Hi I am currently building a outdoor enclosure and I have been wondering if I need a UV light or not. The spot only gets sun during the afternoon for 3-4 hours and it is still pretty filtered out from the tree above. I have been trying to research for days about if I do but I just can’t get an exact answer.
UV lighting
- Thread starter Kevinith
- Start date
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
They need around 5 hours of direct sunlight per week.
They are "bush lizards". They only sun themselves for well less than an hour in the morning, and also the same in the evening, the rest of the time they are doing their work in the shade.
If i anything i would have a full shade section, as things can get hot quick. The new basking recommendations is mid 80's. I dont like to have basking in the lower 90's unless my air temps are in the lower 60's during the day. When the room hits 82-84 during the summer, even with "lights out" durring the mid day heat, they are still all huddling in the cool sections of the cage floors.
They are "bush lizards". They only sun themselves for well less than an hour in the morning, and also the same in the evening, the rest of the time they are doing their work in the shade.
If i anything i would have a full shade section, as things can get hot quick. The new basking recommendations is mid 80's. I dont like to have basking in the lower 90's unless my air temps are in the lower 60's during the day. When the room hits 82-84 during the summer, even with "lights out" durring the mid day heat, they are still all huddling in the cool sections of the cage floors.
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
OTTOMH, I'd say he'd get enough from the Sun—direct sunlight isn't necessarily required if enough gets through the trees, etc., and as nightanole pointed out, not a huge amount is needed.
This video is about bearded dragons in the Outback, but demonstrates the point that partial shade/sun still allows some penetration of UVB (measured in UVI).
Do you have access to a UV meter (e.g. Solarmeter 6.5* as shown in the video)? That would give you some real-world data to better validate. If you don't have a meter, perhaps another reptile keeper near you would be willing to help you out.
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