Lighting - Conflicting Opinions

Hey Guys,

I know I've asked this before but I seem to get conflicting answers and I'm not sure how to proceed. My reptile room is basically dark 24 hours a day unless I turn on the lights when I enter. There's a small 2 x 3 window which lets very minimal light in. Is it recommend to provide a light cycle for Boas and BPs? I was reading Russo's book and he mentions Boas could thrive in captive conditions with very little light but then goes on to say providing a proper light cycle is most important. My snakes are in their hide all day and come out at night (at least the BOA does) so what is the light actually doing if it's set up during the daytime?

Both my Boa and BP enclosures have built in LED lights which only get turned on during cleaning. Should I invest in a timer to cycle them on?

Thanks,

Chris

I would provide a 12 hour/12 hour light/dark cycle for your snakes. I use a timer to achieve this on all my reptile tanks.

Providing a day/night cycle helps them regulate when to hunt, sleep, and overall health.

I also feed with lights out, so nocturnal animals know, when the lights go out, it's food time. The snakes are ready to go as are my leopard geckos (who are also nocturnal). This also means if I go in during the day, it's handling time and not food time. I still hook train the bigger snakes, but this adds a layer of protection for me. For example, Behira, who will often strike the acrylic doors when she sees movement at night, does not do this when the cage lights are on.

I personally provide lighting for all my snakes.

Put it this way, do they go through day and night cycles in the wild? Of course. Why wouldnt you offer them that in captivity.

Sure they could survive with no lighting but why do that to them. Heck humans could survive with no light too but would you want to lol.

I also feed my snakes whenever. The only ones who get fed at night are the GTPs. They eat during the day but they are kind of slow to react to the food so i have to bang it on them a few times to wake them up lol. Once lights go out though, they are up on the front perch coiled and waiting for food.

I also provide a light cycle with a light in the room, 12/12. I do have a window, but since my snake room is on the first floor, I don’t leave the curtains open...no need to have anyone peeking in.

Thanks David & Sauzo! I'll go ahead and implement a light / dark cycle. I just didn't want to do provide it if it was solely for the enjoyment of the keeper (which I've read before).

My snakes are in my office so their light cycle is my own. 12/12 ish. Give or take

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

My snakes have a window with natural light east facing so never over bright in there, I feel it’s better for natural cycling them, summer winter lights are so different in lengths which would happen the wild.
they all have led strips in there aswell which I use for maintenance purposes.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

Here’s a quick picture of the extent of natural light that I have coming through the basement where my snakes are kept. As you can see we have two small transom windows on opposite ends of the basement which generate minimal light. Still think I need to supplement with running the LED lights in the enclosure?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...54be3c19f5.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would have extra light if that was my snakes ckuhn. but on a timer, led are quite low energy so pretty cheep to run too

Sent from my TA-1024 using Tapatalk

If you don't want to do lights on/off in the cages either for cost of the lights or electricity, you could always get a good room lamp that puts off pretty good amount of ambient light for the cages and have that on a timer for all the cages. Just place it where the light will get into the fronts of the cages.

I do this method in my QT room since it has poor lighting and QT snakes are kept in temporary tubs that I can't install lighting inside. My PVC cages run with lighting inside on timers.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Thanks again for your responses. I didn't think that was enough natural light but just wanted to get some assurance before I put each of the enclosures on a timer and run the LEDs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ckuhn003

Here’s a quick picture of the extent of natural light that I have coming through the basement where my snakes are kept. As you can see we have two small transom windows on opposite ends of the basement which generate minimal light. Still think I need to supplement with running the LED lights in the enclosure?

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...54be3c19f5.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

I'd do LEDs in cages like Richard said. That is pretty dark imo. And the snakes would make use of the day/night cycle. All my boas boa but the most seen results are from my GTPs. When the lights come on for them, they both go to the back and curl up and sleep. Then about an hour before lights go out, they start to stir and when lights do go out, they make their way to the front of the cage and assume the hunting perch position all night. The boas are the same to a lesser extent. When lights go out with them, they come out from their hides or under the shelf and start cruising around.

