Lighting-UV harmful or helpful to Albinos?

[Alphatexana]

Greetings everyone,

We are wrapping up our first week as owners of our first herp, a male sunglow. Tonight he wolfed down his first pinkie since arriving at our house as the kids and wife looked on (very quietly at my insistence), which was great fun.

I've been reading a great deal. Care sheets from the web. Everything. Yes I've even read every post on these forum (well, not quite). Came across some information today which has me a little confused.

We have a Sunglow who we obtained from a very reputable breeder here in Texas. I understand that these are amelanistic (no black pigment). On a number of web sites I have visited there are statements that UV light, while not necessary for corns (being nocturnal) is generally helpful to all herps. Even a book I picked up (Philip Purser--Corn and Rat Snakes, 2006) has the following quote:

Corn snakes metabolize their food and vitamins without the aid of ultraviolet (UV) lighting and do not absolutely require special UV bulbs in captivity. However the psychological benefits of exposure to a UV bulb cannot be denied. Providing your corn snake with at least three to four hours of UV lighting each day makes a big difference in the animal's overall behavior and state of mental wellness. * * * UV light can be dangerous, however, if you purchse the wrong type. Make sure you only use those varieties sold specifically for reptiles. Avoid tanning bulbs, black lights and all other nonreptile-specific fixtures.

Psychological benefits?
Overall behavior?
State of mental wellness?
Well, I better get that Corn a light, I'm thinking.

Then I flip the page.

There on the next page (p. 25 if you have the 2006 edition) is an inset:

Genetically manipulated corn snakes that lack sufficient pigmentation (known as albinos) must never be exposed to UV radiation. They lack melanin in thier skins that would protect them from the dangerous effects of ultraviolet light.

Whoa! I had read a number of web sites on Corns and had never read that before. I guess it makes sense, but I wouldn't think that they would be that sensative to it, since their body's still have some pigment, just not black. Anyone heard this before? Anyone use UV lights with their Amels? What types?

On a side note--many sites suggested not using tap water--chlorine, and other chemicals. Fair enough. In my home town, none of us really like the taste of tap water, so was going to use drinking water for the snake anyway. However, one of the sites I read states very emphatically that one should never give distilled water to a snake. "It will kill them." www.moreptiles.com/faqs.htm. Could someone explain? Distillation is a purification process...basically boiling water to steam, and collecting the condensation. How exactly would the use of distilled water (or pure water) kill a snake?

One last side note--I mean if you have read this far, you have time for one more question don't you? The book mentions vitamin supplements, but acknowledges that the corn community is divided. Anyone use them? If so, what is used and how often?

Thanks in advance for your responses and answers,

Alphatexana

 

[Slippery Ernie]

Hey welcome to the forums!

I'm going to start off by saying this: For decades people have been successfully keeping all-around healthy corns with no problems by keeping them in appropriately sized containers, maintaining the correct temperatures, providing a constant supply of clean water, providing at least enough light for the snake to tell when it's daytime and when it's nighttime, and feeding mice. Nothing more, nothing less. When all else fails, just fall back on these methods and don't sweat the details. Corns are some of the most hardy and adaptable snakes out there.

That said, the affects of UV have been debated over and over. They don't NEED it to grow and maintain their physical health. Psychological health? I think the author is projecting human emotions onto his pets a little bit. If he's thinking the snakes are suffering from S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) because they're not exposed to sunlight (natural or artificial) I think he's losing focus of the big picture. Lots of these animals are kept in plastic bins. I think a little artificial sunlight would be the least of the animal's worries :shrugs: .

Anywhoo - I think the author is right to caution the reader about exposing an albino to UV. I just watched a show about an albino gorilla. The poor thing would squint whenever it was in the sun and could hardly see. Then it died of skin cancer. In my opinion the potential problems that could arise from providing UV to an albino snake would outweigh the benefits.
I don't know if the lack of only black pigments would cause the same issues. I would guess that anything with a red eye would be sensitive to bright light.

