I used this video to persuade my parents that im not wasting money and uvb is really beneficial to my noodle... and it worked! Thank you for amazing video
I can personally vouch for this theory. I have a decent collection of BCI & BCC boas and recently provided my favourite boa with a shop light style uvb light in his enclosure, after 2 weeks he had a shed and literally looked completely different afterwards, not only have I noticed him regularly basking under it but there is a direct difference in the colour of his pigment compared to before hand. Keep in mind, I’ve had this snake since 2012 and never provided UVB until the last few weeks. The results are extremely noticeable.
Very good video! After getting more into snakes I just feel so sad for the way a lot of them are kept and how poor welfare is the norm. Its very much a "do they need this to live?" Mentality of keeping rather than one of "Is it beneficial to them?".
I agree entirely, I'm breeding my snakes and I'm concerned about the Hatchlings not having uv temporarily, let alone keeping that way long term. Thank you so much for watching 😊
I find it weird sometimes that people refer to Ball Pythons as pet rocks because for me keeping my ball python in a semi-outdoor enclosure I have observed that she is almost on-par with my retic’s activity levels and is more active than my boa imperator kept in a full-outdoor enclosure.
Thank you for your video!!! I noticed that my snakes bask under UVB more often than the heat lamp. This was confusing at first but you cleared it up. Thank you!!!
Reptiles and Research Extremely well explained, I am using UVB for my motley boa even though it says on google that UVB is not needed in the proper care of boas, I disagree! If you want your pet snake to live a happy longer life and may even get a bit bigger then why not use UVB 12 hours a day! Liked the video! 🙌🏼
I recently watched your video on different heating bulbs and have since been swapping my ceramic heat emitters for floodlights. With al this information I feel there's no denying that snakes need UVB, so ill try to add uvb bulbs to my snakes enclosures too, when I can find some gaps in my budget. I love my snakes dearly so thank you for opening my eyes to a whole new world of proper care! I will absolutely do everything in my power to give them the best life I can, even if it will cost me a pretty penny.
Solid video. I recently got back into the hobby by the purchasing of a baby male BRB. His viv is next to my bed and he comes out at night about 30 mins after I got to just a bedside reading lamp or laptop glow and I can watch him move. When I first got him, he was in a 45cm x 45cm x 30cm exo terra. After a couple months of watching him try to climb as soon as he came out at night, I concluded BRBs are simply terrestrial by day and arboreal by night and went about putting together a much larger viv and he is now in a 90cm x 90cm x 45cm exo terra is a lot of branches, devil's ivy and moss. I also gave him UVB for the first time after someone referred me to this vid (Dav Kaufman's videos on BRBs in the amazon also convinced me they need UVB as he shows them basking during daytime). He is still only 6 months old now so his viv is massive compared to him. This was my aim - I wanted to his behaviour in a viv which is very big compared to him and with a lot of branches to he has "trees" to climb. He tends to hang out on the top branch in the classic "s coil" that you typically see with amazon tree boas. If you want to check out my channel, I have a few videos showing off his new viv as well as footage of him strike-feeding from the top branch. I aim to put up more videos as I get them, including footage of him ascending through the branches at night. It's a great chance to observe the natural behaviour of rainbow boas.
Thank you very much! This is something I was fighting for - for many years within the snake industry and on snake-fora. Hope a lot of snake-keepers will see this, because almost everybody in this snake-world does think UVB does nothing on snakes. At the other side...even with a lot of evidence they not were willing to understand this. I think they prefer LED or just curverboxes without light the most because of the money.
Thank you very much for watching! it frustrates me daily thats why im pushing hard to get this kind of info in front of as many people as possible! Its why im hoping as many people as possible will share it on their social media.
7:32 - Hey it's my species of snake. This is a great video! this really needs to become standard care in the snake hobby. The level of care for snakes is generally pretty dang poor, sadly.
@@ReptilesandResearch we have been trying the hunting feeding technique and he searches the whole cage to look for the food and also continued searching after so next feed we will try cutting the pinkie in half so there are 2 pieces of food to hunt for. Looking forward to see how that goes. Our UV lamp also arrived and ever since he has been hanging out on top of the vines attached to the side of the viv loads. It is great to see him more but he gets really chilly staying so far away from the heat mat. When he is big enough to move to his adult enclosure we will be using a ceramic lamp instead. He is just the best and I am looking forward to seeing him grow up and develop. :D
I live in Arizona and try to take my ball python outside at least once a day to make sure he gets plenty of UVB and he’s never missed a meal. Btw I loved this video, I can hear the passion in your voice :)
Love your videos. I work at a ma and pa pet shop in a small town. Much information I give to customers makes them look at me like I have two heads. Your videos are a simple way to have people look into this information themselves. Keep up the good work because you're making my job a little easier. Hahaha
Very well done. I'll be sharing this and hope that it helps answer questions for many keepers who've always been told UVB is not necessary for their snakes.
Since I started using UVB with 10 royal/ball pythons at the start of the year I've noticed a pretty profound difference in activity with them. They are significantly more curious about their surroundings and have more periods of activity. They are maintained at UV index 1.5 and the T5 lights run half the length of their enclosures. Heating is a mixture of halogen and standard heat lamps. Photoperiod so far has been 12 hours. The group includes 2 albino and 2 leucistic which have only shown a positive reaction to the new lighting. The animals also range from juvenile to adult. I can't say I've noticed an improvement in colouration and their appetites have always been good so I can't add anything to that.
Just come across your channel, nice to see a fellow Brit putting out quality information, you deserve way more followers than what you have, keep it up anyways as I'm enjoying the videos.
Just a little note: it was nice to see the many types of snakes basking at the end of the video, but the silence that came with it felt 'empty'. It would be more engaging perhaps if you added the species name (or actual names for kicks), and maybe even recorded audio listing said names, just to be more engaging. Otherwise, very well-researched.
I tried to use silence as a way to emphasise the point, guess it didn't really work well. I left a comment with all the species in it. Thank you for watching!
