Tortoises have always been a highly sought for pet around the world, owing to their low maintenance and long life. Among the different breeds of tortoises that are available in the market, the one particularly preferred by most pet lovers is Hermann’s tortoise. Hermann tortoises are known for their attractive look with a yellow and brown carapace, thick scales, and strong legs.
Apart from the attractive look, they are also known for their gentle behavior and surprisingly different characteristics like foraging, climbing and sunbathing that aren’t seen in other tortoises.
Owing to this behavior, Hermann’s tortoises need an entirely different atmosphere in captivity to thrive. The prerequisite to bringing Hermann’s tortoise home is to have a heat lamp in its terrarium!
If you are someone planning to bring Hermann’s tortoise home and are confused with choosing the right heat lamp, this article is for you.
In this article, we have compiled a list of Top 5 heat lamps for Hermann’s tortoise. The list has been made after consulting with the pet owners and veterinarians.
We have also included the things one should know as a pet owner before choosing the heat lamp for your tortoise. Let’s get going!
Why does your tortoise need a heat lamp?
Not just Hermann’s tortoise, but tortoises, in general, are cold-blooded animals that cannot regulate their body temperature on their own—owing to this reason, tortoises in their natural habitat resort to sunbathing to regulate their body temperature.
This isn’t the case with tortoises that are in captivity, which is why you need to provide them with a heat lamp to regulate their body temperature.
In general, there are three types of heat lamps available in the market, and they are categorized based on their wattage.
Wattage is basically the unit of power, which means that a bulb with more wattage will have more power resulting in more heat. There are heat lamps with a wattage of 50, 75 and 100 that are available in the market.
Now, we will have a look at the factors to consider before buying a heat lamp.
Factors to consider before buying a heat lamp for your Hermann’s’s tortoise
When it comes to choosing a heat lamp, it all comes down to how much do you need inside your tortoise’s terrarium. The heat needed inside the terrarium primarily depends on three factors viz;
- Size of your tortoise
- Number of tortoises in the terrarium
- How big is the terrarium
For instance, if you have a smaller tortoise say a one that’s less than 8 inches, a 50 Watt heat lamp would suffice. Whereas, if you have a couple of small tortoises, you would need a 75 Watt heat bulb. For larger tortoises or If you have more than two tortoises in the terrarium, you would have to go for a 100 Watt heat lamp.
Top 5 Heat Lamps for your Hermann’s Tortoise
Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 UVB Mini Compact Fluorescent
The Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 UVB Mini Compact Fluorescent is a leading heat lamp in the market with a 50 Wattage. This product has a special UVB transmitting quartz crystal, which ensures the ideal UVB penetration helping the tortoise strengthen their bones and shells.
What makes this product different from the others in the market is that it can be aligned vertically or horizontally while emitting the same heat and light.
Salient features
- Compact size
- 10% UVB outputand 30% UVA output
- Specially designed for basking reptiles
- Longer life
- 50 Watt bulb
- Two bulbs in one pack – A bang for a buck deal
Exo Terra Heat-Glo Infrared Spot Lamp, 120-Volt
If you have kept your terrarium at a place with adequate natural light or artificial lighting and is looking only for a heat lamp, this product is for you.
This product is capable of creating adequate heat inside the terrarium without much light making it ideal to use in the night. Being a 100W heat lamp, the product can be used in larger tanks and if there are multiple tortoises in the terrarium.
Salient Features
- 100 Watt heat lamp
- Ideal product for big tortoises
- Generates heat without light
- Produces more heat than a traditional incandescent bulb
Rrimin Reptile Tortoise UVA UVB 3.0 Heating Lamp
This product is available in the market in 3 power ratings, viz; 25W, 50W and 75W. The Rrimin Reptile Tortoise UVA UVB 3.0 Heating Lamp has a low-intensity
Ultra Violet-B radiation can facilitate reptile vitamin D3 synthesis increasing vitality. An added benefit of this product is that, apart from helping your tortoise, this product can also help the growth of plants in the terrarium.
Salient Features
- Compact size
- Low-intensity UVB output
- Promotes plant growth
- Promote the synthesis of vitamin D3
Evergreen Pet Supplies 100 Watt UVA UVB Mercury Vapour Bulb/Light/Lamp
An ideal product with a power output of 100W that can be used both as a daylight bulb and as a source of heat. What distinguishes this product from the others in the market is that it can be used in all enclosures irrespective of its size. The product is compatible with a variety of enclosures, including vivariums, tanks, terrariums, vision cages, and more.
Salient features
- 100W powerful bulb
- Ideal for all type of reptiles and not just for Hermann’s’s tortoise
- Best in the class life span
Evergreen Pet Supplies 2-Pack of 75 Watt Infrared Heat Lamp Light Bulb
This product is an ideal heat lamp that provides a powerful source of infrared heat emission for animals without generating a light output. Being a 75 Watt bulb, this product can be ideal for not just Hermann’s tortoise but also for a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians, including hermit crabs, bearded dragons, tortoises, turtles and geckos.
Salient features
- A sturdy 75 Watts bulb
- Compatible with all enclosures
- The 3-layer quality test ensures best in the class lifespan
- Ideal for night time heating
Now that we have discussed the top 5 heat lamps for Hermann’s’s crab, lets’s have a sneak peek into the ways of using the heat lamp and answer some of the most frequently asked questions too.
What is the optimum temperature needed inside a tortoise terrarium?
As said in the previous sections, tortoises are cold-blooded animals, and they cannot regulate their body heat on their own. Owing to this reason, a tortoise uses the heat from the sun to adjust its body temperature. This is why it is advised to have a heat bulb kept inside the tortoise terrarium for them to have a basking area.
The optimum temperature inside a terrarium varies with the type of tortoise that you have. But in general, the temperature of the basking area between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit can be ideal for all tortoise breeds.
That being said, it is essential to understand that just because a tortoise needs heat doesn’t mean that the terrarium always needs to be warm. Tortoises need a cool place inside the terrarium too.
In the following section, we will have a look at the ideal ways to place a heat lamp inside the terrarium.
What is the ideal location to place a heat lamp inside the terrarium?
When it comes to a tortoise terrarium, it is vital that there are cool places inside the terrarium too. So you can’t just place the heat lamp anywhere in the terrarium, or you risk your tortoise! The ideal location to place the heat lamp depends on the wattage of the heat lamp that you are using.
- A 50 Watt heat lamp should be placed at a distance of 6-8 inches away from the basking area.
- A 75 Watt heat lamp should be placed at a distance of 9-0 inches away from the basking area.
- A 100 Watt heat lamp should be placed at a distance of 12-14 inches away from the basking area.
You can always check the temperature at the basking area and make necessary adjustments if needed. Always make sure that you maintain the temperature between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
How long should I keep the lamp on in a day?
Ideally speaking, you should keep the lamp on during the time the sun is up and switch it off during the night. You don’t have to keep the lamp on during the night. But that being said, during extreme winters, when the days are short, you can keep the heat lamp on a little longer than the time when the sun is up!