Rethinking Reptile FREE GIFT RReptile and amphibian lighting from a natural-history perspective. by Shane Bagnall www.reptilechannel.
While some geckos are diurnal, like this Madagascar giant day gecko, many nocturnal geckos become active at dusk and receive low levels of UVB before the sun sets. I Courtesy Kirby Spencer / Zoo Med Laboratories 2 | Reptiles n the early 1940s, our knowledge of the effects of light on reptiles and amphibians was very limited. It wasn’t until 1944 that we learned of the amazing ability of reptiles to maintain relatively stable body temperatures through thermoregulation.
bones and is often fatal Panther chameleons have been the if not corrected by UVB subject of much UVB research over exposure. With this the years. This hatchling was bred at knowledge came the Zoo Med and receives UVB from an introduction of the energy-efficient, compact fluorescent first commercially UVB lamp. available UVB lamp for reptiles in 1993, which allowed people to successfully maintain and breed a variety of reptile species in captivity.
This electromagnetic spectrum shows the difference between the vision of humans and the vision of reptiles and amphibians. Courtesy Shane Bagnall through violet), in addition to emissions in the UVA region of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is important to note that a full-spectrum reptile lamp may not produce UVB, unless the manufacturer specifically states so on the package.
fat soluble and carries a risk of overdose, as do all fat-soluble vitamins. In addition to being a major component of bones and eggshells, calcium is involved in countless biological processes at the cellular level, including cell communication, muscle contractions and other functions that are essential to life. Vitamin D3 is responsible for calcium metabolism, and if there is not enough circulating vitamin D3 in the blood, animals are not able to use the calcium in their gut that they get from their food.
Self-ballasted mercury vapor lamps provide UVB, UVA, human-visible light and heat from one source. strictly herbivorous species, along with some insectivorous and omnivorous species (and the list is growing). While some reptile species, such as the bearded dragon, could likely not survive without UVB-induced synthesis of vitamin D, others seem to do fine with what they get from their diet.
they must not need it. But this logic completely ignores the fact that many of these reptiles are exposed to UVB in their natural habitat, and new research shows that they do indeed benefit from UVB exposure. Some species have been kept with apparent success without access to UVB, including nocturnal lizards; reptiles, such as snakes and varanids, that eat whole vertebrate prey; and amphibians.
adequate dosages of light sufficient to induce such responses as reported for birds and mammals.” The author’s gopher snake habitat contains UVB lighting, an undertank heater and a shelter to allow for photoregulation. This snake moves throughout the entire habitat and often exposes himself to UVB. Courtesy Shane Bagnall In this article, Brattstrom describes the observation of a desert banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus variegatus) during the late afternoon when the sun was still above the horizon.
as a potential cause of amphibian decline. Indeed, too much UVB is harmful to any animal, and different species have differing tolerances for safe UVB exposure. As amphibians have become the focus of intensive captive-breeding projects, many zoos and breeders have found that low levels of UVB are necessary in order to maintain and breed various species.
References Acierno, M.J, M.A. Mitchell, T.T. Zachariah, M.K. Roundtree, M.S. Kirchgessner and D. SanchezMigallon Guzman. 2008. “Effects of ultraviolet radiation on plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations in corn snakes (Elaphe guttata).” American Journal of Veterinary Research, 69(2):294-297. Brattstrom, B.H. 1952. “Diurnal Activities of a Nocturnal Animal.” Herpetologica, 8(3):61-63. Carman, E.N., G.W. Ferguson, W.H. Gehrmann, T.C. Chen and M.F. Holick. 2000.
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