I literally loved this video, can you please, help us with a video specifically about more reptile articles like the ones in this video? Please. No nesecerally about uv light and the effects in snakes, for that is this video, but maybe abouy hearing in snakes vs lizards, and more, cientific articles about interesting things that non reptile people frequently ask
I always was told my Hognose didn’t need UVB, I never felt right as my bearded dragon did why shouldn’t he? I made the change and I wouldn’t change it, see him basking all the time and overall feel he is much more active. Great vid!
Hognose snakes are diurnal much like gartersnakes, even though they do not expose themselves for extended periods. It does not surprise me that uvb is beneficial for them.
Interesting video. I heard from some snake keepers that Boomslangs are getting melanistic in captivity. Could it be the reason that these snakes are not keeping their original green/olive colour because their inexposure of UV light? Sounds very plausible I think.. Anyway, as soon as I get a place on my own and will get my first snake I will definitely consider using UVB light! Sounds logical as well to keep it as natural as you can get.
Do you have any videos showing how too install the UVB basking spot lamps with the protective metal cage installed around the basking light? I'd like too utilize this method in conjunction with pro product radiant heat panels being utilized with a Herpstatt of course 🐍The UVB strip lights are very easy too install but I'm not sure how too safety install or modify the single light fixture too the top of cages! I'm assuming just mount and screw the light fixture connection outlet and then affix the metal protective cage with screws and or bolts or a combination of the two! I'd like too try this method out as I think it be highly beneficial as you recommend or is this OVERKILL? They will be used on very large snake enclosures made out of heavy duty polyurethane plastic that are being controlled by a Herpstatt 6 and multiple timers with cooling and warming settings too prevent overheating or vise versa!!!
I'm a newbie with reptiles but I know the benefits of vitamin D for humans and I'm going to trie it on my snakes I dont think i will lose anything but could gain
I have shared this video on the Cold-Blooded Care FB page and asked others to share it on. It is well put together, science based and peer reviewed. It should be shared widely. And I am sorry if my remark about speaking too fast hurt your feelings; it is a fault that I share myself. I have to make great efforts to speak more slowly when doing a presentation
Thank you for sharing! No worries didn't offend me at all. It was constructive criticism, had someone else express the same thing so I'll try to slow it down in the future.
I am going to try this out myself and see what happens. Subjects being a boa constrictor and some rosy boas. To be honest, I am a bit skeptical about the need for uvb with either species, but I don’t want to be a skeptic w/o testing it out first.
It's definitely worth trying, don't forget some take to it right away, some take a while to get used to it. Dillon from animals at home said that his carpet python took 6 weeks to get used to it, now it basks daily like clockwork.
@@dawnmcfarland7011 Yes, with the rosy boas. I do not see any outward difference. No way for me to tell if it is benefitting them on the inside. I moved one to a tub in a rack. That one will now eats like a pig. It likes the tub. Which is quite on par for many snake species that tend to be secretive. I guess we all have to try things to see what yields best results.
very good information. I am getting white corn snake, and breeder I am getting this snake from said, for albino snake like I am getting could damage their eyes from UVB so recommended not to use. But I think, if I use shade dwellers level UVB might be OK. This video is 2 years old, so you might not see this message but if possible, I would like to hear your opinion. Thank you.
I have been trying my best to learn about UVb for my royals. I have a young female in a 3' Viv, and a newly acquired adult male who will soon be in a 4' - currently in a 3' as that's all I have. In the female tank, I have a work in progress bioactive setup, which is growing quite nicely, with a plant led on 12/12 day night. What UVb is recommended? And, is it ok alongside the plant light? Also, the 4' will have the same led plant light, so, what UVb is recommended. I know you are busy, but I'd really appreciate your advice as I want to give them both the best I can. Cheers. Very informative channel, by the way.
Hi, Martin. The uvb should go alongside the LED's, I made a video on how to select what uvb bulb to choose but its not out yet, if you send me a message on the facebook page ill send you a private link
I found this out by accident as any new first time snake owner of a ball python I hade it set up near a window no background or anything (shame on me lol) I’ve noticed her baskin in the sunlight for a bit then she crawls back to her hide. That made me think 🤔 the ball pythons groups on FB really thinks they don’t need uvb. Also get many complaints about their snake not eating. I may be new to the reptile world but I really do try my best to do my research.
So the glass filters out uv so the snake was basking for infra red. Many regius keepers sadly get sucked into dogma. I have more regius videos you'd be interested in.
What do you think about the way that breeders keeps ball Pythons? Personally I found it a very bad and poor solution keep snakes in a plastic drawers (pvc?) and feed them once a week. Thanks for your time
When I got my first snake, and albino corn snake, I put UVB up. I have tortoises and a blue tongue skink and a box turtle so I know about UVB. But then I heard somewhere, can't remember where, that you should not use UV be for albino reptiles because it hurts their eyes. But I can't seem to find any more information on that. Does the UVB hurt the albino snakes eyes? I know it does for albino humans. I don't want to hurt my snake. I now have 11 snakes and I would gladly provide UVB for all of them but four of them are albino types with red eyes so I don't want to hurt them. Please give me any information you may have or appoint me somewhere that has the information. Thank you. I just found your channel, came over from TC Houston's reptile Mountain TV.
With albinos some people claim albino snakes don't like the bright lights others claim the snake wasn't bothered. An albino can still cryptically bask, meaning its head is hidden with a coil or something is exposed. I would use the shade method for an albino and use lots of clutter to make cryptic basking easier for it. You can see about the shade method in the uvb guide video and about clutter in the tight spaces video. Hope that helps 😁
@@ReptilesandResearch Thank you! I was kind of thinking along that line anyway, just to put lots of stuff in there so they don't have to be exposed a lot. So I will do that. And I will check out those videos. I have asked this on several channels and you are the first one to ever respond. Thank you very much. I have subscribed :-)
As for vitamin D in food, this is from Wikipedia: "Only a few foods, such as the flesh of fatty fish, naturally contain significant amounts of vitamin D." I don't think it is possible for snakes to get useful amount of vitamin D from food. All the more reason for UVB. And vitamin D doesn't seem to be a vitamin, but a hormone. Not essential for survival, but for well being.
