Daytime lighting

[faroutinmt]

I've been using florescent lights for daytime lighting in my cages for I guess about 2 years now. What's funny is sometimes my snakes come alive and start moving around right after I turn the lights off. Sometimes they start moving around before. It does make the cages nicer to look at during the day...not that I'm home to look at them.

So, I was wondering if the daytime lighting really makes any difference to the snakes. Sometimes I wonder if they are annoyed by that big bright light. Does having or not having a day and night cycle have any impact on the psychological wellbeing of the animal?

If anyone has an opinion, I'd enjoy hearing it.

[Hairless]

I did a test with my boas and light.

Without light in the enclosure and only using indirect light in the snake room, I noted where the snakes preferred to rest. Of course their resting spot varied on state of digestion and so forth. I then added light to 'shine' on the areas the snakes preferred and shaded the areas they used less. I made sure they had access to half of the floor heated area during the test. They changed their habits and avoided the light. When the lights were removed the snakes went back to their original habits (without lights). They also avoided light to the point their temps would be different (higher and lower than previously seen without lights).

Even Occidentalis (which basks in their native habitat when it is cold) avioded the light.

I'm not saying I never saw one of my boas 'in the light', but they all clearly changed their habits to aviod it the majority of the time. After observing this, it is my conclusion that lights for boas should be avioded. I use only indirect (window) light in the snake room.

Does this mean boas can't be healthy when the enclosure is heated with lights????

[stu]

I only use indirect light as well. No light shining on the snake and my blinds are even closed during the day.

[faroutinmt]

Originally Posted by Hairless

I did a test with my boas and light.
Without light in the enclosure and only using indirect light in the snake room, I noted where the snakes preferred to rest. Of course their resting spot varied on state of digestion and so forth. I then added light to 'shine' on the areas the snakes preferred and shaded the areas they used less. I made sure they had access to half of the floor heated area during the test. They changed their habits and avoided the light. When the lights were removed the snakes went back to their original habits (without lights). They also avoided light to the point their temps would be different (higher and lower than previously seen without lights).
Even Occidentalis (which basks in their native habitat when it is cold) avioded the light.
I'm not saying I never saw one of my boas 'in the light', but they all clearly changed their habits to aviod it the majority of the time. After observing this, it is my conclusion that lights for boas should be avioded. I use only indirect (window) light in the snake room.
Does this mean boas can't be healthy when the enclosure is heated with lights????

Hmmm....very interesting. Thanks alot for this info! I have wondered about this because the light fixture in the cage is not really avoidable. Its just shining right at them. I began to think that if I was in that cage, that light would be really annoying. This helps alot.

[kellymack515]

Originally Posted by Hairless

I did a test with my boas and light.
Without light in the enclosure and only using indirect light in the snake room, I noted where the snakes preferred to rest. Of course their resting spot varied on state of digestion and so forth. I then added light to 'shine' on the areas the snakes preferred and shaded the areas they used less. I made sure they had access to half of the floor heated area during the test. They changed their habits and avoided the light. When the lights were removed the snakes went back to their original habits (without lights). They also avoided light to the point their temps would be different (higher and lower than previously seen without lights).
Even Occidentalis (which basks in their native habitat when it is cold) avioded the light.
I'm not saying I never saw one of my boas 'in the light', but they all clearly changed their habits to aviod it the majority of the time. After observing this, it is my conclusion that lights for boas should be avioded. I use only indirect (window) light in the snake room.
Does this mean boas can't be healthy when the enclosure is heated with lights????

Wow what a smart idea. I've been curious about this too lately. Thanks for running your experiment and sharing with us!

[razeraze]

I use direct lighting but heat emitters that produce no light. The light is on a 12/12 cycle like most of my research into rain forests and jungles suggest. Both my snakes prefer to avoid the light during the day and explore the cage during the night (as they would in the wild). Sometimes they explore during the day but the photoperiods are not for observed behavior. I started to use photoperiods after researching the pineal gland and pineal eye in reptiles and how light and U.V. affect hormone regulation both in humans and reptiles. I provide both for these "unseen" benefits based on research not observations.
Does this mean snakes can not live healthy lives with out light????

[Hairless]

Originally Posted by razeraze

I use direct lighting but heat emitters that produce no light. The light is on a 12/12 cycle like most of my research into rain forests and jungles suggest. Both my snakes prefer to avoid the light during the day and explore the cage during the night (as they would in the wild). Sometimes they explore during the day but the photoperiods are not for observed behavior. I started to use photoperiods after researching the pineal gland and pineal eye in reptiles and how light and U.V. affect hormone regulation both in humans and reptiles. I provide both for these "unseen" benefits based on research not observations.
Does this mean snakes can not live healthy lives with out light????

Photoperiod is needed for proper Pineal gland function. Proper function is inhibited when day/night periods are inconsistant or non-existant. Gradual changes in light cycles, like those naturally seen as the sun angle changes throughout the season, may have other non-harmful affects. Some of these affects may help in breeding of boas and others.

No where in my research of pineal gland funtion did I find anything leading me to think direct light was needed to stimulate proper function of the pineal gland. There is little direct light in tropical rainforests. Since boas will avoid light and direct light isn't needed to stimulate the pineal gland I'm unsure why you came to your conclusion that direct light is needed to control proper photoperiod.

[razeraze]

I said I use direct light in the cages to establish photoperiods. The cages all have dark retreats in which the snake can completely retreat from the light. I could use light from outside of the cages but it would then filter out much of the UVA and all of the UVB.. So it just makes more since to put the lights in the cages unless you have a cage with out light filters such as glass, plexi glass or screens.

	Ultra Violet Radiation B Ultra Violet Radiation B