Posted by:
j3nnay
at Sun Feb 10 21:18:33 2008 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by j3nnay ]
You're right to be concerned - you can actually sunburn the snake if it has no where to hide.
I have an albino kingsnake, and I was using a 5.0 UVB bulb over the cage because I figured daytime light in a display cage couldn't be a bad thing. I never saw my snake! I had read in a book about all the basking and other behaviors kingsnakes and others will exhibit when placed in a good display cage and my kingsnake was doing nothing but hiding in the dirt.
I talked to the folks at work about it, and they laughed at me for putting the UVB light on there. In the subsequent teasing, I learned that my snake was being smart and avoiding the UVB and a likely sunburn.
So, I went home and stopped using the UVB light, and used just a nice basking light not meant to mimic natural sunlight wavelengths. What do you know, my snake started coming out to bask, explore, and generally hang out. I see my snake almost every single day out doing something, and the difference is great.
I think a very low output UVB light might be acceptable, but honestly my snake is doing so awesome with the basking light (60 watt "daylight bulb" from zoomed) that I don't see a reason to try a UVB light again.
 Good looking out!
~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)
"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire
[ Hide Replies ]
- Melanin. - Hollychan, Sat Feb 9 11:30:36 2008
- RE: Melanin. - antr1, Sat Feb 9 12:28:17 2008
- RE: Melanin. - Hollychan, Sat Feb 9 14:57:56 2008
 RE: Melanin. - j3nnay, Sun Feb 10 21:18:33 2008
- RE: Melanin. - tricolorbrian, Sun Feb 10 21:32:16 2008
- OK... - zach_whitman, Wed Feb 13 22:54:04 2008
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