Weird Lighting Suggestion from a caresheet

[ChrisBallPython]

" LIGHTING:
You should have a full-spectrum fluorescent light in your terrarium. This light, more often than not, is the only activator of vitamin D3 your snake will get. In nature the rays of the sun (UV-A) provide the necessary light to produce the vitamin D3 necessary for the snake to correctly absorb calcium, which is necessary for their bones to develop properly. At least one or two 4-foot full-spectrum bulbs (replaced regularly) over a basking spot will give an adult snake most of what it needs. Otherwise, normal room lighting with indirect light through the windows will suffice. "-------From http://www.dracoslair.net/burmese.html

i have heard about snake doesnt need and uvb to provide vitamin D3. and i am kinda sure that it is really true. but, the weirdest thing is the caresheet said snake need vitamin D3 from sunlight, but it also said the sunlight through the windows will suffice. that's kinda confused.

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[leerankin]

thats rubbish
royals get all their dietary calcium from the mice/rats they feed on and prolonged use of the uv lamps can cause eye problems in snakes even blindness

[ChrisBallPython]

Originally Posted by leerankin

thats rubbish
royals get all their dietary calcium from the mice/rats they feed on and prolonged use of the uv lamps can cause eye problems in snakes even blindness

Opps! forgot to mention that is a burmese caresheet. but i think that is still true for every snake.

[Cretia]

I was told that the only reptiles who need lighting are the water dwelling ones that eat fish and amphibians, cause thay don't get the nutrients from that that others get from mice. Actually, I don't know if that goes for geckos and other lizards. But anyways, I even had a vet tell me once that I needed a UVB or UVA or whatever light for my snow corn. Julius pointed out the fact that light skin and UV's don't mix, enough said. You always have to double check everything you hear. It's one thing for me to overlook something common sense like that, but a vet? That really worries me.

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[Bartman]

In nature the rays of the sun (UV-A) provide the necessary light to produce the vitamin D3 necessary for the snake to correctly absorb calcium, which is necessary for their bones to develop properly.

This above quote shows that this guy isnt very educated. Im almost positive it is the uv-B lighting that aids in calcium absorbtion. Snakes deffinetly dont need uv lighting. Any nocturnal lizard doesnt need it either.

[ann0306]

If you go to the site where this care sheet came from, the misinformation presented is pretty scary. It's a good example of how anyone can publish anything on the internet and call it good.