Keeper timer setting
T5 UVB: one hour later on, one hour earlier off
During active care — ON: 1 hour after daylight starts.
OFF: 1 hour before daylight ends.
During hibernation / full brumation: T5 UVB OFF (0 hours). In transition months, keep UVB off while dormant and use the active timer only once the animal is warmed and active.
October: daylight 12 h; T5 UVB 10 h.
The active T5 duration is the photoperiod minus two hours. Example: daylight 08:00–20:00 means UVB 09:00–19:00. Follow the monthly UVI strength measured beneath the tube and provide access to shade. This timing rule does not introduce hibernation for species whose schedule has only a mild or active winter rest. If an older combined heat / UV column is present, the new T5 UVB duration column governs UVB timing; existing heat settings are preserved.
UVI beneath the optional T5 tube
Working exposure targetOctober target at normal back height
UVI 2.0-3.5directly under the tube when it is on
The original notes already recommended UVI 2.0-3.5 at the basking branch. Add that existing range to the monthly table and define it as an optional T5-area measurement; this is not an increase. Retain dense foliage, full cover and restrained morning basking.
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: Existing range made explicit. 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 · Muryn, Baines and Dishman (2026), Reptile Lighting Guide V10
October management
Selected automatically using the Netherlands date
Rainfall stimulus / conditioning
Cool, wet submontane forest - Knuckles Massif, Sri Lanka
24-26 CDay ambient
18-20 CNight
30-32 CBasking
2.0-3.5T5 UVI*
80-90%Day RH
12 hPhotoperiod
10 hT5 UVB duration
Very wetRain / misting
Annual schedule
Scroll sideways on smaller screens
| Month | Day ambient | Night | Basking | T5 UVI* | Day RH | Photoperiod | T5 UVB duration | Rain / misting | Reproductive management |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23-25 C | 17-19 C | 29-31 C | 2.0-3.5 | 70-80% | 11 h 45 m | 9 h 45 m | Moderate-heavy | Resting / conditioning |
| February | 24-25 C | 18-19 C | 30-31 C | 2.0-3.5 | 70-80% | 11 h 50 m | 9 h 50 m | Moderate | Begin increasing feeding |
| March | 24-26 C | 18-20 C | 30-32 C | 2.0-3.5 | 65-75% | 12 h 05 m | 10 h 5 m | Slightly drier | Follicular development likely begins |
| April | 25-26 C | 19-20 C | 31-32 C | 2.0-3.5 | 70-80% | 12 h 15 m | 10 h 15 m | Increase mist / rain | Courtship / mating window |
| May | 25-27 C | 19-21 C | 31-33 C | 2.0-3.5 | 75-85% | 12 h 30 m | 10 h 30 m | Heavy regular rain | Peak breeding / mating |
| June | 24-26 C | 18-20 C | 30-32 C | 2.0-3.5 | 75-85% | 12 h 35 m | 10 h 35 m | Heavy | Gravid females / egg laying |
| July | 23-25 C | 18-20 C | 30-31 C | 2.0-3.5 | 75-85% | 12 h 30 m | 10 h 30 m | Regular mist / rain | Egg laying / recovery |
| August | 23-25 C | 18-20 C | 30-31 C | 2.0-3.5 | 75-85% | 12 h 20 m | 10 h 20 m | Regular | Recovery / possible later clutches |
| September | 24-25 C | 18-20 C | 30-31 C | 2.0-3.5 | 70-80% | 12 h 10 m | 10 h 10 m | Moderate | Mostly maintenance |
| October | 24-26 C | 18-20 C | 30-32 C | 2.0-3.5 | 80-90% | 12 h | 10 h | Very wet | Rainfall stimulus / conditioning |
| November | 23-25 C | 17-19 C | 29-31 C | 2.0-3.5 | 80-90% | 11 h 45 m | 9 h 45 m | Heavy | Cooler wet period |
| December | 23-25 C | 17-19 C | 29-31 C | 2.0-3.5 | 75-85% | 11 h 40 m | 9 h 40 m | Heavy | Rest / conditioning |
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 original notes already recommended UVI 2.0-3.5 at the basking branch. Add that existing range to the monthly table and define it as an optional T5-area measurement; this is not an increase. Retain dense foliage, full cover and restrained morning basking.
Humidity and spraying
Cycle the enclosure rather than keeping it saturated. Use one substantial morning rain event and a lighter late-afternoon mist. Day RH generally 65-80%; night and early morning 80-95%. Strong airflow remains essential.
Basking and UVB
Run the strongest basking during the first 4-5 hours after lights-on. Aim for UVI 2.0-3.5 at the basking branch, with dense foliage and retreats below UVI 1.
Feeding
Rotate crickets, locusts, roaches, flies, moths, silkworms and small hornworms. Increase feeding from March and support breeding females heavily through May-June and after laying.
Nest site
Keep 18-20 cm of moist, tunnel-holding soil / fine sand / leaf-mould mix available before a female looks gravid. Place part of the laying zone under vegetation rather than directly under the lamp.
Incubation
A cautious first-clutch starting point is 23-24 C with moist substrate but no water droplets on the eggs. A species-specific incubation protocol has not yet been established.
Keeper warning
This is not a hot lowland Calotes. Persistent gaping, retreating from heat or prolonged dark coloration should trigger an immediate review of basking intensity, ambient temperature and ventilation.