Question about UVB

[sur3fir3]

So... I've been going around some different places and I was told that snakes can benefit from UVB. They claim its a requirement. I am trying to figure out the reason behind this. If its for Vitamin D3 you can buy supplements to take care of that, correct?. I have tried to make a point that it is not needed, but I dont know enough to elaborate much more than snakes don't need it because they don't bask (Not all snakes. Garters come to mind.) Can someone PLEASE give me a more scientific and biological answer besides they don't bask?

[Bogertophis]

It's a known for many kinds of lizards, but very debatable for snakes. I'd expect it to be more beneficial to snakes that are active in the daylight hours, as that's how
they evolved. Things like gopher/bull/pine snakes, or coachwhips (which hardly anyone keeps). Snakes are said to get all the vitamins they need from their prey, & I
mostly agree, but I have noticed improved appetites (more feisty, actually) in snakes that I've taken outside for some brief sunshine (only at conducive temperatures!).

Vitamin supplements are never as good as the real thing, & same goes for UVB lights instead of sunshine. But bottom line is I'm not sure we have the definitive answer
on this yet...opinions & experience vary, & it's not yet proven as far as I know. So do what your "gut" tells you, or "error on the side of caution" as they say.

The other thing with supplements is that some need to be in proper combination with other nutrients to work & do no harm...so be careful what you may throw out of
balance. Research on snakes just isn't a big draw for grant money, know what I mean?

Really depends WHO told you this also: even many veterinarians, the ones that aren't personally that into snake-keeping- sometimes give this "advice" based on their
assumptions...it doesn't make it true, however...again, I'm not sure anyone has done enough research to answer, or maybe only on some species? Better to ask the
top breeders of whatever kind you're wondering about...see what 2 out of 3 tells you.

[sur3fir3]

It's a known for many kinds of lizards, but very debatable for snakes. I'd expect it to be more beneficial to snakes that are active in the daylight hours, as that's how
they evolved. Things like gopher/bull/pine snakes, or coachwhips (which hardly anyone keeps). Snakes are said to get all the vitamins they need from their prey, & I
mostly agree, but I have noticed improved appetites (more feisty, actually) in snakes that I've taken outside for some brief sunshine (only at conducive temperatures!).

Vitamin supplements are never as good as the real thing, & same goes for UVB lights instead of sunshine. But bottom line is I'm not sure we have the definitive answer
on this yet...opinions & experience vary, & it's not yet proven as far as I know. So do what your "gut" tells you, or "error on the side of caution" as they say.

The other thing with supplements is that some need to be in proper combination with other nutrients to work & do no harm...so be careful what you may throw out of
balance. Research on snakes just isn't a big draw for grant money, know what I mean?

Really depends WHO told you this also: even many veterinarians, the ones that aren't personally that into snake-keeping- sometimes give this "advice" based on their
assumptions...it doesn't make it true, however...again, I'm not sure anyone has done enough research to answer, or maybe only on some species? Better to ask the
top breeders of whatever kind you're wondering about...see what 2 out of 3 tells you.

Ok.. well the person who told me this was a 19 year old kid (in college) who read a bunch of "scientific" findings from things like peer review studies and etc. Shortly after that person told me that the sire/dam for my blood python were over weight I left where I was because I was tired of everything turning into an argument. I know the snakes were not overweight. For blood pythons they were sctually looking like they were on point. This is why I wanted to do more research. I have looked around, but I have yet to see any scientific findings that snakes will benefit from UVB/Vit D3. I was under the impression that snakes get all the vitamins they need from their prey. I spent about 20 minutes trying to explain that snakes do not need UVB, and after I saw it was a lost cause I left. Then when I tried to explain most my knowledge came from this site and a herpetologist his first words were a herpetologist is not an expert is captive husbandry. NO matter what I said he wouldnt even consider my position.

[Starscream]

In both corn snakes and burmese pythons, providing UVB did show an increase in vitamin D3 in both species, with the difference in the burmese pythons being pretty substantial. There haven't been any studies (to my knowledge) on how that affects the snakes long term, however, just that they can get something out of having an appropriate UVB light available.

I do personally provide my snakes with UVB, and as a result I do see my ball python basking under hers often. I'm not here to argue about it, just to say that there might be benefits to providing snakes with access to UVB, even if they're not immediately obvious to the naked eye.