Do tortoises sense UVB?

[mikeh]

I recently installed 12% T5 46" Arcadia into a baby leopard closed indoor set up as he no longer goes outside for the season. I noticed he now completely ignores his 40W flood basking light which he ALWAYS used before. Every morning and thru out the day he hangs out directly under the Arcadia with his feet spread out, when not patrolling his space.

I am trying to figure out what exactly causes this preference. I also noticed the Arcadia runs very warm, it does produce very gentle radiant heat at 15". Could that just be torts preference over 40W the flood or is it the UVB? The 40W isn't hot, prior he spent great amount of time under it. Also would a full spectrum light of the florescent have anything to do with this preference?

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[N2TORTS]

The sun emits energy over a broad spectrum of wavelengths: visible light that you see, infrared radiation that you feel as heat, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation that you can’t see or feel. UV radiation has a shorter wavelength and higher energy than visible light. It affects human health both positively and negatively. Short exposure to UVB radiation generates vitamin D, but can also lead to sunburn depending on an individual’s skin type. Here is a fact sheet that explains the types of ultraviolet radiation and the various factors that can affect the levels reaching the Earth’s surface.

http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/doc/uvradiation.html


JD~