Light?

[AkivaSmith]

Does a BP need bright light? I have my setup in a corner of the apt. (the least trafficked area). It gets light from a window but it is rather diffuse and does not really brighten up things (sorta like an overcast day).

Why do I ask?

Last night it got really cold in the apt, and management did not put on the heat. Temps in the enclosure got down to 72. And the UTH was the only heat source. This morning I put a 60w incandesent bulb on the top of the screen and that jumped the ambient temp to 84, but the UTH then went to 95 which I had to adjust the thermostat down.

I just went out and bought another thermostat and a ceramic heater. So I was wondering do I need to put a lamp for LIGHT near the enclosure to brighten things up durring the day?

[JLC]

No...in fact, bright light may cause stress. The diffuse ambient light is plenty for the BP to distinguish night from day.

[ddbjdealer]

If you're not intending to breed your BP, then a strict light schedule is not required.. and as Judy said, can be more damaging than good. Daylight is fine, and they require no extra light.

If you ARE intending to breed your BP, then giving a light cycle (14 on, 10 off) for most of the year is preferred with increasingly shorter days (13 on, 11 off - 12 on 12 off, etc..) during breeding times to simulate the winter months.

Hope this helps..