My basement is brighter than that and i still use the AP LEDs(when they arent broken and i need to replace them lol).
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...8d33f54a_h.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...d6c6f1a1_h.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sauzo

My basement is brighter than that and i still use the AP LEDs(when they arent broken and i need to replace them lol).

---

That's a pretty sweet setup Sauzo. How long do the AP LEDs usually last and how easy and how much are they to replace?

Thanks. Me and AP lights don't get along. They last a few months for me. Luckily Ali sends me replacements free lol.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ckuhn003

That's a pretty sweet setup Sauzo. How long do the AP LEDs usually last and how easy and how much are they to replace?

---

I've had an AP T8 with their white LEDs for just about a year now with no issues. They've been running 12 on 12 off for the whole time for me.

Just another data point. :)

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

There is no question that lighting will affect a boa’s behavior and I’m not just referring to day/night times (ratio). The amount of day/night ratio is important but less so than the changing of the ratio. What I mean by this is how the ratio applies to seasons and the effects it has on boa habits. Even boas on the equator are tuned in to seasonal changes. We know this because young are born at relatively the same time of year for wild boas…they are tuned in to their surroundings -day/ night ratio/temps. These surroundings can and should be applied to some extent while in captivity. Ok, few will disagree that providing a day night ratio in concert with temps and feeding that reflect the reality of those ratios (cooler in winter with shorter days, less food and the opposite for summer) is anything other than good housekeeping for your boa…but now let’s go back to lighting affecting boas.

I’ve done lighting many ways over the years and there is no question in my mind that direct lighting in the enclosure for boas is not the best way to provide a day/night cycle…or anything else for that matter. I’m not saying it can’t work, I’m not saying your boa will burst into flames and I’m not saying you shouldn’t turn on the light in the enclosure to enjoy your boa from time to time but it is not the best way and your snake will show you the truth with their behavior if you remove direct lighting in the enclosure. I know, some of you are thinking snakes bask in the sun and you would be correct but a few decades of gathering information on wild snakes will show anyone that they use the sun when it is required to raise their body temp…they are not into hanging out on the beach like humans, they would rather watch things from the shadows. I gather data on wild bull and hognose snakes every year for a local university (sometimes more than 10 a day) …the best time to find them is when outside temps are between 55 and 70 in early spring because they need the sun to reach their preferred body temp (and its time to breed).

Direct lighting in a boa enclosure can make them choose security over temp. It can cause undue stress. This is especially true for young boas. The very best way to control day/night cycle is with ambient light through a window in the room. This is also helpful for those of us who provide seasons…as the amount of daylight is shrinking the outside temp is also going down. If you don’t have a window use a light in the room on a timer and adjust the timer to coincide with the daylight length for your location. It doesn’t take much light…ever been in a rainforest? I use to try to mimic daylight hours from where the snake is from...crazy. Snakes have been around for a very long time. They have stuff written in their genes to respond to heat/light/cycles we only theorize on but even a Suriname boa that doesn't see anywhere near the day/night ratio in the homeland compared to here in MN will adapt and follow the massive change in ratio here with ease. Light has a power over boas...

Back to removing the light from inside the enclosure and your boa behaving differently…
Even young boa will move around during the day if they feel secure and lower light levels will help this. Even more so for adults. What do your boas look like when they are resting? I would have alarm bells going off in my head if I saw one of my boas tightly coiled in the corner and it wasn’t about going into shed or digestion. A secure boa will be loosely coiled, a ‘U’shape. None of this is written in stone and not all boas are the same but I challenge you to make some lighting changes and see for yourself…If you have met the other needs of your boa and remove direct lighting from the enclosure…you will see a change.
Hard to believe but this is only some of my thoughts on this...:O

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bns

There is no question that lighting will affect a boa’s behavior and I’m not just referring to day/night times (ratio). The amount of day/night ratio is important but less so than the changing of the ratio. What I mean by this is how the ratio applies to seasons and the effects it has on boa habits. Even boas on the equator are tuned in to seasonal changes. We know this because young are born at relatively the same time of year for wild boas…they are tuned in to their surroundings -day/ night ratio/temps. These surroundings can and should be applied to some extent while in captivity. Ok, few will disagree that providing a day night ratio in concert with temps and feeding that reflect the reality of those ratios (cooler in winter with shorter days, less food and the opposite for summer) is anything other than good housekeeping for your boa…but now let’s go back to lighting affecting boas.

