Have you ever heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD? Sometimes called seasonal or winter depression, or the winter blues, SAD is a condition that affects humans during the winter when climate conditions limit exposure to sunlight. Many patients are successfully treated simply by exposing them to a special type of light that closely mimics natural sunlight.

Your pet will suffer also if not given the proper amount of exposure to light. They cannot talk to us but they show by their actions that they are depressed. They may become lazy or show less interest in food. They may also display serious conditions such as kidney problems, metabolic bone disease, or rickets. If you give your pet the right type of lighting their health will improve, they will remain active, eat well, and even increase their breeding tendencies.

Heat and light go together if you have a reptile pet, they need heat and light to thrive. Most lights produce heat, some produce more than others do. You may have seen heat light bulbs in stores or noticed the lights that keep the food warm in restaurants, even a common light bulb puts off a certain amount of heat.

In years past, it was thought that providing heat for a pet reptile was sufficient. Now we know that not only do reptiles need a specific level of heat and humidity that closely mimics their natural habitat, they also need specific types of light. Of course, the optimal light for your pet reptile would be the natural sunlight of its natural habitat. It is unlikely that the natural sunlight at your location would be an exact match, and it is usually impractical to house your reptile outside.

Your pet needs the right kind of lighting to properly process vitamin D. Vitamin D and calcium are important for bone health and also for the nerve cells to work well. Your reptile could develop bone problems such as osteoporosis if they do not get enough calcium. They can also have problems with their nervous system and even die.

Reptiles can absorb Vitamin D when it is in their food, or with exposure to light they can convert vitamin D precursors (substances from which other substances are formed) into vitamin D in their skin, just like humans. But for the skin to produce vitamin D, it needs to be exposed to UVB light, or ultraviolet light of the B-band or type.

The best source of this type of light is sunlight, but you will not be able to keep your reptile pet outside for it to absorb the sunlight. It would likely be too cold in your area to do this year-round anyway. Sunlight from the windows in your home would not provide sufficient UV light as much of the UV is lost when the sunlight passes through your glass windows.

Whatever kind of lighting you choose for your pet, make sure that your pet has a place to retreat from the light as well as from any sources of heat. Reptiles have a sixth sense when it comes to heat and light, and they will retreat when either becomes excessive, as long as you have provided the proper space in their habitat for them to do so.