UV lighting question

[Potts]

A friend of mine has a year old savannah monitor, he is using a UV light right now and would like everyones opinions on UV lights. I remember reading an article in reptile magazine that said UV lights make monitors more aggressive or something to that nature. How often do you chane them? every six months is what I heard. Thanks ahead to anyone who has taken the time to reply, Potts:}

[LISA127]

You need to change them every six months. the lizard should be able to bask within 12-18 inches from it, at the most. A UV light does not make them aggressive, but exposure to natural sunlight can. But yes, the monitor definetely needs his UVB light.

[markb]

Hi Potts,

There have been a plethora of papers written on U.V. lighting and reptiles/varanids such as:

Busby, R. 1994. Natural light and Reptiles. Monitor IRBA 1(2):4-5.

Ettling, J. 1990. Artificial Lighting for Herps in captivity. IN: Herp health and husbandry hints. Bull. CHS. Pp79-83.

Gehrmann, W.H. 1987. Ultraviolet irradiances of various lamps used in animal husbandry. Zoo Biology 6:117-127.

_____. 1991. 1991. Early growth and bone mineralization of the iguanid lizard S. occidentalis in captivity: Is Vitamin D3 supplementation or Ultraviolet B irradiation necessary? Zoo Biology 10:409-416.

_____. 1992. Spectral characteristics of lamps commonly used in herpetoculture. 16th Int'l. Herp. Symp. Capt. Breed. Husb. 1992:
1-20.

_____. 1994. Spectral irradiances of lamps commonly used in herptoculture. Vivarium 5(5):16-21, 29.

Regal, P.J. 1980. Temperature and lighting requirements of captive reptiles. SSAR Contrib. Herpetology. Pp79-89.

As you can see W. gehrmann is the leading authority on lighting and reptiles/varanus, and to be blunt, it is ALL really saying these lamps work this way and that, but sunlight is BEST! So if your seriously interested in this topic, check out those papers, and thats why I listed them here for you for clarity, and see for yourself and see if you get more out of them than I did...I noticed with uv lamps the reptiles 'seem' to exhibit more behaviors.... but of course NOTHING duplicats that big ol' hydrogen bomb 8 light-seconds away.....
cheers,
markb

[NiagaraReptiles]

<center><img src="http://www.varanus.net/niagarareptiles/temp/yackies008-2.jpg"></center>

The actual benefit of UV lighting and Monitors has been a controversial subject for some time. It has not been proven to be benificial, but also not proven harmful.

On a personal note, I've been breeding monitors for a few years now and I don't use UV at all. I do have a couple generations of Yellow Ackies still in my posession, and eggs are cooking for a third. I see normal behavior and receive multiple clutches of egg throughout the year from most females of all mature species I am currently working with. I've actually received fertile eggs from females as young as seven months old (Yellow Ackies).

All of my monitors as well display very vivid colouration and in fact, I think I have examples of some of the nicest Yellow Ackies I've seen (see pic above).

I do regularly use a good calcium/d₃ supplement, however.

From the things I've experienced I really don't see the need for UV lighting.

Just my two cents on the subject,

[fanmaninacan]

Hey!

I say Its a very good idea to use UVB---Prevents MBD ..

If u check out any caresheets..IT STATES u should use UVB..

T.P

[Potts]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply, much appricated, pOtts:}