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 11 h; T5 UVB 9 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 3-4directly 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 · Muryn, Baines and Dishman (2026), Reptile Lighting Guide V10
October management
Selected automatically using the Netherlands date
Autumn transition
Sandy creosote flats and desert washes - Mojave, Sonoran and Colorado deserts
24-28 CDay ambient
17-19 CNight
48-54 CBasking
UVI 3-4T5 UVI*
11 hPhotoperiod
9 hT5 UVB duration
7 hHeat / UV
4-5 days, then taperFeeding
Annual schedule
Scroll sideways on smaller screens
| Month | Day ambient | Night | Basking | T5 UVI* | Photoperiod | T5 UVB duration | Heat / UV | Feeding | Seasonal management |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15-18 C | 13-15 C | Off | Off | 9 h 30 m | Off (0 h) | 0 h | None | Dormancy - healthy adults only |
| February | 16-20 C | 14-16 C | Off, then 40-45 C | Off, then 2-3 | 10 h | Off during rest; 8 h when active | 0 to 4 h | None; restart late | Staged emergence late month |
| March | 24-28 C | 17-19 C | 45-50 C | UVI 3-4 | 11 h | 9 h | 7 h | Plant food 5-6 days | Emergence / conditioning |
| April | 27-30 C | 19-21 C | 50-55 C | UVI 4-5 | 12 h | 10 h | 9 h | Fresh plant food daily | Courtship / mating |
| May | 29-33 C | 21-23 C | 55-62 C | UVI 4-6 | 13 h | 11 h | 10-11 h | Daily; calcium focus | Peak mating / follicles |
| June | 30-34 C | 22-24 C | 58-65 C | UVI 5-6 | 14 h | 12 h | 11-12 h | Daily | Peak laying |
| July | 30-34 C | 23-25 C | 58-65 C | UVI 5-6 | 14 h | 12 h | 11-12 h | Daily; adjust to condition | Laying / hatchlings begin |
| August | 30-34 C | 22-24 C | 58-65 C | UVI 5-6 | 13 h 30 m | 11 h 30 m | 11 h | Daily; avoid obesity | Peak heat / hatchlings |
| September | 28-31 C | 20-22 C | 54-60 C | UVI 4-5 | 12 h 30 m | 10 h 30 m | 9-10 h | 5-6 days | Late summer / recovery |
| October | 24-28 C | 17-19 C | 48-54 C | UVI 3-4 | 11 h | 9 h | 7 h | 4-5 days, then taper | Autumn transition |
| November | 18-22 C | 14-16 C | 40-45 C, then off | UVI 2, then off | 10 h | 8 h when active; then Off | 4 h to 0 | Stop after gut clears | Pre-dormancy |
| December | 15-18 C | 13-15 C | Off | Off | 9 h 30 m | Off (0 h) | 0 h | None | Dormancy - monitor weekly |
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.
Basking and UVB
Use a broad lamp bank to provide a 55-65 C surface zone during peak activity, with warm ambient air around 29-34 C and an immediate cooler retreat. Active body temperatures are much lower, commonly around 38-42 C. Target UVI 4-6 at the basking position.
Diet
Base feeding on high-fibre leaves and safe flowers. Wild animals are primarily herbivorous; insects are optional and occasional rather than a fixed weekly percentage. Offer plant food daily during full activity and support gravid females with calcium.
Winter dormancy
True dormancy uses stable cool conditions around 13-16 C with basking off and no food after gut clearance. If an animal remains active or receives daily basking heat, do not withhold food for months.
Burrows and nest site
This species modifies existing burrows and constructs its own. Use compactable sandy soil, secure retreats and a dark nest zone at least 25-30 cm deep. Field evidence places successful egg burrows deeper than 22 cm in open washes.
Breeding and incubation
Courtship follows spring emergence. One annual clutch of 3-8 eggs is typical, with peak laying around May-June. A cautious incubation starting range is 29-31 C; published incubation spans about 86 days at 28 C to 44 days at 36 C.
Keeper warning
A very hot surface is safe only when the animal can leave it immediately. Persistent gaping, disorientation, failure to retreat, unexpected weight loss or prolonged unproductive digging requires immediate review and, when indicated, reptile-veterinary assessment.