Question about lights and stress

[hazzaram]

Hi everyone.

When I was doing all my research before getting my first bp, I kept reading that snakes don't NEED light. So I've never given my snakes light. I have the two of them set up in a small closet. There's nothing in there but them, but it allows me to keep the temp in their tubs perfectly since my house is old and really cold. It works amazingly well...

Only now I've started reading that they need light. 12 hours of light a day... I have no problem getting a lamp for in there, but will it stress them out if there is suddenly light through the day? I know bp's don't like change to their environment and they're both doing well and eating with no problems. I don't really want to mess that up.

[M.P.C]

Breeders keep them in racks with little to no light and they thrive, wont hurt to just leave the door open and let in some natural light, a bright house light on for hrs may stress them out just because of how bright they can be

[Sauzo]

I personally would give them some sort of a day/night. I accomplish this just by room lighting and cage lighting from my beardies cage as that is set on a 13 hour timer(8am to 9pm). I don't actually have any kind of lighting in my BPs cage.

[hazzaram]

Breeders keep them in racks with little to no light and they thrive, wont hurt to just leave the door open and let in some natural light, a bright house light on for hrs may stress them out just because of how bright they can be

I wish I could leave the door open, but that lets the heat out. I can't keep an 80 ambient temp with the door open. My house is really drafty I've tried all sorts of things to keep heat but the only thing that has done it is the closet.

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I personally would give them some sort of a day/night. I accomplish this just by room lighting and cage lighting from my beardies cage as that is set on a 13 hour timer(8am to 9pm). I don't actually have any kind of lighting in my BPs cage.

Room lighting isn't an option, nor is cage lighting. With the door open, the heat gets out so room lighting doesn't work. They're in tubs, so there's no source of cage lighting. Literally, sticking a lamp in there is my only option...

[Jhill001]

Breeders keep them in racks with little to no light and they thrive, wont hurt to just leave the door open and let in some natural light, a bright house light on for hrs may stress them out just because of how bright they can be

I don't know about this theory. While its true snakes don't need UVB lighting or even a regular light in there cage are we to believe that these breeders keeping their snakes in complete darkness 24 hours a day? I'd say they probably have at least ambient room lighting even if its just from a window. I provide my snakes with a light for 12 hours a day. 10-10. Its a personal preference that I do because I have their tanks set up all nice.

To the OP: First question, do your snakes seem healthy, are they eating? Are they hydrated, do they seem overly stressed when you try and hold them or anything like that?

If the answers are yes, yep, yep, nope then I'd just keep doing what you are doing.

[hazzaram]

To the OP: First question, do your snakes seem healthy, are they eating? Are they hydrated, do they seem overly stressed when you try and hold them or anything like that?

If the answers are yes, yep, yep, nope then I'd just keep doing what you are doing.

They are healthy. They eat amazingly, never had any issues. They drink and are hydrated. And no, they don't seem stressed when handled. At least, I don't think. My male just kinda chills in my hands and my female just crawls over me and through my fingers. I never take them out long, only about 10 mins at a time and never after they eat or while they're in the shedding process.

[TRoma18]

While most snakes including Ball pythons spend the majority of their lives underground, they do have to come up from there hides sometimes to eat and get some exercise. I think getting a lamp just for your closet will do, it doesn't have to be a UVB or UV light it just needs to be a simple lamp hooked up to a timer to let them know when its day and night, this way the snake can go out on it's own when it wants to instead of you having to turning it on and off twice a day. As for the stress part I would think it wouldn't be a problem for your Ball pythons.

I have 4 Ball pythons ,1 Milk snake, 2 Leopard geckos and a pain in the ass Bearded dragon, and I'm constantly researching anything I can find on any and all reptiles.