Belysningsinfo från Reptile magazine

Temla skrev:
Intresant läsning om vikten av korrekt ljus till reptiler.

www.reptilesmagazine.com/Reptile-Health/Habitats-Care/Reptile-Lighting-Information/

Utdrag:

Återigen hävdas att D3 supplement är riskfyllt om man inte doserar det noggrant. Det har ju varit diskussion om det här tidigare och många ger Kalcium + D3 vid varje matning. 

- Vitamin D3 synthesis in reptiles requires warmth as well as ultraviolet light. UVB converts a cholesterol in the skin to pre-D3, and this is converted into vitamin D3 very rapidly when a reptile is at its optimum temperature. The vitamin is toxic in large amounts, which is one reason giving it as a supplement can be risky (always follow manufacturer instructions regarding supplementation), but reptiles never generate too much D3 in their skin while basking. Natural levels of higher wavelength UVB and UVA prevent overproduction. They convert excess pre-D3 and vitamin D3 into harmless byproducts as soon as they start building up.


Tips:

- Trust your reptile to know what it needs. Reptiles are extremely competent at deciding how much heat, visible light and ultraviolet radiation they need at any given time. Captive reptiles need a sufficiently large, species-appropriate microhabitat with suitable heat, light and UVB gradients, shelters, and basking areas, so they can select their preferences like they would in the wild.

- UVB, UVA, visible light and heat go together. Because vitamin D3 synthesis in reptiles occurs only in warm skin exposed to UVB, ideally a UVB lamp needs to be over the basking area. Pairing the UVB source with the basking lamp is always a winning combination.

- Like the sun, lamps should be overhead. Reptiles have eyebrow ridges, and some have upper eyelids, for a reason: They shade the surface of the eye. All light sources should always be directly above a reptile’s head, not to the side. Lights shining sideways into its eyes are stressful (think of driving a car toward the setting sun). Also, intense visible light, as well as UVA and UVB, can seriously damage eyes.

- Keep a respectful distance. In the author’s opinion, no lamp or tube should be closer than six inches from the reptile, even when positioned directly overhead. Heat lamps usually require much greater distances than this. At close range many lamps are frankly dangerous. Most quality UVB lamps have minimum and maximum recommended distances, and these must be carefully observed.

- No spots please! Basking spots should be basking zones. A reptile’s whole body must fit within the high-temperature, brightly lit basking area. Flood lamps are essential. Narrow spot lamps may only heat a small patch of skin, which may become dangerously hot while the rest of the body remains cold. The hapless creature may stay where it is, trying to warm further, and sustain thermal burns.

- Always double-check your temperatures. It is vital to check the temperatures reached under a lamp. Take into account the height of a lizard’s head and shoulders, or a chelonian’s carapace, when doing this.

- Allow reptiles to set their patterns. Reptiles rely upon a distinct day and night to set their circadian rhythms. Day must be light; night must be dark. Use timers to provide the correct photoperiod for the species. If nighttime heat is required, ceramic heaters or heat mats mounted on a rear wall are more suitable than night lamps.