Whether for a ball python, leopard gecko, or any other reptile, UVB lighting is an essential part of modern reptile care.
Most people are familiar with the concepts of vitamin D3 and metabolic bone disease (MBD), but do you really know what UV for reptiles is all about? The interactions between herps and both UVB and UVA radiation are far-reaching, having evolved over the millions of years for which these animals have been exposed to it. Consequently, the requirement to use UV lighting is set in the genetic makeup of our reptiles, being that they are greatly adapted to utilise all of the energy made available to them, whether from UVB or otherwise.
In today's video, I aim to produce a complete UV guide for reptiles. I begin by answering the most important question of all: what IS ultraviolet? From there, I take this understanding to explain some of the ways in which UVB and UVA interact with reptiles, tackling the topics of vitamin D3 synthesis, MBD, and even reptile vision. (I invite you to delve deeper into your own studies regarding these many interactions; the intricacy of involvement between our animals and light in all forms is truly fascinating.) We then form a conclusion to the next most important question, being "Do you need UV lighting for reptiles?". This brings me to the final section of this guide - how to use UVB and UVA safely in the vivarium.
As you will gather, UVB lighting is a complicated topic! I am indebted to several people for having the patience to share with me their knowledge about it; these people are (amongst others) Roman Muryn, Sarina Wunderlich, and Dr. Frances Baines. I urge anybody wanting to learn more about reptile heating and lighting to access the information that these people have shared with the Internet, available here:
Roman's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/zaba1959
Sarina's website: http://www.licht-im-terrarium.de/vis/uv?fbclid=IwAR1mUdZD5S8hvmjVGya8Cw3XRgj5EEfJjTLii4ah3ls1AsJpC5_Fx_7BIIM
Frances' website: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
You may also wish to contact them through the following Facebook groups:
Advancing Herpetological Husbandry: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdvancingHerpHusbandry/
Reptile Lighting: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ReptileLighting/
In the video, I also mentioned the Arcadia Reptile lighting guide, which you can access here: https://www.arcadiareptile.com/lighting/guide/
And of course, if you want to contact yours truly, you may do so via the comments section or my Intsagram DMs, whatever suits you best: https://www.instagram.com/jtb_reptile/
(If you would like to read the article about UV reflective patterns in Timon lepidus, here it is - https://www.uv.es/fon/Font_etal2009.pdf)
Follow nature’s example - https://www.youtube.com/c/JTBReptiles?sub_confirmation=1
My Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jtb_reptile/?hl=en
The supplies I use - https://kit.co/JTB_Reptiles
The Reptile Networks - https://reptilenetworks.co.uk