Yes exactly ive have a video on the D3 cycle too, I dont think snakes are getting optimal levels of d3 either through dietary means. Are rodent breeders focused on gut loading or just feeding to sustain the rodent until its killed? I dont know but there doesnt seem to be enough D3 either. UVB is such a simple thing to use to ensure the health of the snake. You'd think telling someone, just install a light and you dont have to worry about D3 and have ease of mind would be enough to convince them, let alone all of the other benefits. Im going to make a video on how UVB prevents and aids in treatment of RI''s, mouth rot, scale rot, the lot.
@@ReptilesandResearch I don't know very much on the subject. I do like you do. Read relevant academic papers and studies. I try to be an expert on the animal I have for the sake of the animal. You can't always read snakes in captivity, or captive wild animals in general. You have to know. I have UVB and my boa seems to like it. That's my approach. Having an as naturalistic setup as possible. And I just discovered your channel via a post on a reptile forum and subscribe. I might subscribe to Kaufman, because his in the wild videos, but that's probably it.
@@N7Tigger I stand corrected. A whole animal is, of course, the most nutrient dense food there is. 100 g liver has nearly 10 times the daily recommended levels of vitamin A, if I remember. It is a vitamin you don't want to overdo. On the other hand, "A cooked, 2.5-ounce serving of beef liver has 36 IU of vitamin D." Daily recommended intake for people is 400-800 IU. Compare that to salmon. "A 75-gram (2.5-ounce) serving of sockeye salmon contains between 394 to 636 International Units (IU) of the vitamin depending on whether it's canned, cooked, or raw, according to Dietitians of Canada." There seems to be better alternatives than non-fish liver for D, though. "Pork in general is high in vitamin D. Cuts that pack the most punch include back fat (138 IU per four ounces) and spareribs (103 IU per four ounces)." I'm sure there are lots of parameters. E.g., farmed vs free range. And I don't even know how much vitamin D a snake needs. As for my boa, it spends a lot more time under the IR-A lamp than under the UVB one. He did spend most of the day under the UVB today, but it seems to be the exception. The UVB light is also the only light in which he shows an interest. He do like the heat from the IR-A lamp, but he never reaches up to the screen with his nose like he does with the UVB lamp.
I would like to give my ball python UVB but I really don't know how he would use it. He is a reclusive snake and never comes out when the light is on. And his hides have small openings to give him more security so partial basking is not likely. I know we shouldn't look at the price but I am a student still and I really need to watch what I buy and UVB is pretty expensive, so I have a really hard time deciding if it is at all beneficial for him. I mean I get that UVB is nice for them but I mean if he doesn't lay in the light I would say it's not effective. And I am not sure UVB would make him come out since he is a shy and angsty snake and therefore hides from everything including me :(. Do you have any input on my dilemma?
It takes a long while for the neural pathways to grow in snakes, especially in those that were raised in a way that offered no stimulation. Lots of royals are like this because of how they were raised. Id say be on the look out for a deal when you see one. It will be difficult for you to notice the benefits because we cant directly see whats going on. Even just being able to see properly will be new to him, which he will need to adjust to. It will all be so new. Id provide it over one end, cover the area in hides etc so he can cryptic bask. Then let the other end be dark so he has the choice to move in and out. Be patient with him it will take him a good while to adjust.
Excellent work! I’ve always advocated for UVB with snakes, despite contrary opinions. Maybe you could help me. I’ve never personally kept albinos. Yet a friend of mine, new to the hobby, just got a baby albino hognose. I was suggesting including UV but I know there is a lot of conflicting information about possible sensitivity and those saying it’s not safe for albinos. I can’t get any clear confirmation. Is this an exception where you would recommend against it? I respect your opinion and would be interested in hearing your take.
Just drop a Ferguson zone down, and make sure it’s only over half of the set up at most so it’s a choice, make sure the substrate is deep and there’s lot of clutter to allow cryptic basking and for the snake to hide its eyes. Check out my uvb guide for Ferguson zones etc
I have a 7 month old mbk and he’s discovered a spot up underneath a rock bowl in the hollowed out edges. Although I have a solar glo multi light in place he doesn’t come out in the day so I don’t think he’s getting proper exposure. What can I do to help him want to be in the light as opposed to in the dark? I struggle with the idea of taking away his safe space. Thank you in advance for any info!
Try to offer more spaces, for example. My cali loves using the kitchen roll tubes under the uvb to bask cryptically, try to add as much clutter and different opportunities to bask cryptically as possible
I’m a new Ball Python owner. Isn’t some UVB lights red so you can use them at night? Most ppl here seem like they are very knowledgeable on the topic. The store I got my snake from said I can use it at night so they still get their heat and I can turn my ac on in my room. Do I only use it at night? Do I not use it at all? Are there certain types? I really wanna make sure because I don’t wanna hurt my boy. No disrespect but if you’re not sure please don’t respond I don’t want false information. Hopefully someone helps I’ll check back at this in a few
Uvb lights will never be red, that may be a led or those tinted heat bulbs. Regardless nothing should be red. At night you want to just let it be dark. At night I'd use a ceramic heat emitter. Hope that helps. I have a video on heating too that explains everything 😊
Reptiles and Research Bruh you’re a legend for actually responding first of all💯Also the light I it was for my bearded dragon. But the pet store said I could use it at night for heat because it can get cold in my room. But I’ll probably just stop using it thanks to you. Thanks for responding I’m finna sub and put notis on
@@Smittydaguy Yeah unless your room gets below freezing at night i wouldnt worry, its actually better for their health if it drops at night. Id be happy if mine dropped to 60F. I can only get it down to around 70F. No worries i respond to every comment, thats awesome thank you!
I'm not convinced my Boa Imperator "needs" supplemental UVB lighting in her enclosure but for about 9 months of the year I take her outside in the sun for about half an hour every other day. I figure it can't hurt and there might be some benefit. While not perfect I think what I am doing would be a good approximation of what she would experience in the wild. Boas are not going to be exposed to 12 hrs of direct sunlight a day, 365 days a year.
