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caregiving for 2 year old desert turtoise

22 16:13:31

Question
our beautiful 2 year old is finishing up part-time hibernation period, and her tank has a undercarriage heater that keeps the tanks at its recommended temperature. but she needs her uvb's and a's. can you recommend a specific lighting setup, to where she's is getting her uvb's, but the light itself is not over-heating the tank?

Answer
I try to avoid answering Desert Tortoise questions for a few reasons-

1. Most people who say they have a Desert Tortoise really have a different species with different care needs.

2. Desert Tortoises are endangered and completely protected by law. legally, you cannot really even own one- you can legally 'adopt' one from a certified agency, but even so it technically belongs to the state.

3. The agency you adopted it from is the best source of reliable information for your zone- your area makes a difference in many aspects of care.

However, in general, I would recommend a high-output fluorescent bulb for this purpose- it should not give off a lot of heat. I would also recommend a thermostat on the heater to help ensure safe temps.

Try http://www.tortoiseforum.org for more help form Desert Tortoise experts.