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 2directly 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 taper; record body mass
Tree trunks, rocks and walls in Mediterranean to temperate habitats - central and south-central Chile
19-22 CDay ambient
12-15 CNight
34-37 CBasking
2T5 UVI*
11 hPhotoperiod
9 hT5 UVB duration
Mist 1-2x weeklyMoisture cycle
3 feedsFeeding*
Annual schedule
Scroll sideways on smaller screens
| Month | Day ambient | Night | Basking | T5 UVI* | Photoperiod | T5 UVB duration | Moisture cycle | Feeding* | Seasonal management |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14-17 C | 9-12 C | Off or 30-32 C / 2 h | 0-1 | 9 h | 7 h | Light drink/mist weekly | None or 1 small feed | Cool rest; feed only if basking and digesting |
| February | 15-18 C | 10-13 C | 30-33 C / 2-3 h | 1 | 10 h | 8 h | Light mist weekly | 1-2 small feeds | Staged emergence; assess condition |
| March | 20-23 C | 12-15 C | 35-38 C | 2-3 | 11 h | 9 h | Mist 2x weekly; dry fully | 3 feeds | Condition adults; courtship may begin |
| April | 23-26 C | 14-17 C | 37-40 C | 2-3 | 12 h | 10 h | Mist 2-3x weekly | 4-5 feeds | Primary courtship / mating window |
| May | 24-27 C | 15-18 C | 38-41 C | 2-3 | 13 h | 11 h | Mist 3x weekly | 5 feeds | Monitor females; nest available |
| June | 25-28 C | 17-20 C | 39-42 C | 3 | 14 h | 12 h | Mist 3-4x weekly | 5-6 feeds | Egg laying may begin; advanced embryos |
| July | 25-28 C | 17-20 C | 39-42 C | 3 | 14 h | 12 h | Mist 3-4x weekly | 5-6 feeds | Expected laying window; post-lay recovery |
| August | 24-27 C | 16-19 C | 38-41 C | 2-3 | 13 h | 11 h | Mist 3x weekly | 5 feeds | Incubation / hatch watch; recovery |
| September | 22-25 C | 14-17 C | 36-39 C | 2-3 | 12 h | 10 h | Mist 2-3x weekly | 4 feeds | Late hatch watch; begin seasonal taper |
| October | 19-22 C | 12-15 C | 34-37 C | 2 | 11 h | 9 h | Mist 1-2x weekly | 3 feeds | Autumn taper; record body mass |
| November | 16-19 C | 10-13 C | 31-34 C / 3 h | 1 | 10 h | 8 h | Light mist weekly | 1-2 feeds | Cool-down; stop only after gut clears |
| December | 14-17 C | 9-12 C | Off or 30-32 C / 2 h | 0-1 | 9 h | 7 h | Light drink/mist weekly | None or 1 small feed | Cool rest; no forced deep 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.
Evidence audit
The uploaded schedule was checked against species-specific studies and Chilean government records. Range, arboreality, insectivory and a high preferred body temperature were supported. Winter 4-6 C nights, fixed humidity percentages, lamp-output UVB percentages and a May-June breeding label were not retained as evidence-based requirements.
Thermal management
Laboratory-selected body temperature averaged 37.0 +/- 0.7 C. Provide a local 37-42 C basking surface during full activity, warm-side air in the mid-20s and a cooler shaded zone. The basking setting is not a target whole-enclosure or body temperature.
Enclosure and UVB
For one adult, 90 x 45 x 90 cm is a conservative facility minimum; 120 x 60 x 120 cm or larger is preferred for a compatible breeding unit. Use trunks, branches, rock ledges and visual barriers. Target measured UVI 2-3 at the basking perch, with retreats below UVI 1.
Diet and moisture
Feed varied gut-loaded live insects such as crickets, locusts, roaches, flies, moths and silkworms. Use light misting with strong ventilation and complete surface drying; no species-specific evidence supports constant 60-70% humidity or daily saturation.
Breeding and eggs
A field mating was recorded on 13 October in Chile, approximately April on this northern-hemisphere cycle. Eggs are retained for about 60 days and laid at an advanced stage; Chilean records place laying in December-January, approximately June-July after shifting. About six eggs is reported as an average.
Social management
Males are territorial and field populations are polygynous, but captive compatibility is not guaranteed. Never house adult males together. Duplicate heat, food and retreats, supervise introductions and separate for pursuit, biting, refuge exclusion or declining mass.
Keeper warning
The original 4-6 C winter nights were not supported by the reviewed sources. Use a mild cool rest, maintain water access, weigh every 2-4 weeks, and reverse cooling for dehydration, respiratory signs, weight loss or sustained activity without normal digestion.