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lighting question

eawndl

eawndl

New member
Okay so I have another question. I know corn snakes do not bask so you don't need a basking lamp and that corn snakes get their mainsource of heat from the ground which is why I'm going to use a UTH on the warm side. But from what I have read and talk to with other people, is that corn snakes do needs some UVB because this helps with their digestive and consuming of calcium you know for bone growth and such. I mean everyone I talk to says the snake can live without it, but it can benefit from it, and it won't harm it if you do use it (of course I can only keep it on for so long time like during the day).
So my question is it okay to have just a terrarium hood with a light that lights up the cage and does act as some form of a sun while giving a little bit of UVB?

I mean, it can't hurt, right?
 
I don't know how it'd even effect your cornsnake, being as they pretty much stay their hide during the day, unless you turned it on at night, and that'd probably upset their internal clock. It can't hurt, but there's no real reason to spend to extra money on something that MIGHT benefit them, either. They live good lives and digest just fine without it.
 
I posted a question about this a few weeks ago and some people said you can't use it, but on another forum some people said that they have used it for quite a few years and have never noticed any problems. One thing i did notice is that you shouldn't have it on for long periods of time like 15 hours+. I was going to put a UVB light in my new viv but decided against it and ended up putting LED lighting in their instead.
 
Corn snakes do not require UVB to aid in digestion. Who ever told you that, was a bit misinformed. In the wild, corns are primarily ground dwellers and will not bask in sunlight, for heat regulation or digestion. That's a good way to get picked off by predators. :eek:

They would seek out warm rocks or warm rotting vegetation, to regulate their body heat. A UV light in reality, is just a waste of electricity. Regular daily lighting, like from a window that's in the room, is sufficient.

Hope that helps

Wayne
 
Absolutely agree with Wayne.

Some reptiles need UV as it helps them to metabolise calcium. Without UV, they can't process enough calcium from their diet and they get things like Metabolic Bone Disorder. This applies to basking species such as Bearded Dragons, but very much NOT to Corns. Corns are not a basking species; they only come out at dawn, dusk and overnight, and they have therefore never evolved this dependency on UV light.

The reality is that Corns hide away during periods of intense light, so you could risk not seeing them at all while a UV light is on. They don't benefit and neither do you. It's just an unnecessary expense.

I trot this anecdote out regularly (apologies to regular forum users), but I know someone from another forum who runs a reptile rescue and associates use of UV with blindness in lighter Corn morphs like Snows and Amels. Her theory is that they lack the black pigment that provides protection from UV damage and without eyelids, have no way of preventing damage from UV exposure. I don't believe this has ever been proven or studied, but she has many years of experience and I think it's worth taking into consideration.

And I can offer my own experience - that my 21 year old Corn has never seen UV in his life and is doing very nicely without!
 
Okay so no UV light is needed but what about a light that just illuminates the viv? I mean is there a light that does not produce UV lights and does not hurt the corn snake but illuminates the viv to make colors brighter like the plants and the colors on the snake and to just make things more visible? I mean just in general you know to light it up? Because my room is pretty dark even with the light on.
 
I wouldn't use heat lamps. Yes, they do create heat, but also dry out the air in the viv and can lead to shedding issues.

A good heat mat and a thermostat or rheostat to control the temps is good.

One thing you could do is go to your local dept store/walmart and get a set of those cord lights or even if you have some extra X-mas lights and back light. Looks great too! I have it on my racks for fun!

Wayne
 
I was thinking of putting a 2.0 UVB (13 watt) light for my corn but if you all think it might cause more harm than good, I may just add it to my frog Viv's instead.
 
the guy at the pet store who sold me my snake told me all the UV that snakes need can be obtainded by going outside with the snake for like an hour every year.
 
I'd take any advice from the guy at the pet store, with a pinch of salt. Corns don't need UV full stop. Most of mine have never been outside in their lives. Any reptile that does need UV is going to need it daily.

"An hour a year" is just BS. Trying to make himself sound good I guess!
 
ok so are there any lights out there to illuminate the viv without giving UV lights ad that are not harmful to the snake
 
Well, cord lights and LEDs were mentioned in previous answers. They sound good. You need something that'll give you enough light to see the snake, whilst giving off as little heat as possible.
 
Nroc said:
the guy at the pet store who sold me my snake told me all the UV that snakes need can be obtainded by going outside with the snake for like an hour every year.
Click to expand...

This is one of the funniest things I have ever heard! :roflmao: I almost shot the soda I was drinking, out my nose because I laughed so hard. Now, I'm not picking on you or anything, so don't think I am, but WOW! Outside, once a year, for an hour!?!?! :)

OK, really now. As Bitsy mentioned, I would take this persons advice from here on out, with a grain of salt. They are very misinformed and at this point, I would begin to question a lot of their advice. The majority of people on this forum have been working with snakes or more specific, corn snakes for many years. You may be better off weighing your sources. It's either the minimum wage worker at the pet store or the tenured experience of a true hobbyist. :shrugs: It's up to you.

Wayne
 
medusacoils said:
This is one of the funniest things I have ever heard! :roflmao: I almost shot the soda I was drinking, out my nose because I laughed so hard. Now, I'm not picking on you or anything, so don't think I am, but WOW! Outside, once a year, for an hour!?!?! :)

OK, really now. As Bitsy mentioned, I would take this persons advice from here on out, with a grain of salt. They are very misinformed and at this point, I would begin to question a lot of their advice. The majority of people on this forum have been working with snakes or more specific, corn snakes for many years. You may be better off weighing your sources. It's either the minimum wage worker at the pet store or the tenured experience of a true hobbyist. :shrugs: It's up to you.

Wayne
Click to expand...

If corn snakes are like light-skinned humans & synthesize vitamin D in their skin using UV light, that info would be pretty close to right. I don't know, though, if corn snakes do that, or if they get their vitamin D from prey.

Coming here seems like Nroc ~is~ looking for good info from experienced people. His post didn't read like he thought the pet store info was ~right~, just that he was mentioning something relevant, that he had been told corn snakes did not need a UV light over the viv.
 
If corn snakes are like light-skinned humans & synthesize vitamin D in their skin using UV light, that info would be pretty close to right. I don't know, though, if corn snakes do that, or if they get their vitamin D from prey.
Click to expand...
They get it from their prey, otherwise all of mine would have been dead years ago! None of them have ever had UV lights and most have never been outside in their lives (and only then well-covered for vet visits).
 
bitsy said:
They get it from their prey, otherwise all of mine would have been dead years ago! None of them have ever had UV lights and most have never been outside in their lives (and only then well-covered for vet visits).
Click to expand...

I figured as much.
 
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