I think its great that that you take her out like that, it will be benefiting her. You are correct, they wont be exposed to 12 hrs of direct sunlight a day, 365 days a year. Thats not something i would propose. What should be done is provide it over a 1/4 to 1/2 of the enclosure on the heat end of the enclosure. This way exposure is optional and voluntary. If she wants it she knows where to find it, if not she knows where to go to get out of it. Its making it a choice, forced exposure is not a good idea. Hope that helps :)
I've noticed that since I have put in a uvb bulb in my corn snakes vivarium that he seems to bask under the uvb more than his halogen bulb. I'm worried though that he might be confusing the uvb as his heat source as he only seems to bask under his uvb the follow two or three days after he eats. Am I overthinking? Is there any danger to him preferring his uvb as a heat source over his actual heat lamp?
Mine bask under the uvb after eating too, I wouldn't be concerned they can independently select for uvb. They will bask under a halogen when the want to, just seems like he wants uvb a lot which is great. As long as your uvb and halogen overlap at the basking spot at some point I wouldn't be concerned
My snake lives by the east side window. Do you think that's all my corn snake needs? Oh word glass filters out ultra violet light? All glass does this? So people just need reading glasses to protect from uv damage?
Just realised you basically answered this question further down in the comments! Appreciate you replying again anyway 😂🙈. I’m looking forward to introducing uvb to my amel’s enclosure and seeing how he utilises it. Awesome channel, I’ve learned a lot and has inspired me to ‘level up’ various aspects of my husbandry. My animals thank you
@@ReptilesandResearch I actually got into an argument with my vet over this last week. She insisted that my nocturnal leopard gecko didn't need the UVB I was providing. I told her since I got this gecko in 2015 she never laid eggs not until I got a low spectrum UVB bulb that came on the market in 2018. My vet insisted calcium was sufficient and that it was better for them not to lay eggs otherwise you wouldn't be here dealing with egg binding. Well, she went home that day with a fluid and calcium injection and she laid both very large eggs yesterday no problem.
That should be ok, as long as the bulb is secure (won’t fall) and isn’t too hot. UVB bulbs typically don’t produce much heat but check the surface temperature with a temperature gun just in case.
@@ReptilesandResearch followed the Arcadia guidelines exactly regarding what I was supposed to give them, position of the bulb, how much shade etc. Edit to add: I know some people would, but I would never introduce anything new without researching and understanding the need for precision first
@@ReptilesandResearch it's ok i didn't expect you to have an answer. I do need to take her to her vet. She's been under UVB for a year and a half and only just started to show signs of blindness, but she's a young snake
@@Geoffrey454 that's very strange, I've heard of snakes developing cataracts, even when they are without uv. Not sure if that's common in young animals though
Here is footage of a green anaconda - a primarily nocturnal and aquatic snake - climbing to the top of the forest canopy to bask in direct sunlight (already shown you this, Liam, but others might find it interesting): - th-cam.com/video/UsqfEwCYE2M/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching, I'm actually not speaking fast I just cut down all the pauses to shorten the video down. As youtube punishes people with a short average retention score. People generally only watch for around 3 minutes. Was just trying to squash as much info in as few minutes as possible, I'll relax on it if it's hard to understand.
The california kingsnake in this video is a recent rescue and is currently in quarantine conditions.
I used this video to persuade my parents that im not wasting money and uvb is really beneficial to my noodle... and it worked! Thank you for amazing video
Glad it helped you 😊
I can personally vouch for this theory. I have a decent collection of BCI & BCC boas and recently provided my favourite boa with a shop light style uvb light in his enclosure, after 2 weeks he had a shed and literally looked completely different afterwards, not only have I noticed him regularly basking under it but there is a direct difference in the colour of his pigment compared to before hand. Keep in mind, I’ve had this snake since 2012 and never provided UVB until the last few weeks. The results are extremely noticeable.
Thank you for that comment, always grateful for anecdotes from people. They add to the value of the video 😊
Very good video! After getting more into snakes I just feel so sad for the way a lot of them are kept and how poor welfare is the norm. Its very much a "do they need this to live?" Mentality of keeping rather than one of "Is it beneficial to them?".
I agree entirely, I'm breeding my snakes and I'm concerned about the Hatchlings not having uv temporarily, let alone keeping that way long term. Thank you so much for watching 😊
I find it weird sometimes that people refer to Ball Pythons as pet rocks because for me keeping my ball python in a semi-outdoor enclosure I have observed that she is almost on-par with my retic’s activity levels and is more active than my boa imperator kept in a full-outdoor enclosure.
It's a strange one isn't it how myths are so far from reality.
Thank you for your video!!! I noticed that my snakes bask under UVB more often than the heat lamp. This was confusing at first but you cleared it up. Thank you!!!
Thank you for watching 😊
very well put together, well done
Thank you I put so much time and effort into it 😊
Reptiles and Research Extremely well explained, I am using UVB for my motley boa even though it says on google that UVB is not needed in the proper care of boas, I disagree!
If you want your pet snake to live a happy longer life and may even get a bit bigger then why not use UVB 12 hours a day! Liked the video! 🙌🏼
Very good video, Liam! Enjoyed this one a lot 👍🏼 I will be sharing!
Thanks! I put so much effort into this 😁
I recently watched your video on different heating bulbs and have since been swapping my ceramic heat emitters for floodlights. With al this information I feel there's no denying that snakes need UVB, so ill try to add uvb bulbs to my snakes enclosures too, when I can find some gaps in my budget. I love my snakes dearly so thank you for opening my eyes to a whole new world of proper care! I will absolutely do everything in my power to give them the best life I can, even if it will cost me a pretty penny.
I’m glad this helped you ☺️
I love that you link the studies in the description. I’ve used this video to convince several snake owners to begin using UV.
Solid video. I recently got back into the hobby by the purchasing of a baby male BRB. His viv is next to my bed and he comes out at night about 30 mins after I got to just a bedside reading lamp or laptop glow and I can watch him move. When I first got him, he was in a 45cm x 45cm x 30cm exo terra. After a couple months of watching him try to climb as soon as he came out at night, I concluded BRBs are simply terrestrial by day and arboreal by night and went about putting together a much larger viv and he is now in a 90cm x 90cm x 45cm exo terra is a lot of branches, devil's ivy and moss. I also gave him UVB for the first time after someone referred me to this vid (Dav Kaufman's videos on BRBs in the amazon also convinced me they need UVB as he shows them basking during daytime).
