Is the natural UV zone important for successful captive propagation of the Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis); are different UVB irradiance exposures that generate a similar dose equally successful?

While we generally understand the optimal ultraviolet B (UVB) environment for the growth and reproduction of female Panther Chameleons Furcifer pardalis, we do not know the relative importance of UVB irradiance and dose for optimal husbandry outcomes. Accordingly, we experimented with Panther Chameleon females to test the hypothesis that UVB dose (irradiance × exposure duration) determines the outcome, regardless of the combination of UVB irradiance and exposure duration generating the dose. We varied UVB irradiance and exposure duration across treatment groups while keeping dose similar and within a range previously documented to result in reproductive success.

Voluntary exposure of some western-hemisphere snake and lizard species to ultraviolet-B radiation in the field: how much ultraviolet-B should a lizard or snake receive in captivity?

Studies of voluntary exposure to ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation from the sun in the field were conducted in the southern US and Jamaica for 15 species of lizards and snakes occupying various habitats. Species were sorted into four zones of UVB exposure ranging from a median UV index of 0.35 for zone 1 to 3.

Panther chameleons, Furcifer pardalis, behaviorally regulate optimal exposure to UV depending on dietary vitamin D3 status.

Reptiles may bask for reasons other than thermoregulation. One alternative is to regulate homeostasis of vitamin D(3), a hormone essential to the health of many reptiles. Maintenance of vitamin D(3) homeostasis requires either regulation of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) or ingested vitamin D(3).

Evaluation of UVB reduction by materials commonly used in reptile husbandry.

Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation (285-320 nm) is considered important for metabolic processes and reproduction in many reptile species by facilitating the synthesis of vitamin D(3). In captivity, UVB radiation reaching an animal may be diminished by the properties of the materials used in enclosure construction. We investigated the UVB-attenuating properties of 14 materials commonly used in cage tops for reptile enclosures.

Ultraviolet exposure and vitamin D synthesis in a sun-dwelling and a shade-dwelling species of Anolis: are there adaptations for lower ultraviolet B and dietary vitamin D3 availability in the shade?

We compared the natural ultraviolet B (UV-B) exposure, dietary vitamin D, and skin-generated vitamin D synthesis for adult males of two species of Jamaican anoles. The more shade-tolerant and thermal-conforming Anolis lineotopus merope, rarely exposed to full sun, experienced less UV-B irradiation in its shady environment than the more heliophilic and thermophilic Anolis sagrei, which frequently basked in full sun during the morning hours (0800-1100 hours). Both species obtained detectable levels of vitamin D(3) in their diet, but the heliophilic A.

Do panther chameleons bask to regulate endogenous vitamin D3 production?

Basking by ectothermic vertebrates is thought to have evolved for thermoregulation. However, another beneficial effect of sunlight exposure, specifically the ultraviolet B (UV-B) component, includes endogenous production of vitamin D(3). In the laboratory, panther chameleons exhibited a positive phototaxis to greater visible, ultraviolet A (UV-A) and UV-B light.

Life-history traits of the lizard Sceloporus undulatus from two populations raised in a common laboratory environment.

Hatchling Sceloporus undulatus elongatus from Washington Co., Utah and S. u.