Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I know this has been debated before...

I'm curious to know if anyone has actually seen a difference in activity level with their argus monitor (any monitor really) with providing a UVA light versus not providing a UVA light source?

I know that UVA is a crucial for providing the necessary level of D3. Couldn't that be supplemented with Miner-All?

I'm just curious to know if all the argus monitor owners on this forum provides a UVA light source...

Regards,

Peter F.

np
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Bawaa Herps
www.BawaaHerps.com
sales@bawaaherps.com
"Conservation through Captive Propagation"

Okay this is one of my last post for the time being, I got to do some work and go to school from 5-8pm not that you needed to know it but I am currently hyper with 3 bars of snickers and a lolipop!

I believe UVA is the characteristic controler of the two. Even though it isn't a must-have-or-die kind of situation, it is better preferrably over time and for better health or so I've heard. What UVB does, I might be confused between UVA and UVB so please bare with me, is to help process the calcium into obsorbable amounts, controls the biosynthesis of vitamin D3. Without UVB you would have to give more vitamin suppliment is what I'm trying to say. UVA on the other hand promotes a more natural behavior in reptiles even though some monitors might show more reaction than others.

I provided UV lighting many years ago to my monitors. Then I quit providing it. Since then I have raised quite a few monitors, including arguses. I have bred salvators, niles, and presently timors (ok, so far just the mating has taken place but eggs should be here soon). Maybe my monitors will all drop dead tomorrow, but until that happens I have no indication that they are in poor health or suffering any ill effects from not having this lighting. My CBB salvators have never seen UV light nor direct sunlight. Mushu was rehabbed with no UV or direct sunlight.

More interesting in my opinion is that my iguanas have not had UV lights in YEARS. In fact, probably over 7 years, and two of those iguanas are approaching 9 years old. Try stating that on the iguana forum and see what happens! The third iguana has not had UV light ever while in my care and probably did not have it in the year or so prior to my care. It was a stunted little iguana when I rescued it. Now it is a 4 foot very ill-mannered male iguana who has not seen UV light (nor prolonged direct sunlight) since AT LEAST August of 1998.
Salvators

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^x^ Bloodbat ^x^

And realized it made no difference what so ever. The animals get vit D3 from animal fat in whole animal foods (mice, peeps, rabbits, etc), as well as calcium and all other needed nutrition. If you feed insects then dust with calcium and vit D3. Other wise the UV lights you can buy only emitt useful UVB 3 inches away from the bulb (280-305 nm). UVA is visible light and your basking lights etc emitt that. I was told years ago I needed the UV lights or my animal will never grow let alone live more than 6 months, that was before they saw the 4ft 6 inch bosc monitor that I raised from a 6 inch hatchling in 2 years. Dont use it, and nobody who breeds monitor indoors uses it either that I know of.