UV GUIDE UK

Advances in Reptile Lighting

A resource for all reptile keepers

what's all this about?
find out about UV light
the vitamin D story..
the meters we are using in our tests
all about sunlight
the UV requirements of different species
UV transmission tests
UV lighting for reptiles
Introduction to the 2005 Lighting Survey
fluorescent tubes on test
compact fluorescents on test
mercury vapours on test
merc vapours for large enclosures
more info soon..
further reading
related websites
meet the team

 

 

An Introduction to our Project

 

 

Why is Ultraviolet Light Important?
All living things evolved on a sunlit world and the benefits of sunlight include heat (infra-red radiation), visible light and ultraviolet (UV) light. To find out about this, visit our page:
What is UV light?

Most reptile keepers choose to supply ultraviolet light to all diurnal lizards that are known to bask in sunlight in the wild. It was discovered many years ago that UV light enables reptiles, like many other creatures, to synthesise vitamin D in their skin. This is very important for their health, in particular, for the metabolism of calcium.

There is much more to ultraviolet light than this, however. To find out more, have a look at our feature:
Sunlight and Vitamin D.

Over the last decade, increasingly sophisticated light sources have become available to the hobbyist needing to supply captive reptiles with a source of UVB indoors. Today, in the UK there are numerous brands of fluorescent tubes and compact lamps available in a range of shapes and sizes, mercury vapour bulbs, and even UVB-transmitting metal halides designed to produce even higher levels of UVB.

The Problem
The biggest problem hobbyists face when using these lights is that there is no easy way for us to know how much UVB radiation a device is emitting, or how this compares with the amount of ultraviolet light needed by the species of reptile we are keeping. For many years, we have simply had to trust the manufacturers' claims and recommendations regarding the output of their product, its suitable placement within the vivarium, and the average useful lifespan of the lamp or tube. As a result, all sorts of folklore has arisen as to which products are better than others, how long tubes really last, and how close reptiles need to be to each type of lamp.

The Solution
This is all set to change with the availability of simple hand-held UVB radiometers which can be used to measure the output of the UVB lights in our own vivaria. Several years ago, we were able to obtain the first of these meters from the United States, and we are currently using these, as well as newer models, and more recently, a spectrometer to study the UVB output of a wide range of reptile lighting products. We are also working with a group of meter owners worldwide, collecting data on natural solar UVB levels in different parts of the world throughout the year, to investigate the ultraviolet light to which wild reptiles are exposed in their native habitat. Details of our meters are found in our section:
Using the UVB Meter.

Our Project
The first part of our study looks at UV light in nature.

Next, we consider the current research on what UV light reptiles need in captivity.

We summarise the types of lighting available to reptile keepers in a simple chart:
UV in the vivarium.

 

 

Your contributions and observations are welcomed!
We welcome input from you, the reptile keeper. Please consider joining the REPTILE LIGHTING Facebook Group forum to ask questions and find out more.

 

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