outside lighting? or in the dark?

[barry horsfield]

hiya, my russian is going in the shed this year with a hole in the shed door so he can get outside when he wants, the shed is almost completely void of light when the door is closed, my questions are should i put a uv light in there, or will he go outside to get his uv, and should i leave it dark in there or put some kind of light in there? please help me do the best for him, cheers

 

[GBtortoises]

It depends on how the shed is going to be utilized. If the tortoise is going to be kept inside during inclement weather or other reasons during the daytime a light would be necessary for the tortoise to experience a normal photoperiod whic is important. If the tortoise will be shut into the shed at night but the door will be opened in the morning for the tortoise to come out on it's own there is really no reason to supply a light to the inside of the shed. A tortoise will move in and out of light, as in to the outdoors, on it's own as long as it's not restricted.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

He's gonna need a light to warm himself when he goes in from his day. That's the first thing Bob does when he goes back into his shed, is gets under his basking light. So yes, he will need a light...

 

[Laura]

can you post pics of your setup?
is the outside area protected?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Ben:

I have lights and heat in all my outside sheds and dog houses. Dudley has the smallest shelter. His is barely bigger than he is...just big enough for him to turn around and get back out of it. He has a regular incandescent light for those dark, grey days when the sun isn't shining, and a black light that I turn on if its going to be below 50 at night.

However, my Russians just have a little dog house packed full of orchard grass hay. They don't have a light or a heater. But they DO hibernate. I bring them in during the winter to hibernate in unplugged chest-type freezers. They are pretty cold hardy, so once they're put back outside, they don't get any auxiliary heat or lights...just what old mother nature provides. The problem is, most of them don't go back into their dog house at night. I have to go around and try to find them. During the summer this is ok and I'll leave them outside (they usually bury themselves, so they're pretty safe), but this time of year when its cold and rainy, I like for them to be inside their shelter where its dry.