Outside enclosure lighting question uk

[Astroricker]

Hi,

We have two hermans that's have lived inside for 5 years and I am currently building an fully insulated outside house with an oil heater on a thermastat with constant access to secured meshed run. They will be housed outside all year round. Currently in the house we have basking lamps and Uvb strip lighting on there tables. The question is do they need the same lighting in the outside enclosure. Will I still need a basking bulb if the enclosure is kept hot enough and will I need a uvb strip lighting if they have constant access to the outside mesh run.

Thanks

Ricky

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
Considering UK climate, I would provide both UVB and basking lamp for your tortoises. You can place them either in the tortoise night house or in a small "basking cold frame" somewhere in the outside pen.

Basking lamp allows tortoise to warm up quicker (although is not strictly necessary) and UVB lamp compensates lower UV index of sunlight in UK (you can resort to calcium with D3 supplements instead).