I just got a baby turtle today and i would like to know if it is vital to have a special light above him , or if i can just put him out in the sun once in a while ?
I have a 3-toed who mostly lives inside. We do let her out on the porch sometimes, but (due to predators) she always comes back in. I was worried about her light exposure as well and bought her a UVB lamp. I'd suggest one of those. They're $20 - $30 on Amazon. Mine loves to crawl up as close as she can get on her platform and bake. It's kinda funny - arms, legs and little head just laying there. Anyway, she'll get too warm eventually and move on. She wouldn't have full exposure to sun in the wild because trees etc would filter out the sun's rays.
Jul 16, 2011
Lighitng for turtle by: Shelly
The correct lighting is vital for a turtle. It needs as much sunlight as it would get if it were living outside, so just a bit of sun every once in a while will not be enough. Note also that this light has to be direct sunlight, not sunlight through a window.