I’ve done lighting many ways over the years and there is no question in my mind that direct lighting in the enclosure for boas is not the best way to provide a day/night cycle…or anything else for that matter. I’m not saying it can’t work, I’m not saying your boa will burst into flames and I’m not saying you shouldn’t turn on the light in the enclosure to enjoy your boa from time to time but it is not the best way and your snake will show you the truth with their behavior if you remove direct lighting in the enclosure. I know, some of you are thinking snakes bask in the sun and you would be correct but a few decades of gathering information on wild snakes will show anyone that they use the sun when it is required to raise their body temp…they are not into hanging out on the beach like humans, they would rather watch things from the shadows. I gather data on wild bull and hognose snakes every year for a local university (sometimes more than 10 a day) …the best time to find them is when outside temps are between 55 and 70 in early spring because they need the sun to reach their preferred body temp (and its time to breed).

Direct lighting in a boa enclosure can make them choose security over temp. It can cause undue stress. This is especially true for young boas. The very best way to control day/night cycle is with ambient light through a window in the room. This is also helpful for those of us who provide seasons…as the amount of daylight is shrinking the outside temp is also going down. If you don’t have a window use a light in the room on a timer and adjust the timer to coincide with the daylight length for your location. It doesn’t take much light…ever been in a rainforest? I use to try to mimic daylight hours from where the snake is from...crazy. Snakes have been around for a very long time. They have stuff written in their genes to respond to heat/light/cycles we only theorize on but even a Suriname boa that doesn't see anywhere near the day/night ratio in the homeland compared to here in MN will adapt and follow the massive change in ratio here with ease. Light has a power over boas...

Back to removing the light from inside the enclosure and your boa behaving differently…
Even young boa will move around during the day if they feel secure and lower light levels will help this. Even more so for adults. What do your boas look like when they are resting? I would have alarm bells going off in my head if I saw one of my boas tightly coiled in the corner and it wasn’t about going into shed or digestion. A secure boa will be loosely coiled, a ‘U’shape. None of this is written in stone and not all boas are the same but I challenge you to make some lighting changes and see for yourself…If you have met the other needs of your boa and remove direct lighting from the enclosure…you will see a change.
Hard to believe but this is only some of my thoughts on this...:O

---

Excellent post, and well written as always. As I mentioned in another post I've learned a lot from BNS over the years regarding boa care, and I like conversations related to the natural habitat and behaviors of snakes.

I am dealing with a similar situation when it comes to providing lighting in the cages. Like the O/P, I have the cages in a room without light, not even tiny windows. The only artificial light option is from an overhead/ceiling fixture that can't be hooked up to a timer.

I increase and decrease daylight hours and also cage temperatures to align with the seasonal changes. If your choices are limited to in cage/direct lighting, I would recommend providing hides or constructing something with the decor that will make the light in the cage less direct.

I use LED strips and set them on the low setting. The boa and royal use their hides frequently although I do catch them out more often starting around this time of year. The carpet python rarely uses a hide and the reticulated python does use a hide however he is more active and will perch mid day or sprawl out. I would really like to see the cages get true sunlight but that option isn't available here.


You can see in this photo that the hides block out the majority of the direct light. I have the lights set a bit further back to illuminate the rock backgrounds yet it leaves the front of the cage fairly dark and there is very little light in the hides. The boa is a bout 7' long and easily fits in the hides. I put in a different light in the top cage since this photo was taken. It is adjusted to be more dim. These lights also appear brighter than they are. They are slightly overexposed due to the fact the picture was taken in complete darkness.
https://i.imgur.com/x63m7OL.jpg

In the evenings, I provide a few hours of LED moonlight. As I understand it, this type of light doesn't bother a snake but I could be wrong. I do catch them all out when I have the blue lights on, even the royal makes a showing. At the end of the day the cages are totally blacked out for night time.
https://i.imgur.com/TNIRdbM.jpg

At the end of the day, a real light cycle, with real sunlight is the way to go.