Keeper timer setting
T5 UVB: one hour later on, one hour earlier off
ON: 1 hour after the daylight lights come on.
OFF: 1 hour before the daylight lights go off.
October: daylight 11.8 h; T5 UVB 9 h 48 m per day.
The T5 runs for two hours less than the total photoperiod. Example: daylight 08:00-20:00 means UVB 09:00-19:00. Keep the monthly UVI strength as listed beneath the tube. Existing care values are preserved.
UVI beneath the optional T5 tube
Working exposure targetOctober target at normal back height
UVI 3-5directly under the tube when it is on
The retained range remains a provisional captive working target. No new species-specific result was found that clearly requires a numerical change. Retaining it is not certification of an experimentally established optimum.
Your measuring point
Measure at the animal's normal back height directly beneath the brightest accessible part of the T5 strip, positioned toward the middle/back. The animal can enter and leave this area freely.
Keep a lower-UVI gradient and fully covered refuges near UVI 0. This is the optional exposure area, not the average across the cage.
Use a UV Index meter, such as a Solarmeter 6.5/6.5R. Warm the tube for about 30 minutes; keep reflector, guards and mesh in place. Raise or lower the fixture within its manufacturer's minimum-distance guidance, then recheck the reading and every higher accessible surface.
Evidence level: Provisional retention. These are working recommendations, often inferred; exact species optima and seasonal UV dose usually have not been measured. Log lamp-on time and animal behaviour as well as UVI.
Baines et al. (2016), UV-Tool ยท Muryn, Baines and Dishman (2026), Reptile Lighting Guide V10
October management
Selected automatically using the Netherlands date
Incubation / female recovery
Lau and Moala islands, eastern Fiji; arboreal wet/dry forest patches
27-29 CDay air
22-24 CNight
35-38 CBasking
3-5T5 UVI*
11.8 hPhotoperiod
9 h 48 mT5 UVB duration
70-82 / 80-91%RH day / night*
Rain easing; daily leaf wettingRain / mist
7Food days/week
Annual schedule
Scroll sideways on smaller screens
| Month | Day air | Night | Basking | T5 UVI* | Photoperiod | T5 UVB duration | RH day / night* | Rain / mist | Food days/week | Seasonal management |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26-28 C | 20-22 C | 34-38 C | 3-5 | 11.0 h | 9 h | 65-78 / 76-88% | Driest period; keep hydration and humid refuges | 6-7 | Cool-season maintenance |
| February | 26-28 C | 20-22 C | 34-38 C | 3-5 | 11.3 h | 9 h 18 m | 66-79 / 77-89% | Drier; regular leaf misting, excellent airflow | 6-7 | Conditioning / reserve building |
| March | 27-29 C | 21-23 C | 35-38 C | 3-5 | 11.8 h | 9 h 48 m | 68-80 / 78-90% | Rain begins to increase gradually | 7 | Reproductive conditioning |
| April | 28-30 C | 22-24 C | 35-39 C | 3-5 | 12.3 h | 10 h 18 m | 70-82 / 80-92% | Warmer/wetter transition; daily rain/mist | 7 | Pre-breeding; increase foliage and food variety |
| May | 28-30 C | 23-24 C | 36-39 C | 3-5 | 12.7 h | 10 h 42 m | 72-84 / 82-93% | Wet-season build; frequent showers | 7 | Courtship and mating; shifted keeper window |
| June | 29-31 C | 23-25 C | 36-39 C | 3-5 | 13.0 h | 11 h | 73-85 / 83-94% | Warm/wet; frequent rain with drying intervals | 7 | Mating / early gravidity; nest area ready |
| July | 28-30 C | 23-24 C | 36-39 C | 3-5 | 12.8 h | 10 h 48 m | 72-84 / 82-92% | Wet season; rain/mist daily with airflow | 7 | Primary oviposition; maintain deep nest area |
| August | 29-31 C | 23-25 C | 36-39 C | 3-5 | 12.6 h | 10 h 36 m | 74-86 / 84-94% | Wet; frequent rain pulses, foliage dries between | 7 | Oviposition / early incubation |
| September | 28-30 C | 23-24 C | 36-39 C | 3-5 | 12.2 h | 10 h 12 m | 74-86 / 84-94% | Wettest phase; strong ventilation essential | 7 | Late laying possible; incubation |
| October | 27-29 C | 22-24 C | 35-38 C | 3-5 | 11.8 h | 9 h 48 m | 70-82 / 80-91% | Rain easing; daily leaf wetting | 7 | Incubation / female recovery |
| November | 27-29 C | 21-23 C | 35-38 C | 3-5 | 11.4 h | 9 h 24 m | 68-80 / 78-89% | Drier transition; mist most evenings | 6-7 | Incubation / maintenance |
| December | 26-28 C | 20-22 C | 34-38 C | 3-5 | 11.1 h | 9 h 6 m | 66-78 / 76-88% | Cooler/drier; light daily or alternate-day mist | 6-7 | Cool-season maintenance; no brumation |
Keeper notes
Use measured gradients and animal behaviour, not single thermostat readings
T5 UVI measurement
Measure UVI at normal back height directly beneath the brightest accessible part of the optional T5 strip. Place the strip toward the middle/back with free access to and away from it; preserve a gradient into fully covered refuges near UVI 0. These numbers describe the exposure area, not the whole enclosure or a daily average.
UVI review
The retained range remains a provisional captive working target. No new species-specific result was found that clearly requires a numerical change. Retaining it is not certification of an experimentally established optimum.
Northern Hemisphere calendar
All monthly climate and management cues are shifted six months from the Fiji seasonal sequence. Cool/drier period December-February; warming and rainfall increase from March; courtship/mating around May-June; laying mainly July-September. No brumation.
Taxonomy
True B. fasciatus is the Lau/Moala species. Central Fiji banded iguanas formerly called fasciatus are B. bulabula; Gau animals are B. gau.
Breeding
Historical Southern Hemisphere records commonly place mating around November and laying January-March. The Northern Hemisphere keeper equivalents are May and July-September. Interpret pre-split zoo data with provenance caution.
Clutch
Usually about 3-6 eggs; broader published range roughly 2-7. One annual clutch is the conservative biological expectation.
Incubation
Start around 28-29 C. Successful captive accounts report roughly 120-150 days at 29 C, while broader Fijian summaries extend to about 125-210 days.
Humidity
Keep humid but never stagnant. Leaf misting provides drinking water; allow some drying between events and maintain strong ventilation.
Female health
Reproductive disorders including folliculostasis, ovostasis and yolk coelomitis have been documented in captive Brachylophus; investigate delayed laying promptly.