All the specific conditions that turtles require are a matter of health as well as happiness.
Meaning that sometimes deseases won’t necessarily occur immediately, but you can tell by their behavior that something is wrong: they’re not happy… and they’re trying to tell you. Soon enough, they’ll be in pain. In some severe cases, incorrect conditions can lead to death.
So, let’s talk about heating, UVA light and UVB light.
Not so different than us, our little turtles need lapses of day and night for their organisms to function properly. The first process that is affected if day and night conditions are not provided is their circadian rhythm. When that happens turtles won’t be able to sleep adequately and will get stressed.
As a general rule it is suggested to leave the lights on for around 10 hours a day, and to turn them off for the rest of the day. It is as simple as turtles need this conditions to survive.
There’s a lot of confusion about which light helps to do what. Let’s get straight into that.
UVA light will regulate activities and behaviors like mating, diurnal movement or feeding/appetite.
UVB light will help to synthesize vitamin D3, absorb calcium, avoid calcium metabolism issues and ultimately, prevent bone and shell growth problems.
Heat will get them warm and dry, which is necessary to avoid infections and to regulate their internal temperature, because they are unable to do it by themselves.
Let’s also get over the confusion around the lamps: some lamps provide light, some provide heat… and some provide both. So, the idea is either to get one for each thing, or one for all.
Whatever you do, the bottom line is that you have to remain yourself accountable to give to your pets the conditions they would have out there in the world. Which is why ensuring heat, lighting, basking and swimming area is vital for them. Don’t do this and algae and fungus will grow on their shell, provoking the shell to rot if not treated soon.
So, you need a specialized reptile lamp that provides UVA and UVB lights as well as heat, and you need a basking area that meets the requirements your pet needs to be able to benefit from the lamp.
Just like basking platforms, there are reptile lamps being sold that do not meet the requirements to fulfill their objective: to contribute to the healthy growth of our turtles.
Lamps without timer and lamps unable to adjust the height. Lamps that don’t provide both the necessary heat and lighting. Lamps with no clear instructions on how to get the best from them and avoid accidents such as bulb breaking.
We need a brand that sees these devices as what they are: health devices for our pets. These are more than products or accessories.
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