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 3-4directly under the tube when it is on
Use the existing standard Ctenosaura pectinata monthly UVI schedule (3-5 across the year) instead of 5-7 throughout. Yellow Banana is a captive line, not a separate species; no evidence was found requiring a higher default for this line. Other line-specific monthly settings are preserved. This remains a working husbandry schedule, not a demonstrated colour-specific UV requirement.
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: Consistency within the same species. 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
Conditioning before dry season
Captive Yellow Banana line; species native to western Mexico tropical dry forest
28-31 CDay air
22-24 CNight
42-46 CBasking
3-4T5 UVI*
11.7 hPhotoperiod
9 h 42 mT5 UVB duration
58-74 / 75-87%RH day / night*
Late wet season; rain gradually easesRain / mist
5-6Food 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 | 27-30 C | 19-21 C | 43-47 C | 3-4 | 11.0 h | 9 h | 45-58 / 60-72% | Dry; light AM mist 1-2x/wk | 4-5 | Breeding season begins; courtship/mating |
| February | 28-31 C | 20-22 C | 44-48 C | 4 | 11.5 h | 9 h 30 m | 44-58 / 60-72% | Dry; minimal rain, full drinking access | 4-5 | Peak mating; females entering vitellogenesis |
| March | 29-31 C | 21-23 C | 44-48 C | 4-5 | 12.1 h | 10 h 6 m | 45-60 / 62-74% | Very dry; localized humid retreat | 5 | Gravid females; primary nesting begins |
| April | 30-32 C | 22-24 C | 44-48 C | 4-5 | 12.6 h | 10 h 36 m | 46-62 / 64-76% | Dry but warming; light mist 1-2x/wk | 5-6 | Primary oviposition; monitor nest zone daily |
| May | 30-32 C | 23-25 C | 43-47 C | 4-5 | 13.0 h | 11 h | 48-65 / 67-80% | Pre-rain transition; increase occasional showers | 5-6 | Incubation; female recovery |
| June | 30-32 C | 23-25 C | 42-46 C | 4 | 13.2 h | 11 h 12 m | 55-70 / 72-84% | Rain season starts; 2-3 rain events/wk | 6 | Incubation; foliage and food availability rise |
| July | 29-32 C | 23-25 C | 42-46 C | 4 | 13.1 h | 11 h 6 m | 60-75 / 76-88% | Wet; regular rain/mist, good ventilation | 6 | First hatchlings / peak emergence |
| August | 29-32 C | 23-25 C | 42-46 C | 4 | 12.7 h | 10 h 42 m | 62-78 / 78-90% | Wet season; frequent rain pulses | 6 | Hatchlings abundant; adult recovery/growth |
| September | 29-31 C | 23-25 C | 42-46 C | 3-4 | 12.2 h | 10 h 12 m | 62-78 / 78-90% | Wet; regular rain, dry basking surfaces | 6 | Growth / reserve building |
| October | 28-31 C | 22-24 C | 42-46 C | 3-4 | 11.7 h | 9 h 42 m | 58-74 / 75-87% | Late wet season; rain gradually eases | 5-6 | Conditioning before dry season |
| November | 27-30 C | 20-22 C | 42-46 C | 3 | 11.2 h | 9 h 12 m | 50-65 / 66-78% | Dry transition; reduce rain sharply | 5 | Dry-season reset; males begin reproductive build-up |
| December | 27-29 C | 19-21 C | 42-46 C | 3 | 10.9 h | 8 h 54 m | 46-60 / 62-74% | Dry; sparse mist, strong airflow | 4-5 | Cooler dry phase; prepare breeders for January |
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
Use the existing standard Ctenosaura pectinata monthly UVI schedule (3-5 across the year) instead of 5-7 throughout. Yellow Banana is a captive line, not a separate species; no evidence was found requiring a higher default for this line. Other line-specific monthly settings are preserved. This remains a working husbandry schedule, not a demonstrated colour-specific UV requirement.
Yellow Banana
Captive color/line designation rather than a formally recognized subspecies. Preserve pedigree and breeder-line records.
Annual cycle
Western Mexican field data: mating Jan-Mar, nesting Mar-Apr and hatchlings appearing around mid-July at the beginning of the rainy season.
Clutch
One clutch per year is typical in studied populations. Reported clutch size varies widely: 12-52 eggs (mean ~31) in central Mexico and a higher mean in a southern Oaxaca population.
Incubation
Use about 28.5-30 C as a conservative starting point. A recent field/captive study measured 67-88 days (mean ~78.5 d); controlled work found better later growth from eggs incubated at 29 C than 32 C.
Diet
Adults are predominantly herbivorous, while very small juveniles naturally consume a high proportion of insects. Transition toward plant dominance with growth.
Thermal gradient
Do not keep all enclosure air at 31-32 C. Provide a broad 42-48 C basking surface plus cooler retreats, especially during the dry season.