He is still only 6 months old now so his viv is massive compared to him. This was my aim - I wanted to his behaviour in a viv which is very big compared to him and with a lot of branches to he has "trees" to climb. He tends to hang out on the top branch in the classic "s coil" that you typically see with amazon tree boas. If you want to check out my channel, I have a few videos showing off his new viv as well as footage of him strike-feeding from the top branch. I aim to put up more videos as I get them, including footage of him ascending through the branches at night. It's a great chance to observe the natural behaviour of rainbow boas.
I'll check it out!
Thank you very much! This is something I was fighting for - for many years within the snake industry and on snake-fora. Hope a lot of snake-keepers will see this, because almost everybody in this snake-world does think UVB does nothing on snakes.
At the other side...even with a lot of evidence they not were willing to understand this. I think they prefer LED or just curverboxes without light the most because of the money.
Thank you very much for watching! it frustrates me daily thats why im pushing hard to get this kind of info in front of as many people as possible! Its why im hoping as many people as possible will share it on their social media.
7:32 - Hey it's my species of snake.
This is a great video! this really needs to become standard care in the snake hobby.
The level of care for snakes is generally pretty dang poor, sadly.
I agree, all my snakes have halogens, uv, and LEDS. Thank you for watching!
Thank you for highlighting this information. We are the new owners of a corn snake and are still learning a lot about how best to care for it.
Hi, no worries, thanks for watching, let us know how your corn snake gets on! 😊
@@ReptilesandResearch we have been trying the hunting feeding technique and he searches the whole cage to look for the food and also continued searching after so next feed we will try cutting the pinkie in half so there are 2 pieces of food to hunt for. Looking forward to see how that goes. Our UV lamp also arrived and ever since he has been hanging out on top of the vines attached to the side of the viv loads. It is great to see him more but he gets really chilly staying so far away from the heat mat. When he is big enough to move to his adult enclosure we will be using a ceramic lamp instead. He is just the best and I am looking forward to seeing him grow up and develop. :D
I live in Arizona and try to take my ball python outside at least once a day to make sure he gets plenty of UVB and he’s never missed a meal. Btw I loved this video, I can hear the passion in your voice :)
He’d benefit from having a tube UVB bulb on top of his enclosure :)
Love your videos. I work at a ma and pa pet shop in a small town. Much information I give to customers makes them look at me like I have two heads. Your videos are a simple way to have people look into this information themselves. Keep up the good work because you're making my job a little easier. Hahaha
Thank you! Glad they're being put to use!
Very well done. I'll be sharing this and hope that it helps answer questions for many keepers who've always been told UVB is not necessary for their snakes.
Amazing thanks for sharing! Glad to hear you think it's decent.
Well put together and so very true!
Cheers 😊
Since I started using UVB with 10 royal/ball pythons at the start of the year I've noticed a pretty profound difference in activity with them. They are significantly more curious about their surroundings and have more periods of activity.
They are maintained at UV index 1.5 and the T5 lights run half the length of their enclosures. Heating is a mixture of halogen and standard heat lamps. Photoperiod so far has been 12 hours.
The group includes 2 albino and 2 leucistic which have only shown a positive reaction to the new lighting. The animals also range from juvenile to adult.
I can't say I've noticed an improvement in colouration and their appetites have always been good so I can't add anything to that.
They dont need it, they live underground, all day hidden and all night hunting, its a waste of money
Great video! Very engaging and well edited.
Thank you so much, poured so much time and passion into this. Im glad people think it was worth it.
Just come across your channel, nice to see a fellow Brit putting out quality information, you deserve way more followers than what you have, keep it up anyways as I'm enjoying the videos.
Thanks mate, maybe one day I'll get there! We keep marching on
@@ReptilesandResearch Not a problem! Yes, I'm sure you will, all in good time. Take care! 😀
Just a little note: it was nice to see the many types of snakes basking at the end of the video, but the silence that came with it felt 'empty'. It would be more engaging perhaps if you added the species name (or actual names for kicks), and maybe even recorded audio listing said names, just to be more engaging.
Otherwise, very well-researched.
I tried to use silence as a way to emphasise the point, guess it didn't really work well. I left a comment with all the species in it. Thank you for watching!
@@ReptilesandResearch I actually love the way you did it and I don’t think it was a miss at all! I just got my corn snakes set up with UVBs today. :)
@@dawnmcfarland7011 oh wow that’s so cool, I’m glad you like it 😀
I give uvb in the winter (also as an extra heat source) . In other seasons the heating mat is more that enough. I hope he will benefit from it.
I tend to provide the lot, then in the winter I will shorten the day length and reduce the temperatures
I literally loved this video, can you please, help us with a video specifically about more reptile articles like the ones in this video? Please.
No nesecerally about uv light and the effects in snakes, for that is this video, but maybe abouy hearing in snakes vs lizards, and more, cientific articles about interesting things that non reptile people frequently ask
This was excellent. Well done!
Thank you!
Very good explanation and summary based on some of the most important studies 👍🏻. Much greetings from Germany.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you very much! Hello Germany!
I always was told my Hognose didn’t need UVB, I never felt right as my bearded dragon did why shouldn’t he? I made the change and I wouldn’t change it, see him basking all the time and overall feel he is much more active. Great vid!
Thank you! I agree, all snakes deserve maximum care!
Hognose snakes are diurnal much like gartersnakes, even though they do not expose themselves for extended periods. It does not surprise me that uvb is beneficial for them.
Interesting video. I heard from some snake keepers that Boomslangs are getting melanistic in captivity. Could it be the reason that these snakes are not keeping their original green/olive colour because their inexposure of UV light? Sounds very plausible I think..
Anyway, as soon as I get a place on my own and will get my first snake I will definitely consider using UVB light! Sounds logical as well to keep it as natural as you can get.
Wow I didn't know that about boomslang! Maybe, I'd have to research it properly. Thank you for watching!
