Reptile & Amphibian Forums

...I am trying to find out if anyone is using blacklights or uV lights on their Rainbow Boa cages? Ultraviolet lights of either the reptile specific types or agricultural "show and gro" type bulbs. Anyone using any of these? My initial thought is that this should be harmless but because these snakes are nocturanl I am wondering if uV radiation may be harmful to them.
Jeff

Jeff I used a 15 watt Slimline reptile fixture for a few months. I really didn't notice any changes between any of them but it was only for a short time. I also have numerous hides for them and cypress mulch to bury in but they make sure there head is covered for sure from the uv light cuz it is bright as you know. However my light wasn't in the cage either but sitting on top of plexiglass on edge shining a lot of light on 2-20Longs. I am now just using indirect sunlight from a 5 1/2 foot window with the shade open 12 inches up.
Bob

I've never used any type of UV or grow type lighting. I did use incandescent bulbs for many years for heat. Now have RHP's in all the oak breeding cages.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
19.29 BRB
14.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

...I asked this question because I sold a 2006 baby in January and it was doing well and then died suddenly yesterday. It had been eating well and had been active but had recently been soaking in the water dish some and then died. The owner descibed what seems like an ideal cage and set-up for a small BRB. The one thing that was different than what we usually see is that he had a blacklight on the top of the cage. We mammals and many reptiles do need ultraviolet light for vitamin D production and the related conversion of dietary calcium to calcium ions in the blood and subsequent conversion of those ions into usable forms of calcium for bone growth. It is generally theorized that many snakes and especially the nocturnal ones have very little natural exposure to ultrviolet radiation and so must not require it. Any thoughts on this?
Jeff

>>...I am trying to find out if anyone is using blacklights or uV lights on their Rainbow Boa cages? Ultraviolet lights of either the reptile specific types or agricultural "show and gro" type bulbs. Anyone using any of these? My initial thought is that this should be harmless but because these snakes are nocturanl I am wondering if uV radiation may be harmful to them.
>>Jeff

Jeff.. I know there have been a lot of studies linking UV rays to dehydrating some cells (mostly in humans in reference to tanning beds and extreme sun exposure). I don't think a little exposure would hurt, as most reptiles seek the sun for at least a short time to bask, but if the animal was exposed for long durations had no way to escape the UV.. could be possible. If you google it, you will find tons of studies.. but I have not been able to locate anything showing the relationships between UV and reptiles (in terms of dehydration).

I would say without a necropsy.. there is no way to say for sure what happened to the snake.
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photos.xtremecombatsports.com

Hey Jeff,

I think it would be pretty hard to kill ananimal with a blacklight. When you're using them to benefit animals like iguanas and chameleons, they have to be withing about 18" to have any effect at all. Was there glass in between the light and the snake? If so, glass will filter out almost all of the UV.

If the UV was the culprit, I would expect a more gradual demise with symptoms first.

At any rate, sorry to hear about the animal,
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Mike Lockwood
www.tooscaley.com

I got a male from Jeff in Novemberish and he shed in transit in one piece. He was the calmest brb ever too, looked like he hasn't skipped a meal ever, was the longest brb I have ever received as a baby, he was 22 inches long and shedding quite often (every month) and I can't say enough about him or Jeff so how do we say uh-keeper error imo. I keep up with the boa forum as you probably do also with your pink suri's and cannot get over the amount of people that post week after week after week talking about why is my animal regurging or it has a respiratory infection-this is all keeper errors that were PREVENTABLE!! I totally understand that many instances are unpreventable and nature does take its course every once in awhile which is even more incentive to protect what we love and cherish to the best degree possible that were are able to provide for all OUR pets. Jeff you produced a lot of babies last year like 80 something I think and everyone I bet strived while in your care, so do not feel guilty but was more than likely out of your control.
Bob

I'm sure the blacklight is not the problem. Most of the people I know offline that raise one or more BRB's use the blacklight nightime heatbulbs for their enclosures during the nightcycle. This includes at least one long time breeder and none of them or myself have ever had a health problem using them.

Granted my own use of them was limited since I switched to ceramic heat emitters when needed for nught cycling after realizing my BRB's were more nocturnal/light sensitive then the other peoples were. In fact my pair are the only ones I've ever heard of having a problem with the black lights and with mine it was not a health issue it was a comfort one. They simply wouldn't come out and move about with that much ambient light. Instead they just stayed burrowed in the substrate. But as soon as I switched to the emitters they started coming back out again.

Don't blame yourself about this, even in the best of circumstances the transition of environments can be detrimantal/fatal on occassion especially if the animal was shipped. There is also always the possibility that the enclosure was ideal but either the water was not safe or toxins were in the house which eventually made it to the snake.

Jeff,
I've used incandescent 'blacklights' for years with my BRB's. Are you sure the nightlight your customer was using produced UV?
I would be highly suspect if the light, either straight incandescent or UV emitting, caused this fatality other than by producing too much heat. With the recent soaking behavior (my observation is that baby BRB's in a high humidity environment soak infrequently) I suspect this death was caused by high temperatures/low humidity over an extended period of time.
Paul

Yeah I wasn't sure what all would cause the soaking so I didn't mention it but my pair of BRB's have only ever, to my knowledge, soaked every once in a blue moon after a particularly large meal. And never beyond the first night after eating.