Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been pondering again. Since BPs spend the day inside dark burrows and come out at night, how much exposure do they have to the day light?

How many of you successfully keep BPs in relative darkness 24X7?
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Jay, I won't venture to guess how much daylight a wild ball is exposed to. They'll do what they have to do to get what they need. In other words, I'm sure they'll hunt during the day if they can't find a meal during their nightly excursions.

All my snakes are kept in the dungeon, my basement, and the only natural light they get comes through a single 12" x 6" window. They sleep during the day and are active after natural darkness, with or without excess lighting. I believe all animals have their own internal clock. It's been there for millions of years, and it's in their nature to act in certain ways.

This doesn't mean they can't be conditioned to act in a different way. It depends on what they are subjected to. Just my thoughts.

Quig
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

How do you think their feeding responses are based on this setting?
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Not sure I understand what you mean. As opposed to a regular day/night light cycle? Mine have been kept under both conditions over time and I really don't see a difference in their feeding response from one to the other. When not breeding they eat to the extreme if I allow it .
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

I only keep a couple small clip lamps in my snake room. They are on a timer, but during their "daytime" it is still pretty dim, especially from their perspective from their tubs. Of course if need to get in there work I have plenty of lights I can flip on.

So far, good results. My non feeders have decreased and there was no drop as far as breeding results or eggs laid.

Justin
J. Kobylka Reptiles

Jay...I think photoperiod is important, at least in some degree.

Sorry about that. I do expose my animals to a natural photo period. They are all in solid sided racks, so they do not get much light. I have 1 60W desk lamp on a timer in the center of the room, and the open windows. I shorten the photoperiod in the fall, and lengthen it in the spring to mimic the natural conditions outside my house. Wild snakes closer to the equator have less of a "swing" in their natural photoperiod. I would think it would be unhealthy for the snakes to not get SOME kind of photoperiod cues. I know it really screws up humans that live in the far north (as in northern Alaska, where the get 24 hour darkness during the winter)....

Jay,

I think I know what your saying, you mean that apart from the times in the wild that Balls are forced, through hunger or maybe when they want to warm up a bit early in the day, they may never have to see daylight?

I agree and in my rack I only use a rope light in back(not too bright) and sometimes I dont even turn it on for days, and the snakes have been fine.

They dont need the light to process Calcium / D3 or whatever, so maybe they dont require it. I think people need the light cycle more for psycological reasons than physical ones - no?

Alan

I keep mine in a dimly lit room but not dark except at night . David

Supplemental lighting is not necessary for this species, but if used should run on a 12/12 cycle, meaning 12 hours on & 12 hours off. Continuous bright, overhead lighting is stressful to snakes, especially a nocturnal serpent such as this one.

Only time I have a "light on" during the day is if it is cloudy or rainy )