Reptile Vision?

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simboni

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Hello Everyone,

I'm currently looking through all the equipment I might need to house a spotted python (its my first snake) and I came across the Exo Terra Reptile Vision Compact Fluorescent bulb.

The description talks about how humans see three spectrums, however reptiles can see an additional fourth. Other sources told me that it can be important to add this lighting in as the reptile may not perceive its environment properly which leads to stress (which leads to disease which leads to death), and temperamental issues within your reptile.

My questions are:

Is it a gimmick?

if not then;

Would it be beneficial to include in my setup?

This is my first reptile, I can't see whats legit and whats not.

Answers would be awesome
 
You dont need a fluro. Its a gimmick. How many fluro do you see in the bush? Pythons are mostly nocturnal
 
thanks for another reply Wokka!

Just out of interest, is this light completely useless? Say you were keeping a more diurnal specie, such as a chameleon (I wish!!), would it be necessary to have this globe, or does it serve no purpose?
 
People can see three spectrums? Reptiles will die without correct enclosure lighting??

Poor poor form on the part of these companies. Agree with Wokka's post in regard to your initial questions.

Some species (especially lizards) require UV for proper development but so far there hasn't been any proof that I know of that snakes need it. I will say though that one "benefit" of these reptile lights is that they seem to put out a certain colour of light that regular fluros don't and so I personally find that they really bring out the colours much more on a lot of species.
 
From their site see below. I highly doubt there output differs significantly from other fluoro globes though due to clever marketing they can justify charging you significantly more for an unnecessary piece of equipment.

"The reptile eye is more sensitive than the human eye to other wavelengths within the light spectrum. Previously, bulbs have been developed towards human vision. The spectrum of the Reptile Vision Bulb peaks in those wavelengths important to reptiles. As a result of the vivid wavelenghths of light provided by the Reptile Vision Bulb, reptiles will experience and perceive colors from their environment more naturally. The Exo Terra Reptile Vision Bulb will help to improve the living conditions and physiological wellbeing of your reptiles. Combine with Exo Terra?s Reptile UVB Bulbs to create the perfect conditions for your reptiles."
 
Normal human vision can detect a range of wavelengths of light, which is what defines what we call the ?visual spectrum?. Above and below this range there exists a further range of light wavelengths which the unaided human eye cannot perceive - the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) spectrums, respectively. Some reptiles are able to sense IR radiation via so-called ?heat pits? on the head. Some reptiles are able to detect wavelengths that extend into the beginning of the UV spectrum.

Ability to detect particular wavelengths is not the same thing as how sensitive visual receptors are to those wavelengths. The more sensitive a visual receptor, the less intense the light needs to be for it to be registered by that receptor.

Receptors that are sensitive to only a particular band of wavelengths allow us to see different colours and are therefore known as colour receptors. These receptors can be identified by their roughly conical shape and are technically called "cone cells". Animals with colour vision mostly have three types of cones, each sensitive to a different band of wavelengths. Those animals that can see into the lower UV spectrum normally posses four types of cones.

There are also rod-shaped light receptor cells that detect pretty much all wavelengths in the visible spectrum but do not distinguish between different wavelengths. Theyse rod cells can only detect the intensity of light and translate this into different shades from white to black ? so called black and white vision. Rods are more sensitive to light than cones and are therefore used in low light conditions, such as at night. Humans, by the way, have both rods and cones (3 types of).

Natural sunlight does not have peaks in the ranges that specific cone cells are sensitive to, so why would an artificial light require this?. Where no natural sunlight at all, even indirect, is able to enter an enclosure, a ?full spectrum? light (i.e. one that spans the visible spectrum only) which also extends a little into the UV range, might assist in rendering more natural vision for species able to detect UV.

Those are the simplified facts. Draw your own conclusions...

Sorry about the essay but it really irks me when retailers put out BS blurbs, masquerading as scientific facts by dressing them up in technical terms, often with (useless) graphs. To my mind they are purposefully unfairly trading on the average person?s limited technical knowledge of the subjectmatter.

Blue
 
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Bull plop. Grade A bull plop. A lot of exo terras products come accompanied by interesting 'facts' like that.
 
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