Fishing Frenzy

Lack of sunlight can make people depressed. This condition is referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. It is most likely to occur in the winter when people spend a lot of time indoors due to the cold and other adverse weather conditions. A particular type of lighting is effective in treating these patients, this light is much the same as sunlight and it helps by simply exposing the patient to it.

Your reptile pet needs sunlight too; he or she requires enough sunlight or a form of artificial light to provide the same benefit. Your pet will not be able to tell you about their depression, you will need to observe their actions. Deprived of the proper light your pet may stop eating as it should or be less active than usual. Bone disease, rickets, or renal problems may develop from long-term lack of proper lighting. Given the proper lighting, your pet will remain healthy, active, and procreate.

Light and heat go hand in hand when it comes to reptiles. Many types of light produce heat and reptiles need both heat and light to remain healthy. You have probably seen heat lights such as those used in incubators, food warmers in convenience stores, or heat light bulbs sold in most hardware stores.

In years past, it was thought that providing heat for a pet reptile was sufficient. Now we know that not only do reptiles need a specific level of heat and humidity that closely mimics their natural habitat, they also need specific types of light. Of course, the optimal light for your pet reptile would be the natural sunlight of its natural habitat. It is unlikely that the natural sunlight at your location would be an exact match, and it is usually impractical to house your reptile outside.

Your pet needs the right kind of lighting to properly process vitamin D. Vitamin D and calcium are important for bone health and also for the nerve cells to work well. Your reptile could develop bone problems such as osteoporosis if they do not get enough calcium. They can also have problems with their nervous system and even die.

A reptile will obtain Vitamin D when they eat foods that contain it. When they are exposed to light, the vitamin D precursors are converted into vitamin D in the skin. The skin has to have the proper light to do this. Ultraviolet light is the type of light to do this and it needs to be of the B type, in other words, UVB light is what you need to expose your pet reptile to.

The best source of this type of light is sunlight, but you will not be able to keep your reptile pet outside for it to absorb the sunlight. It would likely be too cold in your area to do this year-round anyway. Sunlight from the windows in your home would not provide sufficient UV light as much of the UV is lost when the sunlight passes through your glass windows.

Make sure your pet will be able to get out of the light and heat and go to a cool dark place. Its instinct will tell it when it has had enough light and heat. Making sure your pet has a place to get the proper light and heat and a dark cool place to go will ensure you have a healthy reptile pet.