I will be sharing this thank you for giving us this information in an easily digestible manner
Thank you I’m glad you found it useful 😄
Do you have any videos showing how too install the UVB basking spot lamps with the protective metal cage installed around the basking light? I'd like too utilize this method in conjunction with pro product radiant heat panels being utilized with a Herpstatt of course 🐍The UVB strip lights are very easy too install but I'm not sure how too safety install or modify the single light fixture too the top of cages! I'm assuming just mount and screw the light fixture connection outlet and then affix the metal protective cage with screws and or bolts or a combination of the two! I'd like too try this method out as I think it be highly beneficial as you recommend or is this OVERKILL? They will be used on very large snake enclosures made out of heavy duty polyurethane plastic that are being controlled by a Herpstatt 6 and multiple timers with cooling and warming settings too prevent overheating or vise versa!!!
You gained yourself a subscriber
Welcome aboard 😊
This stuff I like! Glad I found your channel.
Thank you!
I'm a newbie with reptiles but I know the benefits of vitamin D for humans and I'm going to trie it on my snakes I dont think i will lose anything but could gain
Exactly! When it's done properly you can only gain, it's generally cheap to do too! Thanks for watching!
@Venus Julienne welcome to the channel, have a binge, it will help 😁
Thank you so much you‘ve just got a new sub 👌🏽 helped me a lot with this video 👌🏽 great information 💯💯
Welcome 🤗
What lamp should I use than? Thanks for the video
What species do you have?
I have shared this video on the Cold-Blooded Care FB page and asked others to share it on. It is well put together, science based and peer reviewed. It should be shared widely. And I am sorry if my remark about speaking too fast hurt your feelings; it is a fault that I share myself. I have to make great efforts to speak more slowly when doing a presentation
Thank you for sharing! No worries didn't offend me at all. It was constructive criticism, had someone else express the same thing so I'll try to slow it down in the future.
Do what you are passionate about. respect sir
Thank you!
I am going to try this out myself and see what happens. Subjects being a boa constrictor and some rosy boas. To be honest, I am a bit skeptical about the need for uvb with either species, but I don’t want to be a skeptic w/o testing it out first.
It's definitely worth trying, don't forget some take to it right away, some take a while to get used to it. Dillon from animals at home said that his carpet python took 6 weeks to get used to it, now it basks daily like clockwork.
So, it’s been 6 months, did you try it? Did you notice any difference?
@@dawnmcfarland7011 Yes, with the rosy boas. I do not see any outward difference. No way for me to tell if it is benefitting them on the inside. I moved one to a tub in a rack. That one will now eats like a pig. It likes the tub. Which is quite on par for many snake species that tend to be secretive.
I guess we all have to try things to see what yields best results.
Can you do a video about UVB % for particular species? Personally interested in BCIs and BPs.
I could do but I don't have either species, I'd struggle with footage
What light would you recommend for plant growth and uvb? Should I get a separate uvb bulb and a separate grow light?
Just ordered a t5 Cavedweller 7% uvb tube kit. I'm hoping that this improves my milk snake heath and increase its eating as it often refuses meals.
fingers crossed for ya
I love your passion, and since I'm also a man of science I'll start providing my ball pythons UVB!
Glad it was useful 😊
If I have a heat mat under the tank, do I need to get a heat lamp or can I just get a UVB? And how many watts should I get for a ball python?
Would this apply to a snow morph corn snake? He doesn’t have melanin so I’m a bit concerned about getting sun burned.
very good information. I am getting white corn snake, and breeder I am getting this snake from said, for albino snake like I am getting could damage their eyes from UVB so recommended not to use. But I think, if I use shade dwellers level UVB might be OK. This video is 2 years old, so you might not see this message but if possible, I would like to hear your opinion. Thank you.
I’d offer a low uvi bulb such as a shadeweller over one end of the enclosure so the snake can choose. A uvi of 1 or so will be fine
@@ReptilesandResearch Thank you so much for your reply and advice! 🙂
I just shared this vid in both noodle groups that I'm in, snakes with hats and Not just a pet rock
Thank you!
I have been trying my best to learn about UVb for my royals.
I have a young female in a 3' Viv, and a newly acquired adult male who will soon be in a 4' - currently in a 3' as that's all I have.
In the female tank, I have a work in progress bioactive setup, which is growing quite nicely, with a plant led on 12/12 day night. What UVb is recommended? And, is it ok alongside the plant light?
Also, the 4' will have the same led plant light, so, what UVb is recommended.
I know you are busy, but I'd really appreciate your advice as I want to give them both the best I can.
Cheers.
Very informative channel, by the way.
Hi, Martin. The uvb should go alongside the LED's, I made a video on how to select what uvb bulb to choose but its not out yet, if you send me a message on the facebook page ill send you a private link
@@ReptilesandResearch ok, thanks. I will do that.
What about fossorial snakes? I have a scarlet snake that is buried almost constantly. I do have a night light UVB light for her tho
I’d still provide it, I’ve seen scarlet kings basking
I found this out by accident as any new first time snake owner of a ball python I hade it set up near a window no background or anything (shame on me lol) I’ve noticed her baskin in the sunlight for a bit then she crawls back to her hide. That made me think 🤔 the ball pythons groups on FB really thinks they don’t need uvb. Also get many complaints about their snake not eating. I may be new to the reptile world but I really do try my best to do my research.
So the glass filters out uv so the snake was basking for infra red. Many regius keepers sadly get sucked into dogma.
I have more regius videos you'd be interested in.
It'd be nice to see one of these uv videos for geckos, yet another controversial topic.
I will make one for leopard geckos
Cool ,,, Thanks ,,, I do appreciate '
Any time!
What do you think about the way that breeders keeps ball Pythons? Personally I found it a very bad and poor solution keep snakes in a plastic drawers (pvc?) and feed them once a week. Thanks for your time
It isnt the optimal way to keep for their welfare
What about UVB for green tree pythons, they use perches. How can you safely use UVB for them?
Use the uv guide video we made here
Hi, what type of snake is displayed in time stamp 1.45 minutes? Thmx
beauty snake
Thank you so much for this knowledge! My hognose, thanks to you, will have a UV lamp in his terrarium c:
No problem 😊
If you need help choosing a bulb then you always have my uvb guide video
At what time should i turn on the uv bulbs? Whats the night/day cycle?
