do ball pythons need uva bulbs?

Question

what is the best bulbs to use for a ball python

Answer 1

UV lighting is important though most will say they do not need it, as many keep and breed them with out it. But snakes see in the UV light spectrum.

UV-B helps to metabolize calcium and phosphorus and in the production of D3. UV-A is stimulative activity and appetite, among other possible behavior. So they may not "need" it but it can be beneficial. Exposure to UV-B lighting has shown an increase in 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations in corn snakes, so this is likely for other snakes as well. Hopefully more studies like this will be done. UV-A is produced to some degree in most lights but at higher rates in specialty lights like those made for reptiles.

For my boas I use GE Plant & Aquarium fluorescent bulbs (10% total UV, but not designed as an UV-B though it provides a very small %) and a 2.0 fluorescent( either ExoTerra or ZooMed) as the day time light source. This provides a good light index for view your snake as well. It does not hurt to provide it.











Study links

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18241029

http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/202/14/1931.pdf

UV and lighting info

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

http://www.reptileuvinfo.com/document-list.php

http://www.hagen.com/pdf/reptiles/Exo_Terra_Lighting_Guide_EN.pdf

Answer 2

Some reptiles absorb vitamin D3 to produce calcium through UV lighting. Ball Pythons are not this type of animal and have no light requirements. It is best to not provide light at night routinely to reduce stress and to allow them to acess to a hidebox. The hidebox should typically fit them tightly and allow them to feel pressure from it while under it to give them a sense of security.



For heat, you should be using a UTH- (Under tank heater) and should have a thermostat for it, or a dimmer switch used in conjunction with a thermometer with an external temperature probe or another method of measuring the temperature at the point of potential contact with the snake. (I attached a link to a thermometer that would be ideal- even has a humidity gauge!) (also a caresheet link.)



Edit: Keep in mind that Ball Pythons are African and NOCTURNAL- they have rare exposure to UV light in the wild. If you actually read the two studies that Chris B posted after my post, neither indicates that Ultraviolet light would be of benefit. I have never seen a report of a Python Regis having any anemia for the nutrients he has listed, as they digest those nutrients from their prey food. The second study anecdotally discusses that they may see UV light trails left by prey animals that would not be visable to the human eye.



Aside from necropsies of animals that died of starvation, the only claim that I ever heard of a Ball Python with metabolic bone disease (MBD) was a misdiagnosis of a female that went off feed and was still bred every year. The shelling of the eggs robbed her body of calcium. This caused some breeders to supplement calcium to breedstock females.



The bulbs would not be harmful to the Ball Python, but if you talk with major Ball Python breeders I doubt if any provide full spectrum lighting. You could give David & Tracy Barker a call- I believe in the 1990's they thought Diamond Pythons may benefit from full spectrum lighting but I have not followed up on their findings. I would suspect that providing vitamin powder on or inside their food would be significantly more beneficial and still not usually necessary.

Answer 3

a million. Get a common, known one hundred watt lamp. 2. place the lamp on one side over the water bowl, that ought to create adequate organic humidity. 3. keep the lamp on approximately 13 hours an afternoon. 4. If the lamp is on one side, the different side ought to be between 2 and 3 or maybe 5 ranges cooler, this is positive. 5. no desire for 2 bulbs, that's basically loopy. solid luck.

Answer 4

The BEST thing to do for a BP is to get it a UTH. (Under tank heater.)



They hide in their caves most of the day, so they won't get the light from the bulb, but they can absorb the heat from the heater.

Answer 5

any reptile needs UVB and a mercury vapor bulb as far as im concerned is best,. if it doesnt get uvb it will get MBD metabolic bone disease and suffer terrible also taking away from quality Of life and length

Answer 6

They only need a heat lamp since they are nocturnal so they dont need flourescent lighting if thats what your asking

Answer 7

complicated aspect. do a search into yahoo or google. that may help!