Snake rack question?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
R

redtailcatfreak

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 15, 2011
926
3
16
Where the gators are
Alright so im thinking about building a a snake rack like the one below. I understand heating with mats but what about the UVB lighting. Do breeders even use it? Or would i have to mount a bulb to each row?

any ideas?

newkenyanrack1.jpg

newkenyanrack1.jpg
 
If you are breeding your snakes, add UVB. It's been known to produce larger and better clutches.

But other than that, most snakes don't need UVB.
 
I don't know of any ball python breeders that use UVB, nor would it improve clutches as it only stresses them out.

However .. I don't know about other breeds of snakes. I just assumed ball python because of your other thread.

Additionally, I don't know of racks that support lighting, they just use heat tape or panels.
 
muffywrx said:
I don't know of any ball python breeders that use UVB, nor would it improve clutches as it only stresses them out.

However .. I don't know about other breeds of snakes. I just assumed ball python because of your other thread.

Additionally, I don't know of racks that support lighting, they just use heat tape or panels.
Click to expand...

Adding UVB isn't going to stress most snakes, as it's just like being outside during the day.. you do have to keep regular cycles though. Even giving your snake full spectrum lighting will give the snake UVB.

Here is an excerpt from a care sheet for Cali King Snake, but I think you could use it for Boa's etc...

http://www.reptileknowledge.com/care/california-kingsnake.php

Lighting Your Kingsnake Enclosure

"This lesson will be shorter than the temperature and humidity lessons, because it's a simple one. Here's the gist of the lighting issue:
Use a full-spectrum fluorescent light (one that produces both UVA and UVB rays, like the sun) to give your California king snake about 10 hours of light each day. Do this, and you'll be covering your bases in the lighting department.
For a long time, snake keepers have been arguing about whether or not kingsnakes need UV lighting for their health and wellbeing. It's really a simple matter, though. Once again, I point to nature for the answer. In the wild, California kingsnakes are exposed to natural sunlight on a regular basis. So why not duplicate this in captivity as much as possible?
For me, it's a no-brainer.


Remember, the more closely you can duplicate the natural conditions in which kingsnakes exist in the wild, the healthier your pet snake will be in captivity. This includes giving your snake a regular cycle of light each day (a "photoperiod"), using a fluorescent light specially designed to produce UVA and UVB rays.


Using full-spectrum lighting will also increase your own enjoyment as a snake keeper, because these lights bring out the true color and beauty of California kingsnakes (similar to how the sum does in nature). Kingsnakes are among the most beautiful of the North American colubrids, so why not let their beauty shine by giving them some full-spectrum lighting?


You can find these full-spectrum lights in just about any pet store in the country.


You can also buy a lamp timer at any hardware store (and even some grocery stores). This will make things easier for you. Just set the timer so that the fluorescent light comes on for about ten hours a day, using the natural rise and set of the sun as your guide. After that, it's a convenient "hands-off" process — the timer turns the light on in the morning, and turns it off in the evening."
 
Ball pythons spend 99% of their time in rodent burrows and termite mounds in the wild. They generally crawl into a rodent burrow, eat the inhabitants, stay there for a few days/weeks until the food digests, and then move on to the next burrow. They tend to freak out when given overly high cages and prefer enclosed spaces with low ceilings since they mimic their preferred living spaces from the wild; that's another reason why breeders use rack systems since the more secure the snake feels, the better it will do.

As you can see, they get little to no exposure to UVB in wild, so having UVB lights is completely unnecessary and would cost way more and take up more space than doing the standard heat tape and thermostat setup.
 
Alright well thats good to know. Gonna save alot of time and money in designing a setup with individual lights in each tub.
 
I think way too much generalization is being made here... and the OP has not stated specifically what species of snakes he is talking about...

Generally speaking, nocturnal animals do not need UVB...

Bright lights will/do stress out nocturnal animals unless they have adequate hides to escape that light. But common sense suggests, 'why add a light that stresses the animal and requires a way for that animal to hide from said light.'

Wiggles is absolutely correct in his points about Ball Pythons...

Other species, such as Corn Snakes, that are active in both day and night times and are known to spend some amount of time in the sun, 'may' be benefited by UVB. These are the snakes that some claim have larger or healthier cluthces when introduced to UVB, though to my knowledge no solid studies have been set in place to 'prove' such theories one way or the other...

I do not agree with using points made in King Snake care sheets when considering Boas or Pythons. These animals come from entirely different ranges and have evolved amongst entirely different environmental pressures.


*Edit/Add:

So RedTailCatFreak, what kind of snakes are you considering keepign in these racks? As it does make a difference...
 
Toby_H said:
I think way too much generalization is being made here... and the OP has not stated specifically what species of snakes he is talking about...

Generally speaking, nocturnal animals do not need UVB...

Bright lights will/do stress out nocturnal animals unless they have adequate hides to escape that light. But common sense suggests, 'why add a light that stresses the animal and requires a way for that animal to hide from said light.'

Wiggles is absolutely correct in his points about Ball Pythons...

Other species, such as Corn Snakes, that are active in both day and night times and are known to spend some amount of time in the sun, 'may' be benefited by UVB. These are the snakes that some claim have larger or healthier cluthces when introduced to UVB, though to my knowledge no solid studies have been set in place to 'prove' such theories one way or the other...

I do not agree with using points made in King Snake care sheets when considering Boas or Pythons. These animals come from entirely different ranges and have evolved amongst entirely different environmental pressures.


*Edit/Add:

So RedTailCatFreak, what kind of snakes are you considering keepign in these racks? As it does make a difference...
Click to expand...

Oops, I probably should've pointed out that I thought this was for ball pythons based on a few of his previous threads about getting a few more of them hence why I guessed that he intended to keep ball pythons in the rack.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom