Reptile keeping is all about creating the perfect environment for your animal. It is becoming more and more evident that lighting is an important factor in the care of many reptile and amphibian species.
UVB light is a particular wavelength of light that is invisible to the human eye, but can be seen by many animals; reptiles and birds included. It is shown to have many beneficial effects such as allowing the synthesis of vitamin D3, which helps absorb calcium. It is crucial for the well-being of lizards, chelonians (turtles and tortoises) and most amphibians.
UVB bulbs also produce UVA, this is the light we can see. It is important that reptiles have a natural light cycle that replicates the change of day and night, with the lights being on during the day and off at night. This can be accomplished with a socket timer, however products like the LumenIZE allow a more natural dimming up and down to more accurately represent dusk and dawn.
UVB bulbs are sold in with different wattages and percentages. The percentage refers to the amount of the energy emitted in the form of UVB radiation, so in a 24w 6% bulb, 6% of the 24w output is in the form UVB, the remaining 94% will be UVA and other wavelengths. This means that a 6% 54w lamp will produce more UVB than a 12% 24w lamp, so it is important to take bulb wattage and size into consideration when choosing the bulb.
Many keepers also opt to include LED lighting in their enclosure, this creates a brighter area that is more suited for plant growth, though it has also been shown to benefit many diurnal (day active) reptile species.
It is worth noting that all these bulbs can become hot so it may be required to protect your animals (especially snakes) from coming into contact with the bulbs. There are many different kinds of fittings and guards to facilitate this.
