The Tortoise Table

Hi everyone,

Now that the sun is shining, Gonzales spends most of the day in his outdoor enclosure. Quite often, he has a long snooze in his little house and during this time, only a bit of his shell and one foot are getting any direct sun. What ate the minimum hours sunshine they should get and is he still benefitting even if most of him is in the shade and only a bit of him is in the sun?!

Thanks,

TP

Hi TP,
I wouldn't worry about it too much. In the wild tortoises tend to come out for an hour or two in the morning, then hide away in the middle of the day when it's the hottest, and then out for an hour or so in the early evening when it's a bit cooler, so Gonzales is following a natural pattern. The problem we have in this country is that because we are so far north, the quality of UVB from the sun is poor compared to areas nearer to the equator, where tortoises naturally live. The UVB from the sun reacts with cells in a tortoise's skin to produce Vitamin D3, and if his little foot is in the sun when he is snoozing then that is better than nothing (mine hide away completely), but even in the shade some UVB will get through. If you're giving a good calcium and Vitamin D3 supplement like Nutrobal then that should make up for any deficit of sun, and he will be fine

Nina

Thanks Nina, that's great.