I have mine on the whole day cycle, so whatever day cycle you normally give. If you don’t normally 12 on 12 off is a safe bet
When I got my first snake, and albino corn snake, I put UVB up. I have tortoises and a blue tongue skink and a box turtle so I know about UVB. But then I heard somewhere, can't remember where, that you should not use UV be for albino reptiles because it hurts their eyes. But I can't seem to find any more information on that. Does the UVB hurt the albino snakes eyes? I know it does for albino humans. I don't want to hurt my snake. I now have 11 snakes and I would gladly provide UVB for all of them but four of them are albino types with red eyes so I don't want to hurt them. Please give me any information you may have or appoint me somewhere that has the information. Thank you. I just found your channel, came over from TC Houston's reptile Mountain TV.
With albinos some people claim albino snakes don't like the bright lights others claim the snake wasn't bothered. An albino can still cryptically bask, meaning its head is hidden with a coil or something is exposed. I would use the shade method for an albino and use lots of clutter to make cryptic basking easier for it. You can see about the shade method in the uvb guide video and about clutter in the tight spaces video. Hope that helps 😁
@@ReptilesandResearch Thank you! I was kind of thinking along that line anyway, just to put lots of stuff in there so they don't have to be exposed a lot. So I will do that. And I will check out those videos. I have asked this on several channels and you are the first one to ever respond. Thank you very much. I have subscribed :-)
@@nogames8982 Hope the videos help, i try to respond as much as possible. Thanks for the sub! Hope you enjoy videos going forward :)
I'm fairly sure my lavender corn snake is now blind from using uvb light
@@Geoffrey454 oh man, that is sad.
As for vitamin D in food, this is from Wikipedia: "Only a few foods, such as the flesh of fatty fish, naturally contain significant amounts of vitamin D."
I don't think it is possible for snakes to get useful amount of vitamin D from food. All the more reason for UVB. And vitamin D doesn't seem to be a vitamin, but a hormone. Not essential for survival, but for well being.
Yes exactly ive have a video on the D3 cycle too, I dont think snakes are getting optimal levels of d3 either through dietary means. Are rodent breeders focused on gut loading or just feeding to sustain the rodent until its killed? I dont know but there doesnt seem to be enough D3 either. UVB is such a simple thing to use to ensure the health of the snake. You'd think telling someone, just install a light and you dont have to worry about D3 and have ease of mind would be enough to convince them, let alone all of the other benefits. Im going to make a video on how UVB prevents and aids in treatment of RI''s, mouth rot, scale rot, the lot.
@@ReptilesandResearch I don't know very much on the subject. I do like you do. Read relevant academic papers and studies. I try to be an expert on the animal I have for the sake of the animal. You can't always read snakes in captivity, or captive wild animals in general. You have to know.
I have UVB and my boa seems to like it. That's my approach. Having an as naturalistic setup as possible. And I just discovered your channel via a post on a reptile forum and subscribe. I might subscribe to Kaufman, because his in the wild videos, but that's probably it.
@@grisflyt thats so cool! Thanks!
That's based on a human diet. We don't eat organs, brains and bones.
@@N7Tigger I stand corrected. A whole animal is, of course, the most nutrient dense food there is. 100 g liver has nearly 10 times the daily recommended levels of vitamin A, if I remember. It is a vitamin you don't want to overdo.
On the other hand, "A cooked, 2.5-ounce serving of beef liver has 36 IU of vitamin D." Daily recommended intake for people is 400-800 IU.
Compare that to salmon. "A 75-gram (2.5-ounce) serving of sockeye salmon contains between 394 to 636 International Units (IU) of the vitamin depending on whether it's canned, cooked, or raw, according to Dietitians of Canada."
There seems to be better alternatives than non-fish liver for D, though. "Pork in general is high in vitamin D. Cuts that pack the most punch include back fat (138 IU per four ounces) and spareribs (103 IU per four ounces)."
I'm sure there are lots of parameters. E.g., farmed vs free range. And I don't even know how much vitamin D a snake needs.
As for my boa, it spends a lot more time under the IR-A lamp than under the UVB one. He did spend most of the day under the UVB today, but it seems to be the exception.
The UVB light is also the only light in which he shows an interest. He do like the heat from the IR-A lamp, but he never reaches up to the screen with his nose like he does with the UVB lamp.
I would like to give my ball python UVB but I really don't know how he would use it. He is a reclusive snake and never comes out when the light is on.
And his hides have small openings to give him more security so partial basking is not likely.
I know we shouldn't look at the price but I am a student still and I really need to watch what I buy and UVB is pretty expensive, so I have a really hard time deciding if it is at all beneficial for him.
I mean I get that UVB is nice for them but I mean if he doesn't lay in the light I would say it's not effective.
And I am not sure UVB would make him come out since he is a shy and angsty snake and therefore hides from everything including me :(.
Do you have any input on my dilemma?
It takes a long while for the neural pathways to grow in snakes, especially in those that were raised in a way that offered no stimulation. Lots of royals are like this because of how they were raised. Id say be on the look out for a deal when you see one. It will be difficult for you to notice the benefits because we cant directly see whats going on. Even just being able to see properly will be new to him, which he will need to adjust to. It will all be so new. Id provide it over one end, cover the area in hides etc so he can cryptic bask. Then let the other end be dark so he has the choice to move in and out. Be patient with him it will take him a good while to adjust.
What about albino snakes or nocturnal snakes? Does this still stand?
Yeah it does
Excellent work! I’ve always advocated for UVB with snakes, despite contrary opinions. Maybe you could help me. I’ve never personally kept albinos. Yet a friend of mine, new to the hobby, just got a baby albino hognose. I was suggesting including UV but I know there is a lot of conflicting information about possible sensitivity and those saying it’s not safe for albinos. I can’t get any clear confirmation. Is this an exception where you would recommend against it? I respect your opinion and would be interested in hearing your take.
Just drop a Ferguson zone down, and make sure it’s only over half of the set up at most so it’s a choice, make sure the substrate is deep and there’s lot of clutter to allow cryptic basking and for the snake to hide its eyes. Check out my uvb guide for Ferguson zones etc
Best explanation I’ve heard yet. Thanks for the quick response man, I really appreciate it.
