# does a baby snapping turtle need uvb?



## iridedumped (Jun 10, 2009)

does a baby snapping turtle need a uvb light or is a uva light fine?

does it even need either uva or uvb?

thanks


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## Meg90 (Jun 10, 2009)

all turtles should have UVB, from what I know of it...their shells are the same as a torts....


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## Itort (Jun 10, 2009)

Actually this is good question. Snappers don't bask like other turtles being almost thoroughly aquatic (prowl the bottom). I seldom have seen a male on land usually only see females on land when nesting. I would suggest setting up an outside water habitat for summer and feeding a diet high in animal protein (worms, shrimp, and small fish like feeder guppies). In the winter needless say they get no uv at all as in my area water is frozen over (yes are somewhat active under the ice).


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## iridedumped (Jun 10, 2009)

cool thanks guys


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## Lynn DeVries (Jun 10, 2009)

In the last 20 years I have raised 100's of baby common snappers indoors with no UV light. But they are fed only Reptomin Turtle food. Reptomin has the proper vit & minerals for normal shell growth in common snapping Turtles.

Lynn


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## gummybearpoop (Jun 13, 2009)

I know people who have raised alligator snappers without uvb. I believe they get most of their UVB requirements from their diet, but I am not positive. Just feed a varied diet along with providing a warm spot to thermoregulate. Reptomin is a good food to supplement a more natural diet. Good luck! Snappers are fun, interesting, and dangerous!


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## Lynn DeVries (Jun 13, 2009)

I respectfully disagree, in hundreds of tests I personally have overseen. The baby common snappers have done markedly better on a staple diet of Reptomin. It is nearly immposible to provide a varied natural diet for a common snapping turtle as they eat such a wide variety of foods in the wild. From Mosquito larvae to minnow fry and everything inbetween. Baby common snappers fed a diet of worms, minnows, crayfish etc in the absence of UV UVA UVB are prone to develop nutritional issues. It is immpossible for an animal to get quote "most of their UVB requirements from their diet" as UVB is a light wave. Reptomin has proven time and again that it provides the proper calcium phospherous ratio as well as the proper amount of D3 to allow baby common snappers to develop normally in the absence of sunlight.
If you can provide outdoor housing to a baby common snapper then the "natural" diet is acceptable. But indoors with no UV, Reptomin is the best staple diet and if you feel the need to supplement it by all means supplement it with natural foods, but only as a supplement to the Reptomin. I have been raising snapping Turtles for 20 years and studying them for much longer than that, so I am not speculating here.
It is interesting to note that once a baby common snapper reaches about 4 inches in length they seem to be much less suseptable to nutritional disorders and the Reptomin seems to becomes a little less important than when they are smaller. I have had equal succes with the Wardleys brand.

Lynn








gummybearpoop said:


> I know people who have raised alligator snappers without uvb. I believe they get most of their UVB requirements from their diet, but I am not positive. Just feed a varied diet along with providing a warm spot to thermoregulate. Reptomin is a good food to supplement a more natural diet. Good luck! Snappers are fun, interesting, and dangerous!


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## gummybearpoop (Jun 13, 2009)

Lynn DeVries said:


> I respectfully disagree, in hundreds of tests I personally have overseen. The baby common snappers have done markedly better on a staple diet of Reptomin. It is nearly immposible to provide a varied natural diet for a common snapping turtle as they eat such a wide variety of foods in the wild. From Mosquito larvae to minnow fry and everything inbetween. Baby common snappers fed a diet of worms, minnows, crayfish etc in the absence of UV UVA UVB are prone to develop nutritional issues. It is immpossible for an animal to get quote "most of their UVB requirements from their diet" as UVB is a light wave. Reptomin has proven time and again that it provides the proper calcium phospherous ratio as well as the proper amount of D3 to allow baby common snappers to develop normally in the absence of sunlight.
> If you can provide outdoor housing to a baby common snapper then the "natural" diet is acceptable. But indoors with no UV, Reptomin is the best staple diet and if you feel the need to supplement it by all means supplement it with natural foods, but only as a supplement to the Reptomin. I have been raising snapping Turtles for 20 years and studying them for much longer than that, so I am not speculating here.
> It is interesting to note that once a baby common snapper reaches about 4 inches in length they seem to be much less suseptable to nutritional disorders and the Reptomin seems to becomes a little less important than when they are smaller. I have had equal succes with the Wardleys brand.
> 
> ...



I stand corrected. I've never kept snappers. I know people who kept baby alligator snappers without UVB lights and fed them reptomin, fish, insects, pinky mice, and crayfish without any issues.


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## TKCARDANDCOIN (Jun 13, 2009)

I have a common snapping turtle and he is fed reptomin as his main source of food.I supplement a few minnows or crayfish once a month and a few nightcrawlers every now and then.He is doing great and growing like a weed.He has access to come out of the water and bask under uvb bulbs but i have never seen him out of water!


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## JohnMcD (Jun 15, 2009)

With no experience at all I'd just like to add to the post, Itort says that they seldom come onto land and prowl the bottom. Now I do know and agree that they dwell on the bottom of their pond/swamp whatever. Although I see this particular snapper basking in the sand traps, dirt, grass, and rocks EVERY (or just about ) time I go golfing (which is at least 4 times a week).

So, I'd like to disagree as I see this one basking 95% of the times our two lives clash!


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