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 11.7 h; T5 UVB 9 h 42 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 4-6directly under the tube when it is on
Replace the blanket UVI 5-7 default with an optional adult T5 patch at UVI 4-6, aiming initially around 5. This is a moderate working choice within published exposure guidance, not proof that 5-7 is harmful or a measured optimum for every Cyclura. Published UV-Tool assignments vary even within the genus; no trial was found that makes UVI 7 a necessary default.
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: Inferred genus-level working range. 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
Growth / recovery
Central and southern Exuma Cays, Bahamas - xeric coastal scrub, limestone and sandy cays
28-30 CDay air
24-26 CNight
43-47 CBasking
4-6T5 UVI*
11.7 hPhotoperiod
9 h 42 mT5 UVB duration
66-80 / 78-90%RH day / night*
Wet phase easingRain / mist
6-7Food 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 | 25-27 C | 20-22 C | 42-46 C | 4-6 | 10.8 h | 8 h 48 m | 55-68 / 68-80% | Dry phase; light AM mist 2-3x/wk | 5-6 | Cooler dry-season maintenance |
| February | 25-28 C | 20-22 C | 42-46 C | 4-6 | 11.3 h | 9 h 18 m | 55-68 / 68-80% | Dry phase; light AM mist 2-3x/wk | 5-6 | Condition adults; monitor body condition |
| March | 26-29 C | 21-23 C | 43-47 C | 4-6 | 12.0 h | 10 h | 58-70 / 70-82% | Dry-to-wet transition; 3x/wk | 6 | Increase browse / breeder conditioning |
| April | 27-30 C | 22-24 C | 43-48 C | 4-6 | 12.7 h | 10 h 42 m | 60-74 / 72-84% | Rain pulses increase | 6-7 | Courtship begins / nest site ready |
| May | 28-31 C | 24-26 C | 44-48 C | 4-6 | 13.3 h | 11 h 18 m | 64-78 / 76-88% | Wet phase; regular rain pulses | 7 | Main mating period |
| June | 29-31 C | 25-27 C | 44-48 C | 4-6 | 13.6 h | 11 h 36 m | 66-80 / 78-90% | Wet phase; regular rain | 7 | Main oviposition / nest guarding |
| July | 29-32 C | 26-27 C | 44-48 C | 4-6 | 13.4 h | 11 h 24 m | 64-78 / 76-88% | Warm wet phase | 7 | Incubation / female recovery |
| August | 29-32 C | 26-27 C | 44-48 C | 4-6 | 12.9 h | 10 h 54 m | 64-80 / 78-90% | Warm; storm rain pulses | 7 | Incubation / hatch window possible |
| September | 29-31 C | 25-27 C | 43-47 C | 4-6 | 12.3 h | 10 h 18 m | 68-82 / 80-92% | Wet / storm season | 7 | Hatchlings / strong plant growth |
| October | 28-30 C | 24-26 C | 43-47 C | 4-6 | 11.7 h | 9 h 42 m | 66-80 / 78-90% | Wet phase easing | 6-7 | Growth / recovery |
| November | 27-29 C | 23-25 C | 42-46 C | 4-6 | 11.1 h | 9 h 6 m | 60-74 / 72-84% | Rain reduces | 6 | Transition to dry season |
| December | 25-28 C | 21-23 C | 42-46 C | 4-6 | 10.7 h | 8 h 42 m | 56-70 / 70-82% | Dry phase; light AM mist | 5-6 | Seasonal reset; 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
Replace the blanket UVI 5-7 default with an optional adult T5 patch at UVI 4-6, aiming initially around 5. This is a moderate working choice within published exposure guidance, not proof that 5-7 is harmful or a measured optimum for every Cyclura. Published UV-Tool assignments vary even within the genus; no trial was found that makes UVI 7 a necessary default.
Taxonomy and range
Cyclura cychlura figginsi is the Exuma Island Iguana of the central and southern Exuma Cays, Bahamas. Preserve exact cay provenance and pedigree in breeding collections.
Heat and UVB
General Cyclura guidance supports strong thermal gradients, about 29 C optimal ambient air, cooler retreats and high basking heat. Use about 42-48 C as a broad basking-surface working target and UVI 4-6 as a conservative operational target, with deep shade.
Rainfall
Reproduce a drier November-April period and wetter May-October period. Do not create chronic dehydration: shaded retreats and drinking water remain available all year.
Diet
Primarily herbivorous. Feed diverse calcium-rich leaves, browse, flowers and fibrous vegetables with modest seasonal fruit. Wild animals also forage for bird feces; do not imitate coprophagy or tourist feeding in captivity.
Breeding
Mating is mainly in May and oviposition in June. Southern figginsi populations may begin breeding about 1-2 weeks earlier than northern Exuma inornata.
Nesting
Published figginsi nests are about 61 cm long with egg chambers 8-13 cm deep. Provide at least 60 cm of compactable sand/soil so the female can choose tunnel geometry and depth.
Clutch evidence
Two documented wild nests each contained three eggs. Treat this as a small field sample, not a fixed maximum.
Incubation evidence limit
Species-specific incubation temperature and duration remain unknown. About 29-30.5 C is only a conservative working captive range extrapolated from related Cyclura, not a validated figginsi optimum.