outdoor box turtle pen with no direct sunlight

[mukmewx]

I have recently built a wonderful outdoor enclosure for my 2 young three-toed boxies. However, I have noticed that no direct sunlight gets to the pen (just very little in late afternoon) I have been freaking out and sick for the last couple of days over this. I have some temporary lights on the top (a uvb bulb and ceramic bulb) but I can't leave it like that. I have plans to run electricity to a light post that I would have to build, but this would be a lot of work. I am willing to if it's that important and I have no other choice. I hope I'm just overthinking it. The plants seem to be growing fast and doing great, so i figure uvb is getting to them. BTW I live in east Texas and the summers get HOT. It's already 80F in the pen( taken with digital thermometer) at 10AM.

 

[Tom]

I'm no box turtle expert, but I bet you will be fine as long as temp are warm enough.

And BTW, plants don't need UV. They just need light. You can grow them quite well indoors under lamps with no UV at all.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Breathe. You do not need to run lights outdoors. Are your turtles active and eating well? At your temps they may be most active early in the morning and later in the day.

Does the area get enough direct sun in the early spring and late fall? If it does, that will extend the season and be a good thing. Dappled shade is great. They'd be hiding from the heat in the summer anyway, so you may be fine.

 

[mukmewx]

Thanks for the quick comments, the turtles aren't really active but eat well, they mostly stay under a plant or log hide and don't move much. When I retrieve them and show them a mealworm or slug they will snatch it right up, then proceed to go hide again. I'm not sure about direct sun in any other times, but right now it gets next to none, because of the trees. Does the sun change position during these times? The direct sun is a mere 5 ft away, if that.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Don't worry about it. Relax!!! UVB bounces around and reflects off objects. One needn't be in direct sunlight to reap the benefits of UVB. My box turtle pen is under a very large pepper tree. No sun. AT ALL! But the box turtles and their plants have been living there and reproducing for about 25 years.

...and, by the way...your box turtle pen is just beautiful!

 

[WillTort2]

The UV should be fine filtered through the leaves. One concern I would have with your summers is the high temperatures and the one small water dish. I would take a bird bath size container and bury it so the torts can walk in and out easily and keep it full of water so they can drink and cool off.

Good luck.

 

[mukmewx]

Thanks you guys! What a load off! I'll work on getting them a bigger water dish. They are very young right now and small (like 2 years or so)

 

[TortsNTurtles]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Don't worry about it. Relax!!! UVB bounces around and reflects off objects. One needn't be in direct sunlight to reap the benefits of UVB. My box turtle pen is under a very large pepper tree. No sun. AT ALL! But the box turtles and their plants have been living there and reproducing for about 25 years.

...and, by the way...your box turtle pen is just beautiful!

This makes me feel better I am planning to build an outdoor enclosure for my box turtles this summer but we have so many trees no real place for lots of direct sun.