UV Lighting for Centralian Carpet Python Yes or No

[angelrose]

Hi Guys, i just called animal attraction to order a uv light for my Bredli, only to be told by Mel that i don't need UV lighting for my Bredli, that any viewing light would do and that only diamond pythons need UV....
My understanding is that UV helped to stimulate digestion, reprodution, kept the colour nice and generally affected the health of the animal, and being that i have a desert creature i would have though that sun would be paramount.

I have attached pics of the new cage in it's building stage.

I'd like to hear all your thoughts to help me make this decision.
Thanks.
Angel

 

[angelrose]

Hmm, heres something i found on another site

Well seeing as I have been put firmly in my place by more than one of you here is my positive answer.....

YES.

To qualify that, I will say that I ran a 12mth long experiment with the same species a few years ago and the results were unmistakeable. I obtained two hatchy Bredl's from the same source, they were close to identical in colour and markings. One of these hatchies was given heat only and the other also had timed U.V.B. provided. The animal that was provided with U.V.B. during the daylight hours became far superior in the irrelevant area of appearance becoming lighter overall and the colour more intense. Once the twelve months were up I kept them both without U.V.B. and they have been kept that way ever since. The colouration of this particular pair of animals is now almost identical once again.

 

[da_donkey]

seems to me that you want to provide the best conditions for your snake, you were already prepared to outlay the $$$ for the extra lighting, your enclosure looks great (with a few climbing perches added).
Its not going to be a bad thing for your snake, and if it gives you peace of mind then go ahead and run with the UV lighting.

donks

 

[angelrose]

Yeah i'm prepared to pay and i already have the fittengs installed... i'm more concerned for the health of my snake, it seems logical to me that if UV affects the colour of the snake, that it is directly related to it's health as my skin clearly shows when i am well, not well etc...
UV Lighting for Reptiles: How much UVB do reptiles need? this site has done quite a bit of research...
For the sake of $40 every 6-12 months for the UV i would rather provide the UV and enough hide for the animal to make a choice.
She has 100W ceramic heat lamps on a digital thermostat providing a gradiant of 24 to 30 which i think is about right for her.

My neighbour is an arborist and is seeking out the perfect forked branch for her to climb/perch on

 

[slim6y]

How much is too much? How much is beneficial? How much is not enough?

All seem unanswered (in the above site).

What about mandatory enforcement - take you bredli out for a midday stroll once or twice a week - that will possibly replicate closer to the real thing anyway and will give the added advantage of a 'stretch' with all wavelengths of light being observed.

That's the way I do it

 

[angelrose]

take you bredli out for a midday stroll once or twice a week

Yeah i do this also, i have an area of the yard set up withbranches strewn around and some long grass and short grass for my python to play around in and i sit out there with her for and hour and few times a week, its also a great time for me to meditate while I watch her very closely and move her to the centre of her play area when she makes a break for it, and i also keep my cats locked inside during this "playtime"

If this was the only time i spent outside each week, my vitamin D levels would drop dramatically and i would become depressed... so why should i expect any different from my snake?

 

[slim6y]

If this was the only time i spent outside each week, my vitamin D levels would drop dramatically and i would become depressed... so why should i expect any different from my snake?

Perhaps in Victoria....

Euorpeans have survived for countless centuries on their 3 months of sunshine - yes, they went to war lots... but they survive.

Everyone is different - especially the genetic requirements - and too much can have an adverse effect too... This happens for people who try to find the sun all year long...

Even a tiny amount of sun in a week is all that is generally required for health.

UV lights are not broad enough spectrum either - whereas the sun is.

Personally - I think UV is highly important - the amount, I don't know, but some is so much better than none.

And even the 'some' twice a week, is all that will be required for a reasonably recessive bredli python...

 

[AM Pythons]

never used uv, never will. take your snake ouside for 15mins a week...

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Snakes, even Diamonds, don't NEED UV, but it won't do them any harm. The anecdotal evidence quoted on the experiment with 2 bredli is not exactly a representative sample, especially for a species which can change dramatically during it's early development. You would need to have many more animals involved to be able to draw any firm conclusions. I have 3 pairs of bredli atm, and each of those animals has changed greatly during the first 4-5 years of life. If you want to go for it, do so, but your animals won't suffer any harm if you don't supply UV.

Jamie

 

[dst1980]

Uv dosn't give any health benifets for a bredli, however it makes all the diffrence with their apperance. Without uv a bredli will go a dull unapealing brown colour, with uv they will brighten right up and keep their natral bright red colouration. I would say it is a must! Some people might disagree but I have seen this first hand many times with my bredlis.

 

[Chris1]

i dont provide UV in their cages, but all my animals get plenty of time in the sun on weekends,...

 

[byron_moses]

i dont provide UV in their cages, but all my animals get plenty of time in the sun on weekends,...

like wise chris and mine have coloured uo fine

 

[licky]

slim6y you arent exactly on the money man. Uv is used in many ways in our bodies to make them properly function. heat and uv are very different in terms of reptile health.

 

[slim6y]

slim6y you arent exactly on the money man. Uv is used in many ways in our bodies to make them properly function. heat and uv are very different in terms of reptile health.

Thanks man....

UV (capitals) - I fail to note where I link heat to UV?

Firstly - heat is a measure of energy and UV is a measure (in nanometres or close) of the wavelengths of light - however, outside of the visible spectrum.

Does this help qualify my statements?

Secondly - UV has a multitude of uses - I never disputed that - however, the AMOUNT required is small (I hope that is clear) and can help with calcium absorption and many other vital functions - without UV we'd die....

Just to give you a bit of a side...

We're so so so so so so so so so so (repeat this an infinite amount of times) lucky that we have a sun that emits rays in the spectrum that it does at the current Astronmical Unit (AU) away from us (which is equal to 1 which is about 150 million km away).

Any minor changes would see us either requiring sunblock SPF 2000 or our green plants requiring to be red....

So - what ever I said, I must have been asleep - because I can't a) read where I was wrong or b) wonder why I wrote all this above....

PS - I am exactly on the money - unless I was taught wrong... then god only knows.....

 

[licky]

i ment in the way that most people think a healthy reptile is a warm one, whilst tottally neglecting the fact that exposure to uv is needed. Its similar to the "active vs exercise debate" not gunna get into that atm.

 

[slim6y]

i ment in the way that most people think a healthy reptile is a warm one, whilst tottally neglecting the fact that exposure to uv is needed. Its similar to the "active vs exercise debate" not gunna get into that atm.

Sorry - my misinterpretation - I was just talking about UV and full spectrum, not heat...