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
Recovery / autumn
Sparse sandy semi-desert and dry open woodland - northwestern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia
27-29 CDay ambient
20-22 CNight
39-42 CBasking
8 hLamp
11.5 hPhotoperiod
9 h 30 mT5 UVB duration
2-3T5 UVI*
40-50%Surface RH
50-60%Burrow RH
3-4 feedsFeeding
Annual schedule
Scroll sideways on smaller screens
| Month | Day ambient | Night | Basking | Lamp | Photoperiod | T5 UVB duration | T5 UVI* | Surface RH | Burrow RH | Feeding | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24-26 C | 18-20 C | 35-38 C | 5 h | 10 h | 8 h | 1.5-2 | 35-45% | 50-60% | 2-3 feeds | Mild conditioning |
| February | 26-28 C | 19-21 C | 39-42 C | 7 h | 11 h | 9 h | 2-3 | 35-45% | 50-60% | 3-4 feeds | Warm-up / courtship |
| March | 28-30 C | 21-23 C | 40-43 C | 8 h | 12 h | 10 h | 3 | 40-50% | 55-65% | 4-5 feeds | Courtship / mating |
| April | 28-30 C | 22-24 C | 42-45 C | 9 h | 12.5 h | 10 h 30 m | 3-4 | 40-50% | 55-65% | 4-5 feeds | Mating / first laying |
| May | 29-31 C | 22-24 C | 42-45 C | 10 h | 13 h | 11 h | 3-4 | 40-50% | 55-65% | 4-5 feeds | Egg-laying / recovery |
| June | 29-31 C | 22-24 C | 42-45 C | 10 h | 13 h | 11 h | 3-4 | 40-50% | 55-65% | 4-5 feeds | Breeding / recovery |
| July | 29-31 C | 22-24 C | 42-45 C | 10 h | 13 h | 11 h | 3-4 | 40-50% | 55-65% | 4-5 feeds | Breeding / recovery |
| August | 29-31 C | 22-24 C | 42-45 C | 10 h | 13 h | 11 h | 3-4 | 40-50% | 55-65% | 4-5 feeds | Late laying / recovery |
| September | 28-30 C | 21-23 C | 41-44 C | 9 h | 12 h | 10 h | 3 | 40-50% | 55-65% | 4 feeds | Season winds down |
| October | 27-29 C | 20-22 C | 39-42 C | 8 h | 11.5 h | 9 h 30 m | 2-3 | 40-50% | 50-60% | 3-4 feeds | Recovery / autumn |
| November | 26-28 C | 19-21 C | 37-40 C | 7 h | 11 h | 9 h | 2 | 35-45% | 50-60% | 3 feeds | Taper |
| December | 24-26 C | 18-20 C | 35-38 C | 5 h | 10 h | 8 h | 1.5-2 | 35-45% | 50-60% | 2-3 feeds | Mild 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 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.
Range and natural history
Found in northwestern Somalia and adjacent eastern Ethiopia, commonly around 1,050-1,500 m. It favours sparse sandy semi-desert and generally avoids rocky, grassy and clay-dominated ground. Adults excavate burrows with relatively humid terminal soil.
Enclosure and substrate
Use at least 90 x 60 x 60 cm for a proven pair; for one male with two or three females prefer 150 x 60 x 60 cm or larger. Provide 20-30 cm of cohesive sandy loam with a dry surface, gently humid depth and heavy furnishings supported from the floor.
Heat and UVB
During full activity maintain roughly 28-31 C daytime air and 40-45 C basking surfaces. Target UVI 3-4 at the principal basking position, with complete shade inside burrows.
Diet and hydration
Use varied, gut-loaded invertebrates as the main diet, with a small portion of safe weeds and leafy plants. Feed adults on 4-5 days weekly during full activity; juveniles need smaller daily meals. Keep a shallow water dish and offer light morning droplets.
Breeding and incubation
Males may show a vivid blue throat during courtship. Expect about 4-11 eggs and plan for one to three clutches, not maximum production. Use 27.5-29 C as a cautious incubation range and 43-55 days as a planning window.
Keeper warning
Never house two adult males together. Females can also be territorial. Separate animals for biting, persistent chasing, blocked burrows, food or heat exclusion, repeated high clutch output or declining body mass.