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 4directly 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 transition
Mesopotamian plains, Zagros foothills and Persian Gulf coastal country - Iraq and south-western Iran
26-29 CDay ambient
18-20 CNight
45-48 CBasking
7 hLamp
11 hPhotoperiod
9 hT5 UVB duration
4T5 UVI*
30-35%Day RH
40-45%Night RH
3-4 feedsFeeding
Annual schedule
Scroll sideways on smaller screens
| Month | Day ambient | Night | Basking | Lamp | Photoperiod | T5 UVB duration | T5 UVI* | Day RH | Night RH | Feeding | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20-22 C | 12-14 C | 38-42 C | 4 h | 9 h | 7 h | 2-3 | 35% | 45% | 1-2 light feeds | Cool maintenance |
| February | 21-23 C | 13-15 C | 40-44 C | 5 h | 9.5 h | 7 h 30 m | 3 | 35% | 45% | 1-2 light feeds | Staged increase |
| March | 24-27 C | 16-18 C | 45-48 C | 7 h | 10.5 h | 8 h 30 m | 4 | 30% | 40% | 3-4 feeds | Warm-up / conditioning |
| April | 27-30 C | 18-21 C | 48-52 C | 9 h | 12 h | 10 h | 4-5 | 30% | 40% | 5-6 feeds | Courtship |
| May | 29-32 C | 21-23 C | 50-55 C | 10 h | 13 h | 11 h | 5-6 | 25-30% | 35-40% | Daily | Mating / follicles |
| June | 30-33 C | 22-24 C | 50-55 C | 11 h | 14 h | 12 h | 5-6 | 25-30% | 35-40% | Daily | Gravid / laying watch |
| July | 31-34 C | 23-25 C | 50-55 C | 11 h | 14 h | 12 h | 5-6 | 25-30% | 35-40% | Daily | Laying / recovery |
| August | 31-34 C | 23-25 C | 50-55 C | 10 h | 13.5 h | 11 h 30 m | 5-6 | 25-30% | 35-40% | Daily | Peak heat |
| September | 29-32 C | 21-23 C | 48-52 C | 9 h | 12.5 h | 10 h 30 m | 4-5 | 30% | 40% | 5-6 feeds | Late summer |
| October | 26-29 C | 18-20 C | 45-48 C | 7 h | 11 h | 9 h | 4 | 30-35% | 40-45% | 3-4 feeds | Autumn transition |
| November | 23-26 C | 15-17 C | 42-45 C | 5 h | 10 h | 8 h | 3 | 35% | 45% | 2-3 feeds | Taper |
| December | 20-22 C | 12-14 C | 38-42 C | 4 h | 9 h | 7 h | 2-3 | 35% | 45% | 1-2 light feeds | Cool maintenance |
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.
Enclosure and burrow
Use approximately 180 x 90 x 90 cm or larger for one adult. Provide at least 30 cm of compactable sand-clay-soil substrate and 40-60 cm where possible, with engineered tunnels if a true self-dug burrow cannot be maintained safely.
Basking and UVB
During full activity provide warm-side air around 29-34 C and a broad 48-55 C basking surface. Target UVI 4-6 at the principal basking position, with immediate shade and a burrow below UVI 1.
Diet
Base the diet on varied high-fibre leaves, safe weeds and flowers. Seeds and soaked pulses can be small supplements. Adults do not require routine animal protein; occasional insects are recorded in the wild.
Water and winter
Keep a stable shallow water dish available. Maintain a dry surface with a slightly more humid deep retreat. During mild winter cooling retain a short daily basking opportunity and feed only while animals are active and digesting normally.
Breeding and evidence
Treat March-April courtship and May-July laying as working facility windows. Accessible primary sources reviewed for this revision did not verify a species-standard clutch range or incubation regime, so record every breeding outcome in detail.
Keeper warning
Anchor all heavy structures from the enclosure floor before adding substrate. Separate for biting, persistent chasing, burrow exclusion, suppressed feeding or declining mass, and seek reptile-veterinary help for suspected egg retention or prolonged anorexia.