Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This may sound like an ignorant question, but if snakes, amphibians, carnivorous lizards don't need U.V. lighting like iguanas and tortoises do because they are herbivorous and do not get their D3 through live prey consumption, do aquatic carnivorous turtles really need U.V. lighting? Besides the old clichés about improves animals mental well being and makes terrarrium most esthetically pleasing, has anyone ever not used U.V. for extended periods and saw thier turtles come down with metabolic bone disease? I remember when I was a kid 25 years ago, and I kept a red eared slider for years with just a light bulb for basking. This guy grew huge after a few years and didn't appear to have any MBD symptoms. Then again, at that time, no one knew anything about UV lighting and MBD.

It's not carnivorous/herbivorous, it's nocturnal/diurnal .... mostly... (most herbivorous reptiles are diurnal, if you think about it). All three of my turtles are nocturnal and don't bask so I couldn't say. UV at the least makes up for deficiencies that may be present in the diet.
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

Kills algae growing on the turtle's shell when they bask. It gives 1-2 year old turtle's shell calcium. I've never heard or seen a turtle get a disease from not having a U.V. light but I've had turtles die.
Michael Fedzen

If I had a pond turtle like an RES, especially a growing one, I'd definately have UV.
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

Hi,

I had a baby painted caught from the wild when I was a kid that developed MBD because I only supplied it with regular incandescent bulb. Then again, I don't know if that's due to just the bulb or not feeding it enough calcium supplements. The red-eared slider babies that I bought from a streetstand in Chinatown grew fine without UV. I don't know...I'm sure there ARE scientific papers to defend using UV but as you said before, sometimes when you don't know about something, it doesn't seem to affect the experience. Just beginner's luck I guess. And red-eared sliders ARE strong survivors...think of all the places in the world they have adapted to living in. I use unfiltered sunlight, calcium supplements, and occasional UV nowadays just to be doing "the right thing."

Johnny

I've seen pics of a turtle farm in China that supposedly raised captive bred Cuora trifasicata in a dark room that resembled a closet. They had perfect shells! I'm not so sure they never brought them out in light but this is what I was told. I have seen many turtles raised on vitD3 supplements with no UV and they looked healthy. I think it depends on the species and the diet as to whether they need the bulb.
Best wishes,
Mike

UV is necessary for turtles. It does not make up for dietary deficiencies. UV rays are required for turtles to produce vitamin D3. They then use the D3 to utilize and absorb calcium. So without the UVB, they will not be producing sufficient amounts of calcium. If blood calcium levels are too low, they will pull calcium from their bones to maintain a minimum calcium level in the blood.
I can't answer questions about the occasional turtle that developed fine without UVB. Shell growth may have looked fine, but the turtle still could have suffered internal problems. But the bottom line is that it is necessary and all turtles should have access to it.

They couldn't possibly get enough D3 from their diet?
(just asking, this topic intrigues me, although I'm mostly a snake keeper)
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?