Question about UVB

[Carol S]

Hi:

Does a tortoise absorb UVB rays throught their shell or just their skin?

Thank you for any information.

Carol

 

[Seiryu]

Hi:

Does a tortoise absorb UVB rays throught their shell or just their skin?

Thank you for any information.

Carol

I tried googling some things and really couldn't find anything myself. I would imagine though, that it can be absorbed through the shell.

As long as you have a UVB light that he can go under then he should be fine. However if you can take him out regularly (with weather permitting), then I really wouldn't worry too much about it. I try to take my leopard out for at least an hour everyday if weather allows it.

 

[Crazy1]

Carol that is a really good question. The shell of a tort is made of keratin the same thing your fingernails and hair are made of and it is living and breathing (has pours) so I would say yes a certain amount of UVB my be absorbed by the shell but most by the skin. JMO

Why do you ask?

 

[Carol S]

Carol that is a really good question. The shell of a tort is made of keratin the same thing your fingernails and hair are made of and it is living and breathing (has pours) so I would say yes a certain amount of UVB my be absorbed by the shell but most by the skin. JMO

Why do you ask?

Hi:
I asked because after his daily soak and eating he likes to sleep under his fake plants or will bury himself in his substrate and I was worried that he would not get enough UVB. He spends several hours outside per day (weather permitting) and he also has a ReptiSun 10.0 UVB tube in his inside enclosure.
Have a great day
Carol

 

[Seiryu]

Hi:
I asked because after his daily soak and eating he likes to sleep under his fake plants or will bury himself in his substrate and I was worried that he would not get enough UVB. He spends several hours outside per day (weather permitting) and he also has a ReptiSun 10.0 UVB tube in his inside enclosure.
Have a great day
Carol

Sounds good to me. As long as he has access to it, he'll get hit by the rays. And since you bring him outside, even better!

 

[pwincess shelly]

skin. duh!

 

[Madkins007]

This is one of those weird pieces of data that are harder to track down a specific answer than you would think they would be, but it appears that they do not process it on the shell- there's no blood above the growing bone, so no way to process or spread the D3.

 

[tortoisenerd]

I guess that explains why some torts like to expose as much arms, legs, and neck as possible! Aka the superman pose. Almost as cute as the looks dead pose with the head to the side sleeping, and arms and legs out.

 

[Crazy1]

Good to know Madkins. Yes I did some searching and it was hard to find.
Carol if you have a UVB bulb and he is also outside for some time I would not worry about the UVB light sound like he/she has exposure to it if he wants.