do you still have to have a heat lamp on at night for tortoise?

Question

i havent been doing this as she has it on 12 hrs a day then i turn it off at night when she is asleep.

Answer 1

No. Do not leave it on, especially if it produces bright light. You will confuse it and throw of the tortoise's diurnal cycle.

The animal needs to know the difference between night and day. If it gets a little chilly then you can use a seperate night time low light heat lamp/projector, or a ceramic heat element, or an undertank heater. But bear in mind that reptiles can handle low temperatures much better than a mammal can. The temperatures are supposed to drop and it's supposed to get dark at night. Not allowing this will stress the reptile and may lead to stress related immune disfunction and illness.

Answer 2

Most tortoises are OK with a night time temperature drop, but it should never get lower than about 75 for most species (some are OK to about 65 for a few days at a time) and the tortoise needs to be protected from drafts.

Personally, I prefer to use gentle under-tank heat from a warming pad or heating tape to GENTLY warm the substrates to the right night-time temps, then let the heating lamps provide warmer daytime and basking temps.

Answer 3

My cousin has a tortoise and has left his heat lamp on all the time he has had her, and she has grew well and been fine. I recommend if you have not been leaving the heat lamp on for the past time you have had it start her at a low temperature and start to get higher so it can get used to it.