Kim Jong Ill asked:


the lamp has a arrangeable neck (able to move to desired area). i brought the lamp down so the bulb is directly on top of the cage. after i installed this the turtle opened his sleeping eyes and popped his head out of the water and became active. will this work?
also…can i play with my little turtle? like can i takr him out and let him walk on my hands and on the floor and tables? of course i’ll wash my hands after but do i also have to clean the floor and table before i touch it???

3 Responses to “can i use a table lamp for my little 1 1/2 inch turtle?”

1. Jessica M on March 10th, 2009 5:02 pm

   Although the lamp may be able to bear the heat, you will HAVE to get a UVA/UVB emitting bulb for it. THese are otherwise known as basking lights, and are available at your pet store. A turtle (and most reptiles) need to have levels of UVA/UVB on a regular basis to assist in the creation of Vitamin D3 in their bodies. The side effects of no ‘real’ sunlight is NOT GOOD. These lights also tend to run hotter, so you may want to also invest in a ceramic heat fixture that won’t melt or burn you if you touch (though it still gets hot). The cermic light also helps direct the heat of a light bulb toward the cage, instead of equally diffusing around the entire area of the bulb. You can try the lamp, but make sure to not leave it or your turtle unattended until you made sure the lamp won’t over heat, enough heat is emitted to your turtle, and the lamp is secure.

2. nefferbjq on March 13th, 2009 1:53 pm

   Here is a great link with a lot of information about keeping turtles. Generally, turtles it’s not good for turtles to be handled a lot.

3. wu_gwei21 on March 14th, 2009 7:02 am

   Yes, the table lamp with an adjustable neck is excellent for a heat source. This is the most important item along with a basking area, water and food. That’s all they really need.

   UV lighting is good to have, but not absolutely necessary. UVB is absorbed by the body to synthesize vitamin D3, which is needed for calcium absorption. However, UVB rays is not the only way to have your pet turtle get vitamin D. In fact, most commercial UV lights are unreliable, need to be replaced in 6 months and cannot penetrate water more than a few inches. Turtles can be easily raised to adulthood with good health without artificial UV lighting by proving it with a healthy balanced diet. This is what they did in the past before artificial UV lighting.

   You can bring your turtle out for 30 minutes a week, and the natural UV rays will be better than a week’s worth of artifical lighting for a week.

   Anyway, if you can afford UV lighting, great. I recommend Reptiglo 10.0, readily availanle, cost efficient and it actually produces UV rays. You’ll need to get a fixture for it. Don’t bu any of the cheaper brands and the coils, which are not proven and provide questionable results.

   As for playing, turtles get stressed when handled and prefer to be left alone. Although they can get used to being handled, most keepers do not force than upon them. After you handle you turtle, you should wash you hands, since turtles and many animals will carry bacteria, including, but not limited to salmonella (like raw chicken).

   Good luck!

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