UV Light

[Malum Argenteum]

UV lights at the level ball pythons use (6% UV bulb) with a properly installed guard will not harm a ball python -- by the time the light gets through the guard, its effectiveness is already reduced by half.

Respectfully, that's not good info. The UVB% of a lamp is not really relevant to the species being kept, but it is directly relevant to the distance from the animal -- a large tall enclosure might call for a 12%, and a shorter one a 2% (or none at all, for that matter). Whether a lamp guard blocks half the light or not depends entirely on the design of the guard. Looking at the Arcadia one, it looks -- based on apparent net free area and distance from the lamp -- like it would block more than other non-herp-marketed guards that a keeper might end up using.

More general, also respectfully intended, comment: I'd caution against asserting a negative based on personal experience. That can tell only whether the thing didn't happen to you, in your situation -- not whether the thing is possible in some other situation.

I've been using UVB since about 1995 (original "iguana lights", if anyone remembers those), and currently run UVB on 8 enclosures -- so this isn't coming from an anti-UVB point of view. Over that time I've learned that among other factors it is important to own and use a quality UVB meter to test irradiation levels, just like we use IR temp guns to check temps -- so that would be my positive input into this situation for you, Boomer60.