Is UVB good or bad?

I've been wondering if I should be providing my ball python with UV by installing a UVB bulb/light. Humans benefit from UV rays, so I'm wondering if bp's would too.

I've read that it is unnecessary, and have also read that there are some more long term benefits. I understand that they are nocturnal and are not exposed to sunlight, which is why not requiring it would make sense. However, naturally, the UV rays in sunlight can still reach these ball pythons while they're hiding away, just not as much compared to if they were out and about.

Another factor is that direct or bright light can stress your bp out, so I'm feeling more inclined not to. However, ways to work around that would be to keep it at a minimum of 12 inches away, and to keep it behind a mesh screen, so that light is less direct. And of course the UVB light would be on during the day.

Please let me know if you have or haven't used UVB lighting in your bp enclosure. If you have, it would be great if you could include the set up for it, and any differences you've noticed, good and/or bad. More opinions would be great too, just to get a larger perception about it.

Do it, it seems it will give you satisfaction and peace of mind.

Is that gonna hurt? No, are there benefit? Not for an animal that is nocturnal to start with so it cannot be compared with human or diurnal animals.

So to me between the bulb and fixture it's a waste of money that can be apply elsewhere for the real essentials that the majority of owners will cut corners on.

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Originally Posted by Stewart_Reptiles

Is that gonna hurt? No, are there benefit? Not for an animal that is nocturnal to start with so it cannot be compared with human or diurnal animals.

So to me between the bulb and fixture it's a waste of money that can be apply elsewhere for the real essentials that the majority of owners will cut corners on.

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Thank you. I figured it as much but I did read articles of having long term benefits but just wanted a second opinion about it.

I used it once in my kingsnake's tank. I had an extra fixture and bulb from my lizard. I did not notice a change in behavior, so I removed it.

If you want to use it, the UV rays are only as efficient as the heat that must accompanied it so it can be absorbed properly. So without it being exposed to heat at the same time as the UVB, it is kind of pointless if you intent to make it beneficial to your snake. Hence, UVB works best for those that basks, like basking lizards and maybe some snakes that basks. Like Deb said, the expense for the equipment is not worth it. Today, 2 of my basking bulbs went out. 2 weeks ago, another one went out after I just bought it. These bulbs cost about $7-8 each and basking bulbs are almost guaranteed to fail every 4-6 months, especially for the 75watts and 100watts. The fluorescent fixture is expensive, costs about $70-80 for the T5 ZooMed fixture, a little less for a T8. Bulbs costs about $15-20 each which must be replaced every 6-8 months. It is an expensive nuisance.

Lastly, nothing beats the sun. The UV equipment, no matter how sophisticated, will never do the same job as the sun.

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Originally Posted by Cheesenugget

...Lastly, nothing beats the sun. The UV equipment, no matter how sophisticated, will never do the same job as the sun.

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Bingo! OP: Don't waste your time, money & electricity on UVB for snakes like BPs. Bearded dragons & such need it, most snakes don't. (The only ones I can think of that might need it are diurnally-active snakes like coachwhips or gopher snakes, where they normally spend a fair amount of time out in daylight hours.)

That said, I think it's beneficial to stroll outside while holding a snake for some occasional sunshine...whether it's the sun or all the different scents that perks them up, or both, I can't say...but I recommend doing that instead -only when temperatures permit.