Reptiles make {great|fantastic|terrific|excellent|wonderful} pets, but they aren't {necessarily|always} easy to {care for|take care of|look after}. You {won't|will not} need to take your reptile for a walk {every day|daily|everyday|on a daily basis}, but you will need to {provide|supply} it with a healthy environment with the {right|best|ideal|appropriate} reptile heating and lighting. And to do that, you will need the reptile heating and lighting {equipment|devices|tools} from a store you can {trust|rely on}.
There is {a basic|a fundamental} reason reptiles {need|require} {supplemental|additional|extra|supplementary} heat: Reptiles are cold-blooded. They can not {regulate|control|manage} their {body heat|body temperature}. In nature, reptiles {regulate|control|manage} their {body heat|body temperature} by {changing|switching} their environment. They get sun on a rock. They burrow into the ground. But reptiles in a cage do not have that {option|choice}. They {need|require} you to {provide|supply} heat for them. Some reptiles, like geckos and ball pythons, {need|require} {supplemental|additional|extra|supplementary} heat 24/7.
Reptile heating isn't quite as {simple|easy|straightforward} as {putting|placing} {a heater|a heating unit|a heating system} in a cage. Many {heaters|heating units|heating systems} emit light. Using them to keep a pet reptile warm can be like {creating|producing} 24-hour daylight, so your pet {would|would certainly} not have {a normal|a typical|a regular} cycle of activity and rest. Heating for reptiles {at night|during the night} needs to come from an infrared source, like a heated ceramic, {rather than|instead of|as opposed to} from a heat lamp. On the other hand, reptiles you keep indoors also {need|require} {supplemental|additional|extra|supplementary} lighting. They {need|require} the same wavelengths of light {provided|offered|given} by {sunlight|sunshine} so their bodies can make vitamin D. They {need|require} a daytime {light source|light|source of light} {in addition to|along with} a {supplemental|additional|extra|supplementary} heat source {all the time|constantly|at all times|regularly}. And different reptiles {need|require} different reptile heating and lighting. Here is a rundown of reptile heating and lighting {requirements|demands|needs} by species.
Ball python heating and lighting: Ball pythons {need|require} 8 to 12 hours of light {every day|daily|each day|everyday|on a daily basis}, with {several|a number of|numerous} breaks of 1 to 2 hours during the day. They {prefer|like|favor} a nocturnal {light source|light|source of light} to imitate conditions in the wild; infrared light is great at night (just not a glowing light bulb).
Bearded dragon heating and lighting: Bearded dragons {need|require} {continuous|constant} heat, {preferably|ideally} from a ceramic heat source 24 hours a day. They also like to be able to {bask in|indulge in} the "{sunlight|sun light}" you {provide|offer|give} with an incandescent bulb, but {make sure|ensure} it's only {turned on|switched on} during the day.
Chameleon heating and lighting: Chameleons {absolutely|definitely} {must|should|needs to} have UV-B light during the day so their bodies can make vitamin D. They {prefer|like} {lower|reduced} temperatures at night from an infrared bulb.
Corn snake heating and lighting: Corn snakes {need|require} 8 to 12 hours of light {every day|daily|each day|everyday} with a "night light" or infrared light at night. {Don't|Do not} {give them|provide} too much white light.
Gecko heating and lighting: Geckos are nocturnal, so they {don't|do not} need lights that provide UV-B. A {regular|a normal} incandescent bulb for daytime lighting works great, but they need ceramic heat or a nocturnal heat bulb at all hours.
You will find everything you need for keeping your reptile happy {and|&} healthy at vilano pets in Salt Lake City, UT. We can help you keep your pet reptile well-fed, {warm|cozy}, and healthy for many years to come.