Tortoise Waking Up Later and Later

[WillB]

Hi all,

I've a 5 month Indian Star Hatchling and he/she has been steadily waking up later and later. When I first got him he wakes up & comes out of his hide 10 min after the light is turned on (7:00AM) but now he gets out around 10:00AM. He still sleeps around 5~6PM. Is this normal or something that I should be concerned about? The ambient light is scheduled from 7 - 7:30PM with UVB bulb from 11 - 2.

He is steadily gaining weight at 80g right now up from 28g. He's active and eating normally as far as I can tell when he's not in his hide. He is in a tortoise table covered by a greenhouse tent (AP Cages inc in 3-4months) at the moment with humidity around 75-87% and ambient temp set at 83 degrees(usually drops to 80 and climbs back up to 83)

Many thanks for everyone's help in advance!

 

[Yvonne G]

Maybe the enclosure isn't warm enough???

 

[Tom]

Hi all,

I've a 5 month Indian Star Hatchling and he/she has been steadily waking up later and later. When I first got him he wakes up & comes out of his hide 10 min after the light is turned on (7:00AM) but now he gets out around 10:00AM. He still sleeps around 5~6PM. Is this normal or something that I should be concerned about? The ambient light is scheduled from 7 - 7:30PM with UVB bulb from 11 - 2.

He is steadily gaining weight at 80g right now up from 28g. He's active and eating normally as far as I can tell when he's not in his hide. He is in a tortoise table covered by a greenhouse tent (AP Cages inc in 3-4months) at the moment with humidity around 75-87% and ambient temp set at 83 degrees(usually drops to 80 and climbs back up to 83)

Many thanks for everyone's help in advance!

I think Yvonne is right. Daytime ambient should climb into the high 80s or low 90s for an Indian star. That is in addition to a 100 degree basking area directly under the bulb.

Also, do you have enough light? What type of UV bulb, and at what distance from the tortoise?

 

[WillB]

Thanks @Yvonne G & @Tom , I'll bump the temperature up and give that a try! Its certainly getting colder here in NYC. The basking area is around 100 when its on but I'll raise the ambient temp on my CHE to 85 and see if that helps. He sometimes just stay in his hide, wouldn't that mean its cooler inside the hide (black takeout box)?

I'm using Zoomed T5 HO 10.0 UVB 22'inch fixtures & a 2ft 5000k T8 LED ambient light both abt 13in away from the tort.

Thanks yall

 

[WillB]

Picture of the set up

 

[WillB]

Picture of the set up

I have multiple cable ties tied to the top in addition to the clamp for the lights out of abundance of caution because I’ve read horror stories of unfortunate incidents in the forum!

 

[Tom]

Thanks @Yvonne G & @Tom , I'll bump the temperature up and give that a try! Its certainly getting colder here in NYC. The basking area is around 100 when its on but I'll raise the ambient temp on my CHE to 85 and see if that helps. He sometimes just stay in his hide, wouldn't that mean its cooler inside the hide (black takeout box)?

I'm using Zoomed T5 HO 10.0 UVB 22'inch fixtures & a 2ft 5000k T8 LED ambient light both abt 13in away from the tort.

Thanks yall

All of that sounds good.

They make cheap thermostats that will give you a day time high setting and a night time low setting. You could set it to 80 at night and 90 during the day.