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 11.5 h; T5 UVB 9 h 30 m.
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 2-3directly 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
Post-partum / autumn taper
Wind-exposed limestone islands and rocky crevices - Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia
23-27 CDay ambient
18-21 CNight
39-41 CBasking
2-3T5 UVI*
11.5 hPhotoperiod
9 h 30 mT5 UVB duration
Light spray weeklySpray / water
3Feeding
Annual schedule
Scroll sideways on smaller screens
| Month | Day ambient | Night | Basking | T5 UVI* | Photoperiod | T5 UVB duration | Spray / water | Feeding | Seasonal management |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19-22 C | 14-16 C | 35-37 C | 1-2 | 10.5 h | 8 h 30 m | Light spray 2-3x/wk; strong air | 0-1 if active | Cool/wet winter slowdown |
| February | 20-23 C | 14-17 C | 36-38 C | 1-2 | 11 h | 9 h | Light spray 1-2x/wk | 1-2 | Late winter; gradual warm-up |
| March | 21-24 C | 15-17 C | 38-40 C | 2 | 12 h | 10 h | Light spray weekly | 2-3 | Spring activation |
| April | 22-25 C | 16-18 C | 39-41 C | 2-3 | 12.5 h | 10 h 30 m | Minimal local spray | 3-4 | Courtship / introductions |
| May | 23-27 C | 17-19 C | 40-42 C | 3 | 13.5 h | 11 h 30 m | Mostly dry; water always | 4 | Mating / early gestation |
| June | 24-28 C | 18-21 C | 41-43 C | 3-4 | 14 h | 12 h | Dry; water always | 4-5 | Gestation |
| July | 25-29 C | 19-22 C | 41-43 C | 3-4 | 13.5 h | 11 h 30 m | Dry; water always | 4-5 | Peak summer activity |
| August | 25-30 C | 20-22 C | 41-43 C | 3-4 | 13 h | 11 h | Dry; water always | 4-5 | Late gestation / births possible |
| September | 24-29 C | 19-22 C | 40-42 C | 3 | 12 h | 10 h | Minimal local spray | 4 | Main birth / recovery window |
| October | 23-27 C | 18-21 C | 39-41 C | 2-3 | 11.5 h | 9 h 30 m | Light spray weekly | 3 | Post-partum / autumn taper |
| November | 21-25 C | 16-19 C | 37-39 C | 2 | 10.5 h | 8 h 30 m | Light spray 1-2x/wk | 2-3 | Cool-down begins |
| December | 19-23 C | 15-17 C | 35-37 C | 1-2 | 10 h | 8 h | Light spray 2-3x/wk; strong air | 0-1 if active | Mild cool/wet winter phase |
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.
Locality climate
The Houtman Abrolhos has a strongly maritime climate. Winter is mild and wetter rather than genuinely cold, so use a cool-season slowdown rather than deep brumation.
Enclosure and rockwork
Provide several independent limestone-like crevice systems supported from the enclosure base, with basking shelves beside narrow refuges and substantially cooler shaded crevices. For a compatible pair or established family, 150 x 70 x 70 cm is a practical starting point; larger is preferable.
Heat, UVB and ventilation
Treat basking values as surface targets rather than whole-enclosure air temperatures. A measured active-season UVI around 3-4 is a cautious starting point. The islands are extremely wind-exposed, so maintain excellent air exchange and allow wetted surfaces to dry rapidly.
Diet and moisture
Use a plant-led adult diet based on fibrous leafy greens, edible weeds and flowers, with appropriately sized invertebrates offered seasonally. Juveniles can receive proportionally more animal prey. Keep fresh shallow water available year-round.
Breeding and neonates
This subspecies is viviparous. Exact Houtman Abrolhos mating and birth timing is incompletely documented; August-September is an evidence-informed working birth window rather than a fixed locality record. Record actual mating, gestation and birth dates.
Keeper warning
Social groups can be stable, but compatibility must never be assumed. Separate for persistent pursuit, refuge or basking exclusion, repeated biting, feeding suppression, weight loss or declining condition.