and how much they have semi active periods. But the light "tells" them it is time to slow down and stop feeding.
 

Joma

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I believe light has a far greater effect than temperature. The length of daylight hours, plus the color and intensity of the light as the sun gets lower. There is a dramatic reduction in UV in the light as the sun gets lower and UVA is an important circannual rhythm trigger.

In watching my aquatic turtles in a "semi-natural" pond for several decades, once we pass Oct 1st here, they simply aren't interested in food any more. It doesn't matter if we are having a warm or cold Sept/Oct - its always the same. Temperature will definitely effect how deeply they brumate and how much they have semi active periods. But the light "tells" them it is time to slow down and stop feeding.

Thank you. I was thinking the length of light had an important impact. I have read recommendations that say if you are not brumating your tortoise (I have a greek), you should provide 12-14 hours of light (including artificial?) per day. But if they go ahead and head for sleep in their dark hide at 4pm, what does an extra hour or two of artificial light provide? They don't actually receive it because they are tucked away. Also, what kind of artificial light is best for that 12-14 hours if you are choosing not to hibernate your tort? UVB?
 

Minority2

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Thank you. I was thinking the length of light had an important impact. I have read recommendations that say if you are not brumating your tortoise (I have a greek), you should provide 12-14 hours of light (including artificial?) per day. But if they go ahead and head for sleep in their dark hide at 4pm, what does an extra hour or two of artificial light provide? They don't actually receive it because they are tucked away. Also, what kind of artificial light is best for that 12-14 hours if you are choosing not to hibernate your tort? UVB?

Tortoises bask and sleep frequently thorough the day. In my experience, a tortoise will wake up, look for food, eat, bask/digest/sleep, and then repeat the same cycle until it gets dark.

UV(B) rays can bounce off surfaces. The entrance of a hide area can still have levels of UV(B) depending on the angle and distance of the linear florescent bulb to hide.

Most recommendations are simplified to allow owners to quickly respond and change whatever needs changing because often times, these requests come from owners with issues that require immediate responses. My recommendations for example, focuses on cost effectiveness. My own lighting setups on the other hand, are not quite so simple.

This is an example of what I'm currently using for a single 8' x 4' ft indoor enclosure. 1x basking fixture with a 40 watt incandescent flood bulb, 2x 3 ft linear florescent T5 HO fixtures with 2x 6500k bulbs set on 4+4 hour daily interval cycles and 2x 3 ft linear florescent T5 HO fixtures with 2x Arcadia T5 12% UV(B) reptile rated bulb set at 4-6 hour daily cycles.

- 6500k runs @0600-1000hrs.
- Arcadia T5 12% runs @1000-1400/1600hrs.
- 6500k runs @1400/1600-1800hrs.

There is also another option of using a pure UV(B) lighting setup with reptisun T5 5.0/10.0 and arcadia T5 12% bulbs which arguably may be a better option in emulating natural conditions but at a much higher replacement cost.

If I remember correctly, @Markw84 may have been the one that convinced me to swap to this setup.

The average new tortoise owner will often value simplicity and single lamp fixture setups over combo setups that offer lower long term electricity costs. This is one of the many reasons why I don't often suggest these types of setups unless asked.
 
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