Lighting

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Ideally, it would be advantageous for all captive reptiles to be

housed in such a way that they could be exposed to and benefit

from direct, unfiltered sunlight during the daylight hours every

day.  This represents the healthiest and most natural situation.

Unfortunately, this set of circumstances can rarely be fulfilled

by hobbyists because it is neither practical or possible.  The

next best solution is to use an artificial ultraviolet light

source rather than fluorescent or incandescent lightbulbs.  One

or more Vitalites (Duro-Lite Lamps, Duro-Test Corp., Lyndhurst,

NJ  07071) should be used to illuminate the enclosure during the

daylight hours.  To approximate a natural photo-period, it is

best to supply 10-12 hours of daylight and 12-14 hours of

darkness each day, with a gradual increase in the number of

hours of light in the spring and a gradual decrease in the fall

and winter months.