Its time to buy lights again...

[AndrewWelch]

Tomorrow I have to go out and buy a new basking light and UV light. But I've been wondering, what is the difference between UVB and UVA? Is one better than the other? I just had a UVB before. I haven't done much research on uva.

 

[creddjobs]

I just use Reptisun 5.0 for my panther but We have 3 types of UV..

UVC-- This one is the shortest wavelength [ray] from the sun to the earth.. This one is usually absorbed by the O-Zone. A brief exposure would cause a sunburn to us humans, anymore than that would be fatal to anything. This is why some are concerned about losing the O-Zone..

UVB-- Tends to be the strongest in the summer time. This Ray is the middle ray [so to speak] and only penetrates the very top layer of skin. This effects us humans the same as it does our reptiles in producing Vitamin D3 the difference being that because we wear clothes and a lot of us stay out of it because of sunburn and skin cancer, it doesn’t allow enough in to do us humans any good.. That is why we have to supplement for the D3 too

UVA-- I do believe this actually is the strongest of the 3 and this is what we call the Light ray. [as in light and dark] This is what allows all of us to SEE that need it!!
UVA rays are present all year round from sunrise to sunset, EVERY day.. You have heard the old saying that you can get a sunburn on a cloudy day.. Yep!! UVA will also penetrate glass. I believe this is where people are confused in that the heat that is coming from the UVA rays through a window would be a good thing for their reptiles thinking it is the UVB rays that they need. It isn’t..
When a person puts their reptile in a window situation and leaves them there without the capability to get out of this situation they are literally COOKING their guys as these UVA rays penetrate further than the surface skin

So UVB is to produce your D3 and your UVA is so you can see..