Just how do nocturnal geckos (leopards in particular) get their Vitamin D3 in
the wild?
The story behind this.....
If you get told by your vet to get UV lights on your leopards so they can make
their own D3, quit supplementing with anything that contained Vitamin D3 and use
plain calcium (specifically said liquid), would you raise your eyebrows and
question the advice?
This particular vet is very good with reptiles, and is even recommended by a
very 'picky' snake breeder who travels the extra distance to take his snakes to
her. She may not know all about geckos, but she does check with other vets to
get help. The thing is, ...... why would she recommend UVB lights for leopards,
who will just crawl farther into their hide boxes? I can see it for tree hugging
nocturnals, or the ones that will bask during the day, but cave and burrow
dwellers? Do wild leopards come out and bask regularly in the sun, much unlike
the captives who shun bright light? Do they just come closer to the entrance to
their tunnels and get some reflected UV? Or is the occasional pinkie and the
like a reliable source of D3?
She says gecko get their vitamin D3 from basking, and supplemental D3 is not to
be trusted.
All I know is that my leopards retreat into the darkest corners they can find if
the light gets too bright in the room and adding it to their cages would drive
them underground. I would have no way of adding lights to their cages, and
anyone using sweater boxes would have a great time re-doing those.
If I can find out just how wild leopards get the bulk of their Vitamin D3, from
food or sunlight, it would help.
(sounds like another episode of the Adventures of Jon & Stacy would answer that)
Thanks for any insight, it's going to answer a lot of questions for several of
us on the list who go to that same vet.
Hilde.
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~*~***~*~
I got rid of my husband. The cat was allergic.
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