As far as tap water - yes there is chlorine in your water, and possibly chloramine depending on where you live. The only detrimental effects I could see that causing a snake would be killing off the natural bacteria in it's gut that help it digest it's food. Even then I would guess that would only be a problem with a very small snake. Chorine is easy to get rid of - let the water sit out for a day. Chloramine is more of a bear.

And you're right. Distilled water is pure. That's the problem. There are no electrolites (salts). The theory is that if a snake only drinks distilled, it will end up with an electrolyte imbalance which could lead to health problems and eventual death. BUT - that's another grey area. A mouse is full of electrolytes. So the snake would probably get enough from the mouse that distilled water wouldn't be a problem. But it's still safest to use spring water or tap water. --side note-- I heard that if you run a marathon and deplete your body of electrolytes, and then chug a bunch of distilled water, it will zap more electrolytes from your system (osmosis?) and you will have a heart attack.

- hold on let me catch my breath-:awcrap:


:boring:



Ok. :spinner:

There are threads here about vitamins and what people provide their snakes, and yes the community is divided. I personally feel that dusting a tiny bit on every couple of meals can't hurt. I mean, a snake eats whatever is in the mouses' gut in the wild anyway. They're eating all kinds of stuff in the wild that they're not getting in captivity. I think the general consensus is that while vitamins are probably good for the snake, they're not necessary.

:wavey: That's all I know about that. laters :sidestep:

 

[CaptBogart]

I use full spectrum and grow bulbs in my flourescent fixtures, but it's indirect lighting, (I don't have the fixtures right above the vivs). I have one hanging from the back of the shelves angled toward the wall set on a timer at 12 hour intervals from 7AM to 7PM. I don't know how it benefits them other than having a regular day and night cycle, but they come out right before the lights go out for their nocturnal roaming, which is where the "psychological benefits" and "overall behavior" probably kicks in. Really though, I think it benefits the house plants I have on the shelves more .

I use spring water for my snakes, (ever tasted distilled water?), because that's what I drink. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Distilled water, being essentially mineral-free, is very aggressive, in that it tends to dissolve substances with which it is in contact. Notably, carbon dioxide from the air is rapidly absorbed, making the water acidic and even more aggressive. Many metals are dissolved by distilled water." But, I do use distilled water in my spray bottle because it doesn't leave spots on the glass when you mist the vivs.

I don't use supplements, so someone else will have to answer on this one.... Hope that helps a little...

 

[bitsy]

Interesting posts above.

As I understand it, Corns don't need UV as they are naturally active at dawn and dusk and therefore would never usually be exposed in the wild to full-strength natural UV. UV is necessary for some reptiles to form Vitamin D3 which metabolises calcium. However, Corns have never evolved this function therefore UV is unnecessary.

Mine all exhibit natural dawn/dusk activity with just the natural sunlight that comes into the room where they're kept.

There's some anecdotal evidence that exposure to UV can be actively harmful to Corns lacking black pigmentation (e.g. Snows and Amels) as they have a reduced defence against UV. Some keepers have noted blindness in Snows kept with UV, although I don't believe this effect has been formally studied or confirmed yet. Some people think that, in effect, putting a Corn lacking black pigment under UV is like sending a red-headed person out in the midday sun without sunblock.

It could be argued that the Corns will spend most of their time under hides during the day and therefore wouldn't come out into the UV, but then... why bother with it?

My view is that Corn husbandry seems to work fine without UV and I won't be using it until some kind of formal study concludes that there are actual benefits to it. There's no way to gauge the "psychological wellbeing" of a Corn Snake (even if they have the capacity for such a thing) other than to observe it's behaviour. All of mine act normally without UV.

I've always used tap water and again, this seems to serve my Corns well.

My 19 year old has been raised without the benefit of UV or purified water and he's still going strong.

 

[Alphatexana]

Thanks for all the responses

Thanks for the great responses.

I'll stick with the natural light through the nearby window (indirect--north facing), non-distilled drinking water and may check out vitamins a bit (will definitely read those threads).

Thanks again,

Alphatexana

 

[MegF.]

Chloramines are deadly to reptiles and fish. If your county uses them (like mine does) purified water would be the only way to go. I've been giving mine water from my triple osmosis and they've done fine.