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 1-2directly 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
Warm scrub, open woodland, rocky slopes, hedgerows and cultivated margins across the Balkans and Greece, including Mediterranean islands
18-22 CDay ambient
11-14 CNight
32-37 C limitedBasking
1-2T5 UVI*
11 hPhotoperiod
9 hT5 UVB duration
45-60 / 60-75%RH day / night*
Local moistureSpray / rain
2 then taperFood*
Annual schedule
Scroll sideways on smaller screens
| Month | Day ambient | Night | Basking | T5 UVI* | Photoperiod | T5 UVB duration | RH day / night* | Spray / rain | Food* | Seasonal management |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7-11 C | 5-8 C | Off | Off | 9 h | Off (0 h) | 60-70 / 70-80% | Refuge moisture only | None | Winter rest |
| February | 8-12 C | 5-9 C | Off / late month limited | Off / 1-2 late | 10 h | Off during rest; 8 h when active | 55-70 / 70-80% | Refuge moisture only | None | Winter rest; staged wake late |
| March | 18-22 C | 10-13 C | 34-38 C | 2-3 | 11 h 30 m | 9 h 30 m | 45-60 / 60-75% | Light mist 2-3x/wk | 2-3 | Warm-up / conditioning |
| April | 21-25 C | 12-15 C | 36-40 C | 3-4 | 13 h | 11 h | 40-55 / 55-70% | Light mist 2x/wk | 3-4 | Courtship / mating |
| May | 23-27 C | 14-17 C | 37-42 C | 3-4 | 14 h | 12 h | 40-55 / 55-70% | Light mist; moist nest | 4-5 | Mating / vitellogenesis |
| June | 25-29 C | 16-19 C | 38-43 C | 3-4 | 15 h | 13 h | 35-50 / 50-65% | Drier surface; moist nest | 4-5 | Main laying period |
| July | 26-30 C | 17-20 C | 38-43 C | 3-4 | 15 h | 13 h | 35-50 / 50-65% | Dry surface; moist retreat | 4 | Incubation / possible 2nd clutch |
| August | 25-29 C | 17-20 C | 37-42 C | 3-4 | 14 h 15 m | 12 h 15 m | 35-50 / 50-65% | Light mist 1-2x/wk | 3-4 | Incubation / early hatching |
| September | 22-26 C | 14-17 C | 35-40 C | 2-3 | 12 h 30 m | 10 h 30 m | 40-55 / 55-70% | Light mist 2x/wk | 3 | Hatching / recovery |
| October | 18-22 C | 11-14 C | 32-37 C limited | 1-2 | 11 h | 9 h | 45-60 / 60-75% | Local moisture | 2 then taper | Autumn taper |
| November | 12-16 C | 7-10 C | 30-34 C brief / early | Off / 1 | 9 h 45 m | 7 h 45 m when active; then Off | 50-65 / 65-80% | Refuge moisture only | Stop when cooling | Gut clearance / cooling |
| December | 7-11 C | 5-8 C | Off | Off | 9 h | Off (0 h) | 60-70 / 70-80% | Refuge moisture only | None | Winter rest |
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.
Habitat and enclosure
Large, fast Balkan green lizard of sunny scrub, rocky slopes, woodland edges and cultivated margins. For one adult use about 180 x 80 x 100 cm or larger; a compatible pair benefits from about 200 x 100 x 120 cm or more, with branches, rocks, dense visual cover and deep diggable substrate.
Thermal biology
Recent field work found a median active body temperature around 31.3 C, with individuals reaching 37.5 C. Use a broad 38-43 C basking surface in peak season with much cooler shaded retreats. Measured UVI 3-4 is a practical captive starting point rather than a direct species-wide field prescription.
Winter rest
For healthy adults of unknown provenance, use a frost-free winter rest around 6-10 C for roughly 8-12 weeks after full gut clearance. Continental/upland animals may need colder or longer cooling than low-elevation Greek island/coastal stock.
Diet
Feed varied gut-loaded invertebrates as the core diet. Greek stomach-content data were dominated by beetles (~51%) and orthopterans (~11%), with many other invertebrates. Some island populations use more plant material, so soft fruit may be offered occasionally rather than as a staple.
Breeding and incubation
Spring mating is followed by June laying. A recent Bulgarian study recorded 7-13 eggs (mean 9.5). Eggs incubated at a mean 26.1 C hatched after 79-88 days (mean 84); use about 25.5-27 C in slightly moist perlite/vermiculite as a cautious starting point.
Keeper warning
Adult males are highly territorial and should not be housed together. Breeding pairs need large visual barriers, duplicate resources and immediate separation capacity if persistent chasing, biting, basking exclusion or weight loss occurs.