Light

Turtles need several hours of exposure to natural sunlight every day. This

helps them synthesize vitamin D3. If you keep your pet outdoors, and there

is sun and shade available in the enclosure, you don't have to worry.

If your turtle is indoors all the time, you have to provide a source of

full spectrum lighing or supplements.

There are constantly new lights on the market, and there is a lot of

discussion on this issue.

There are 3 bulbs on the market that produce significant

levels of UVB: Zoo-Med's ReptiSun 5.0, ESU's Desert Sun 7.0, and Reptile

D-light (usually available only by mail order). All must be replaced every

4-6 mos (timing depends on which research you think was most elegantly

designed, but they all agree on the brevity of the useful life) because a

coating builds up on the inside of the bulb which blocks the UVB. Also, they

must be no more than 12" (or 14", or 18", again depending on whose research

was best designed) from the animal in order to affect blood calcium levels.

* Some of my turtles enjoy a walk outdoors every once in a while. Watch your

turtle at all times, so he won't get hurt or lost.Turtles can get lost

very quickly, if they want to.

* Turtles need a basking light. The silvery shop lights from the hardware

store are great. Place it on a screen top or hang if (high enough that

the turtles cannot touch the bulb). I find that a 60W bulb is about the

right strength. I tend to use a 40-60 Watt bulb in summer and 75W in winter.

* The lights should be on between 10 and 14 hours a day, depending

whether you use a yearly cycle, or not, and depending on where your

turtle comes from.