Francisco L. Franco, Paula A. Oliveira, Rui Patrício, A. Faustino-Rocha
{"title":"The lifestyle of the leopard gecko and the importance of ultraviolet radiation, vitamin D and calcium","authors":"Francisco L. Franco, Paula A. Oliveira, Rui Patrício, A. Faustino-Rocha","doi":"10.46419/vs.55.4.6","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"The gecko leopard (Eublepharis macularius) was first described in 1854 by British herpetologist Edward Blyth. It is one of the most popular pet lizard species, due to its docile temperament, ease of maintenance and reproduction in captivity, its high longevity and small size, and its beauty and diversity of colours and patterns. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is an important behavioural regulator. Vitamin D also regulates many fundamental physiological functions in vertebrates, mainly calcium homeostasis. Because of the great diversity of reptile species and the wide range of environmental adaptations, it is important to know the necessities and adaptations of each species regarding UV, vitamin D and calcium requirements. This study provides an overview of the leopard gecko’s lifestyle, and the importance of ultraviolet radiation, vitamin D and calcium for this species.","PeriodicalId":23596,"journal":{"name":"Veterinarska stanica","volume":"4 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2023-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Veterinarska stanica","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.46419/vs.55.4.6","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"Veterinary","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The gecko leopard (Eublepharis macularius) was first described in 1854 by British herpetologist Edward Blyth. It is one of the most popular pet lizard species, due to its docile temperament, ease of maintenance and reproduction in captivity, its high longevity and small size, and its beauty and diversity of colours and patterns. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is an important behavioural regulator. Vitamin D also regulates many fundamental physiological functions in vertebrates, mainly calcium homeostasis. Because of the great diversity of reptile species and the wide range of environmental adaptations, it is important to know the necessities and adaptations of each species regarding UV, vitamin D and calcium requirements. This study provides an overview of the leopard gecko’s lifestyle, and the importance of ultraviolet radiation, vitamin D and calcium for this species.
期刊介绍:
The goal of the journal is to provide an international platform for the publication of articles in the fields of veterinary and animal sciences, and biotechnology. The content of the journal is particularly dedicated to veterinary practitioners, but also to veterinary scientists and university professors, to encourage them to share their knowledge and experience on this platform. Manuscripts submitted to the journal may include: original scientific papers, review articles, short communications, professional articles, case reports, conference reports and literary records and reviews of new book either in Croatian or English languages.