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 15 m; T5 UVB 9 h 15 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
Autumn conditioning
Mediterranean scrub, open woodland, rocky ground, field margins and traditional farmland - Iberian Peninsula, southern France and northwestern Italy
20-24 CDay ambient
12-16 CNight
36-39 CBasking
2-3T5 UVI*
11 h 15 mPhotoperiod
9 h 15 mT5 UVB duration
45-60 / 60-75%RH day / night*
Light mist 1-2x/wkSpray / rain
2-3Food*
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 | 7-10 C | 5-8 C | Off | Off | 9 h 45 m | Off (0 h) | 55-65 / 70-80% | Local moisture only | None | Brumation |
| February | 7-11 C | 5-8 C | Off | Off | 10 h 30 m | Off (0 h) | 55-65 / 70-80% | Local moisture only | None | Brumation; staged wake late |
| March | 18-22 C | 10-13 C | 35-38 C | 2-3 | 11 h 45 m | 9 h 45 m | 50-60 / 65-75% | Light mist 2x/wk | 2-3 | Warm-up / conditioning |
| April | 21-25 C | 12-15 C | 38-41 C | 3-4 | 13 h | 11 h | 45-60 / 60-75% | Light mist 1-2x/wk | 3-4 | Courtship |
| May | 24-28 C | 14-17 C | 40-43 C | 4-5 | 14 h | 12 h | 40-55 / 55-70% | Light mist; moist nest | 4-5 | Mating / follicles |
| June | 26-30 C | 16-19 C | 41-44 C | 4-5 | 14 h 45 m | 12 h 45 m | 35-50 / 50-65% | Mostly dry; moist nest | 4-5 | Gravid / early laying |
| July | 28-32 C | 18-21 C | 42-45 C | 4-5 | 14 h 30 m | 12 h 30 m | 35-50 / 50-65% | Dry surface; moist nest | 4-5 | Peak laying / incubation |
| August | 27-31 C | 18-21 C | 41-44 C | 4-5 | 13 h 30 m | 11 h 30 m | 35-50 / 50-65% | Dry surface; moist retreat | 4 | Incubation / recovery |
| September | 24-28 C | 16-19 C | 39-42 C | 3-4 | 12 h 30 m | 10 h 30 m | 40-55 / 55-70% | Light mist 1x/wk | 3-4 | Hatchlings / recovery |
| October | 20-24 C | 12-16 C | 36-39 C | 2-3 | 11 h 15 m | 9 h 15 m | 45-60 / 60-75% | Light mist 1-2x/wk | 2-3 | Autumn conditioning |
| November | 14-18 C | 8-11 C | 30-34 C limited | 1-2 | 10 h 15 m | 8 h 15 m | 50-65 / 65-80% | Local moisture | 1-2 then stop | Gut-clearance / cooling |
| December | 7-10 C | 5-8 C | Off | Off | 9 h 30 m | Off (0 h) | 55-65 / 70-80% | Local moisture only | None | 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.
Habitat and enclosure
A large ground-dwelling lacertid of sunny Mediterranean scrub, open woodland, rocky areas and traditional farmland. For one adult use about 180 x 80 x 80 cm or larger; breeding pairs benefit from about 240 x 100 x 100 cm or more. Provide stable rocks, cork, multiple retreats and deep diggable substrate.
Thermal biology
A controlled thermal-gradient study measured a mean preferred active body temperature of about 35.3 C. Use a broad 40-45 C basking surface in peak season with much cooler shaded retreats so the animal can regulate continuously.
Winter brumation
True winter hibernation is documented in southern France. Lizards were found below ground at roughly 3-6 C even when outside air fell below freezing. In captivity use a safer controlled 5-10 C winter rest for healthy breeding adults after complete gut clearance; never allow freezing.
Diet
Use varied gut-loaded invertebrates as the main diet: beetles where safely available, locusts, crickets, roaches, grasshoppers, snails and similar prey. Fruit is seasonal and optional rather than a staple. Avoid routine vertebrate prey.
Breeding and incubation
Courtship and mating usually fall in April-June, with laying from late June through July and sometimes into August. Clutches commonly range from about 5 eggs in small females to more than 20 in large females. Incubation naturally lasts roughly 70-95 days; 27.5-28.5 C in slightly moist medium is a practical captive starting point.
Keeper warning
Adult males are territorial and should never be housed together. Geographic origin matters: northern, Atlantic and upland animals generally require a longer or later cool season than warm Mediterranean-coastal stock. Adjust the calendar gradually rather than forcing every population into one exact date window.