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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/reptile-mercury-vapor-bulb

Which kind of basking bulb gives a reptile both heat and UV light?

A mercury vapor lamp gives heat and some UV.

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  1. Ceramic heat emitter
  2. Mercury vapor lamp ✔
  3. Infrared heat panel

Why: Merck lists mercury vapor lamps as basking lights that give both heat and UV. Ceramic and infrared heaters only give heat, so those setups need a separate UVB bulb.

Huh, didn't know that: Merck warns that heat lamps should be used with extreme caution because overheating is common.

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References

Answer: Mercury vapor lamp. Merck lists mercury vapor lamps as basking lights that give both heat and UV. Ceramic and infrared heaters only give heat, so those setups need a separate UVB bulb.

  1. Merck Veterinary Manual (pet owner): Providing a Home for a Reptile www.merckvetmanual.com/all-other-pets/reptiles/providing-a-home-for-a-reptile
    Basking lights can be an incandescent bulb, infrared device, mercury vapor lamp (providing both heat and UV light), or a ceramic bulb heat emitter.
    Checked 2026-10-11.

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