Thanks to a concerned reader of my last post about veiled chameleon light bulbs, we realized that a UVA-only was not sufficient to take care of Ezekiel. Jenni (the reader, not my wife Jennifer) was concerned that we had bought a basking bulb instead of a proper UV bulb, and she’s quite right: there is some evidence that without proper UVB irradiation, veiled chameleons may develop metabolic bone disease and die. There is at least one study that suggests that veileds don’t really need UVB if they are properly supplemented with vitamin powder on their food; nevertheless, we subscribe to the philosophy of “better safe than sorry.”

Thus, we replaced our ordinary UVA bulb with a UVA/B bulb to help encourage healthy vitamin D3 production. The bulbs are more expensive, but it’s definitely worthwhile. And good bulbs like the Reptisun line of bulbs are now available in compact fluorescent, so you can use your old reflector.

Two items to remember: UV bulbs are no substitute for a infrared bulb of some sort to allow for sunning and temperature self-regulation. Also, UVB bulbs will continue emitting visible light for a long time, but they run out of steam in the UV spectrum within 12 months, so replace your bulb(s) yearly.

Related posts:

1. UV Bulbs for Veiled Chameleons We thought we'd be clever and save a little money...

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