Compact bulbs in my opinion are one of the worst and most dangerous reptile items available for chameleons. There have been several studies that point to the dangers of compacts as well as owners (like myself) that have experienced the issues of compacts in person. Sadly, it seems that there are still many people who are unaware of these dangers (I am making this generalization because there is still a fair share of people on this forum that use compacts).
To prove my points on the negatives of compacts, I will start off with a personal experience. There is a local pet shop in San Diego that sells chameleons . As many of us know, chameleons are very hard to raise and require almost perfect care/treatment. Therefore it is not a surprise that most pet stores provide less than suitable care. While at the pet store, my roommate and I came upon a very sick female veiled chameleon. She was very skinny, walking on the floor, gaping and keeping her eyes shut. All these actions came as no surprise when I saw that she was underneath a coil UVB bulb. My roommate and I decided to purchase the chameleon in an attempt to save it. On the drive home I studied her closely. She was very skinny, solid black and looked very fragile. I provided her with a much more suitable enclosure and hoped for the best. At the time I didn't know much about the severity of UVB bulbs. I was confident that within a few days she would be drinking and eating again and her eyes would be back to normal. Sadly I was mistaken.
Compact bulbs start by what seems a slow degradation of the chameleons eyes. Eventually, if the bulb is not removed the chameleon will begin to loose it's vision. The affect on chameleons eyes is very similar to snowblindness. The concentration of UV rays is simply to powerful and causes a temporary loss of vision. If the damage is severe, recovery time is lengthened.
Upon getting the female veiled settled in her cage, I immediately misted her for a long length of time. During the misting she dropped to the floor; her coordination was very poor, mainly because of the fact that she was blinded and lethargic. She refused to drink or eat and I was beginning to realize time was against me. The next day I noticed she would not stay off of the floor, even when I placed her back on the top she would begin walking towards the bottom, loose her grip and fall. Within less than 48 hours, a trip to the vet and all attempts made at keeping her alive, she died.
From this experience I learned the true problems of coil bulb exposure. It seems that many people are unaware of the damages that blindness causes, especially with chameleons (be it that they are so fragile and easily stressed). When a chameleon looses its sight, it becomes frustrated/stressed and refuses to drink or eat. Eventually the degradation worsens and lethargy overcomes them, which results in death. Although snowblindness is for the most part only temporary, from my experience it seems that chameleons have a slim chance of surviving once it happens to them.
To further prove my point, try this out. Stare into a compact UVB bulb for several minutes. You will find it practically impossible because the rays hurt your eyes so much that they cause them to squint/close. Then look away from the bulb and you will see white spots in your vision. Try this same test with a fluorescent tube and you will see for yourself that the tube causes no eye pain, nor does it leave spots in your vision.
Hopefully this post will change/strengthen your knowledge of the negatives of compact bulbs. For even more information, check out these links: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm
To prove my points on the negatives of compacts, I will start off with a personal experience. There is a local pet shop in San Diego that sells chameleons . As many of us know, chameleons are very hard to raise and require almost perfect care/treatment. Therefore it is not a surprise that most pet stores provide less than suitable care. While at the pet store, my roommate and I came upon a very sick female veiled chameleon. She was very skinny, walking on the floor, gaping and keeping her eyes shut. All these actions came as no surprise when I saw that she was underneath a coil UVB bulb. My roommate and I decided to purchase the chameleon in an attempt to save it. On the drive home I studied her closely. She was very skinny, solid black and looked very fragile. I provided her with a much more suitable enclosure and hoped for the best. At the time I didn't know much about the severity of UVB bulbs. I was confident that within a few days she would be drinking and eating again and her eyes would be back to normal. Sadly I was mistaken.
Compact bulbs start by what seems a slow degradation of the chameleons eyes. Eventually, if the bulb is not removed the chameleon will begin to loose it's vision. The affect on chameleons eyes is very similar to snowblindness. The concentration of UV rays is simply to powerful and causes a temporary loss of vision. If the damage is severe, recovery time is lengthened.
Upon getting the female veiled settled in her cage, I immediately misted her for a long length of time. During the misting she dropped to the floor; her coordination was very poor, mainly because of the fact that she was blinded and lethargic. She refused to drink or eat and I was beginning to realize time was against me. The next day I noticed she would not stay off of the floor, even when I placed her back on the top she would begin walking towards the bottom, loose her grip and fall. Within less than 48 hours, a trip to the vet and all attempts made at keeping her alive, she died.
From this experience I learned the true problems of coil bulb exposure. It seems that many people are unaware of the damages that blindness causes, especially with chameleons (be it that they are so fragile and easily stressed). When a chameleon looses its sight, it becomes frustrated/stressed and refuses to drink or eat. Eventually the degradation worsens and lethargy overcomes them, which results in death. Although snowblindness is for the most part only temporary, from my experience it seems that chameleons have a slim chance of surviving once it happens to them.
To further prove my point, try this out. Stare into a compact UVB bulb for several minutes. You will find it practically impossible because the rays hurt your eyes so much that they cause them to squint/close. Then look away from the bulb and you will see white spots in your vision. Try this same test with a fluorescent tube and you will see for yourself that the tube causes no eye pain, nor does it leave spots in your vision.
Hopefully this post will change/strengthen your knowledge of the negatives of compact bulbs. For even more information, check out these links: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm
