An In-Depth Look At UV Light And Its Proper Use With Reptiles
January/February 2017
My first article for
REPTILES magazine (“Catching Wavelengths,” May 2009) began with these words: To a reptile, sunlight is life … Careful provision of lighting is essential for a healthy reptile in captivity. Over the last seven years, there has been an explosion of interest in providing appropriate full-spectrum lighting, including ultraviolet (UV), to all species. A huge number of new products have been launched to meet the growing demand. But do all reptiles benefit from UV? And if so, how much UV should be offered, and what lamp will be suitable? In this article I hope to share with you some of the exciting developments I’ve seen over the last seven years regarding UV and its use with reptiles.