Читать книгу Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult: Reptile and Amphibian - Javier G. Nevarez - Страница 67

Another challenge in selecting the proper UVB bulb is the fact that bulb strength or percentage UVB emission does not directly translate to its effectiveness in stimulating vitamin D3 synthesis in the body. There are in vitro models to assess the efficiency of UVB light (Burger et al, 2007) but these are impractical in a clinical setting. We must rely on the reputation of the manufacturer to ensure that the bulb is of good enough quality. How much UVB a particular amphibian species requires is unknown at this time. In nature, UVB exposure will vary with time of day, cloud covering, and so on, but in captivity the exposure level will be fairly constant while the bulb is turned on. Providing hiding places and a gradient of UVB light can help to reduce UVB overexposure for amphibians. An additional consideration is to only turn the UVB lights on for 2–4 hours of daily or every other day exposure.