Red bulb at night

[jphealy]

I've just installed a red bulb which comes on at night, when the regular clear bulb goes off. It's 40W and the day bulb is 60W, so the temps drop just a little.

The red bulb makes it very easy to see what he's doing at night. I'm slightly worried that he doesn't have any total darkness at any time. Should I be? Is it true that they can't see the light from the red bulb? Does it appear dark to them?

[Colin Vestrand]

i've read that it depends on whether it's a normal bulb painted red, or an actual infra red bulb. that latter doesn't disrupt them.... i'll tell you one thing though. as soon as my white bulb goes off and the red is the only one on, my snake is 100x more active. since he's nocturnal, that would tell me that he's not bothered at all by the red light.

[JimiSnakes]

Kzoo is right. The "petstore" inftared bulbs the snakes can't see, but the red bulbs you can buy at any walmart they can see. Big difference.

[jphealy]

I'm pretty sure the bulb I have is just a regular one, basically painted red. He is more active though, once the white light goes off and the red one comes on - I haven't seen him out of his cave with the white light on since the day he went in to the enclosure, a week ago (I've only had him that long). Even so, I think he can tell the difference between when the red light is on and when no light is on. I must try to get one of those infra-red bulbs or whatever.

[Janus]

This kinda wierd..... I don't have a red bulb, I just turn the basking light off at night (and leave the UTH on full time). But in the morning when the light goes on it when he becomes more active. I see much more activity from him during the day (when the white light is on) then at night (when no lights are on).
-Is that abnormal?

[squale]

I am using one of these 100watt Exo-Terra Heat Glo red lights to provide 24 hour heating to my Ball Python. Are you saying that this particular light the snake can not see, so when all the other room lights are off at night and just this red light is on it looks totally pitch dark to the snake? why is this so?

[ErikH]

I have often wondered about this too. I also use an exo-terra bulb (75w) which is on 24/7, and it doesn't seem to bother Monty in the least. You would think that even if they can't see the red light, they would pick up the IR heat signature.