Available in 5 Sizes

Choosing a UVB Source

• Includes FREE ReptiSun T5 HO 5.0 UVB Lamp.
• New low profile design.
• Energy efficient T5 HO electronic ballast for rapid start and maximum lamp performance.
• Highly polished curved reflector for increase lamp efficiency.
• Use with a Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO lamp to provide UVB, UVA & Visible light for your reptile.

The Zoo Med Reptisun T5-Ho Terrarium Hood is designed for reptile enclosures. It features a low-profile design, energy-efficient T5 HO electronic ballast, and a polished, curved reflector for optimal lamp performance.

Animals and UVB

Many animals (most reptiles and birds) are able to utilize UVB to synthesize their own Vitamin D3. While some species are able to get Vitamin D3 from their diet (like snakes that eat whole prey items such as mice), most insectivores and herbivores must make D3 of their own.

Vitamin D3 is responsible for calcium metabolism, and if there is not enough circulating vitamin D3 in the blood, animals are not able to use the calcium in their gut that comes from their food. Dietary calcium would then pass through the gut unused, and animals would be forced to take it from their bones, ultimately leading to a form of Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). MBD causes reptiles’ bones to become soft, resulting in severe deformities of the spine, broken legs and soft jaws. In severe cases, the internal organs can calcify and become hard—which can ultimately result in death. In addition to being a major component of bones and eggshells, calcium is involved in countless biological processes at the cellular level, including cell communication, muscle contractions and other functions that are essential to life.

In the early days of keeping reptiles, little was known about the specialized lighting requirements of the majority of reptile species. During this time, reptiles housed indoors were not exposed to UVB, and as a result, would often develop Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD).