Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was just wondering. would i black Fluorescent light effect the health or well-being of my ball python during the day or even during night?
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1 Blue Tongue Skink
1 Savannah Monitor

I really wouldn't worry about it.
I can't see why you would have the light on during the day as it would produce little to none of the effect you would be looking for.

As far as at night? Again, don't worry about it. The biggest worry you would have is excess heat...and "black lights" don't produce very much heat to begin with...even the heat that is given off does not radiate far enough to raise temps too much. You've seen those red light bulbs at pet shops that are supposedly for "night viewing" of your terrarium pets, right? Same principle...at little light for you...not a lot of heat for them.

If you are worried about the psychological aspect of it (would it mess up his/her day and night cycles? etc.) again, I say...don't worry about it. I really can't see how the little bit of light that is produced would affect your snake too much. If this is a worry though I would advise only having the light on for an hour or two each night during the times you would actually be viewing the animal. A simple timer would take care of this extra "chore" for you.

I can only assume you have a tank if you are asking this question and more than likely you'll have a fairly realistic set up (at least real "looking". If you do hook up a black light...why not snap a pic or two and post them so we can have a look - not so we can critique...I just like seeing other peoples animals, tanks, and setups.

Technically, black lights emit UVA light (350-380 nm), which is typically considered the least harmful when compared to UVB and UVC. It has been shown to contribute to aging of human skin and possibly skin cancer. Due to it's long wavelength (=low energy), it's not considered to be harmful to ones eyes.