# UVB lights for hedgies?



## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Has anyone used UVB lights for hedgehogs? 

I don't know if they would be beneficial or not since during the day they are normally hidden. 

Would it cause burns? Has anyone tried this before? 

I'm just curious. As we learn more about hedgehogs in the wild and try to mimic that in captivity I was wondering if this would be something to try.


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

UVB lights are used for reptiles mostly because, as pets, they won't get the amount of natural sunlight that they would normally get in their natural more tropical/sunny climates. So they need full UV spectrum lighting to supplement that.

UVB light isn't necessary for hedgehogs. Since they're naturally nocturnal, they're built not to need specific light rays like that. It may actually cause burns, especially since they aren't used to it (although I could be wrong about that part).

That said, they do need a regular light cycle of 10-12 hours light and dark. If they're in the dark a lot, they may think it means that it's winter and attempt hibernation. You can use a simple light timer on a regular lamp to turn on and off. The light doesn't have to be directly on their cage. I just have one of my living room lamps set and that provides plenty of light.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

That's what I was thinking but I wasn't sure. I owned a snake years ago and was just thinking about her the other day while holding Penny. Then I was wondering if she ever needs those same type of rays. I think with beardies they are kept on a light schedule as well so turning on and off a uv light wouldn't be any different than a regular bulb as I can tell. 

Again just a curiosity. Wasn't sure if anyone had done that kind of research.


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