@@CrucibleBlack13 no worries mate 😊
I have a 7 month old mbk and he’s discovered a spot up underneath a rock bowl in the hollowed out edges. Although I have a solar glo multi light in place he doesn’t come out in the day so I don’t think he’s getting proper exposure. What can I do to help him want to be in the light as opposed to in the dark? I struggle with the idea of taking away his safe space. Thank you in advance for any info!
Try to offer more spaces, for example. My cali loves using the kitchen roll tubes under the uvb to bask cryptically, try to add as much clutter and different opportunities to bask cryptically as possible
Fantastic video and I agree uv is very important the evidence you gave just proves that 👍🏻
Thank you I’m glad it was useful
I’m a new Ball Python owner. Isn’t some UVB lights red so you can use them at night? Most ppl here seem like they are very knowledgeable on the topic. The store I got my snake from said I can use it at night so they still get their heat and I can turn my ac on in my room. Do I only use it at night? Do I not use it at all? Are there certain types? I really wanna make sure because I don’t wanna hurt my boy. No disrespect but if you’re not sure please don’t respond I don’t want false information. Hopefully someone helps I’ll check back at this in a few
Uvb lights will never be red, that may be a led or those tinted heat bulbs. Regardless nothing should be red. At night you want to just let it be dark. At night I'd use a ceramic heat emitter. Hope that helps. I have a video on heating too that explains everything 😊
Reptiles and Research Bruh you’re a legend for actually responding first of all💯Also the light I it was for my bearded dragon. But the pet store said I could use it at night for heat because it can get cold in my room. But I’ll probably just stop using it thanks to you. Thanks for responding I’m finna sub and put notis on
Reptiles and Research Do you have any socials or an email so I can contact you incase I have any other questions?
@@Smittydaguy Yeah unless your room gets below freezing at night i wouldnt worry, its actually better for their health if it drops at night. Id be happy if mine dropped to 60F. I can only get it down to around 70F.
No worries i respond to every comment, thats awesome thank you!
How many watts for a uvb do corn snakes need?
Please go and watch my uvb guide to picking a bulb it will explain everything you need to know ;)
I have Albino Hongnaose Snake, Albno gene snake can ues uvb
I'm not convinced my Boa Imperator "needs" supplemental UVB lighting in her enclosure but for about 9 months of the year I take her outside in the sun for about half an hour every other day. I figure it can't hurt and there might be some benefit. While not perfect I think what I am doing would be a good approximation of what she would experience in the wild. Boas are not going to be exposed to 12 hrs of direct sunlight a day, 365 days a year.
I think its great that that you take her out like that, it will be benefiting her. You are correct, they wont be exposed to 12 hrs of direct sunlight a day, 365 days a year. Thats not something i would propose.
What should be done is provide it over a 1/4 to 1/2 of the enclosure on the heat end of the enclosure. This way exposure is optional and voluntary. If she wants it she knows where to find it, if not she knows where to go to get out of it. Its making it a choice, forced exposure is not a good idea. Hope that helps :)
I've noticed that since I have put in a uvb bulb in my corn snakes vivarium that he seems to bask under the uvb more than his halogen bulb. I'm worried though that he might be confusing the uvb as his heat source as he only seems to bask under his uvb the follow two or three days after he eats. Am I overthinking? Is there any danger to him preferring his uvb as a heat source over his actual heat lamp?
Mine bask under the uvb after eating too, I wouldn't be concerned they can independently select for uvb. They will bask under a halogen when the want to, just seems like he wants uvb a lot which is great. As long as your uvb and halogen overlap at the basking spot at some point I wouldn't be concerned
My snake lives by the east side window. Do you think that's all my corn snake needs?
Oh word glass filters out ultra violet light? All glass does this? So people just need reading glasses to protect from uv damage?
Unfortunately glass filters out uvb so it won't be getting anything from being by the window.
Check out my uvb guide for what to do 😁
Is uvb lighting safe for Amel cornsnakes?
yes
Just realised you basically answered this question further down in the comments! Appreciate you replying again anyway 😂🙈. I’m looking forward to introducing uvb to my amel’s enclosure and seeing how he utilises it.
Awesome channel, I’ve learned a lot and has inspired me to ‘level up’ various aspects of my husbandry. My animals thank you
@@caroline6790 I’m glad you like the channel 😁
It seems like a no brainer all living things need the sun to live.
Agreed, even without all the studies logic would dictate that is the case, I give my livefood uvb, I give my fish uvb.
@@ReptilesandResearch I actually got into an argument with my vet over this last week. She insisted that my nocturnal leopard gecko didn't need the UVB I was providing. I told her since I got this gecko in 2015 she never laid eggs not until I got a low spectrum UVB bulb that came on the market in 2018. My vet insisted calcium was sufficient and that it was better for them not to lay eggs otherwise you wouldn't be here dealing with egg binding. Well, she went home that day with a fluid and calcium injection and she laid both very large eggs yesterday no problem.
can my snake climb on that uvb light ehile it's on?
That should be ok, as long as the bulb is secure (won’t fall) and isn’t too hot. UVB bulbs typically don’t produce much heat but check the surface temperature with a temperature gun just in case.
@@nightinggale6470 ok, thank you!!
👏🏼👏🏼 Reasons why all my hoggies have UVB
That’s great!!!
We advise using UVB
Perfect
Beautiful.... good luck with your channel and I hope we can be youtube friend.
Shared
Thank you!
What about albinos
I think my snake may have gone blind from her uvb light.
You may be overexposing them, check out my uvb guide to make sure you have the right uvi
@@ReptilesandResearch followed the Arcadia guidelines exactly regarding what I was supposed to give them, position of the bulb, how much shade etc.
Edit to add: I know some people would, but I would never introduce anything new without researching and understanding the need for precision first
@@Geoffrey454 Thats great to hear, If all is good with its provision I would suggest seeking out a vet. Sorry for not having a specific answer for you
@@ReptilesandResearch it's ok i didn't expect you to have an answer. I do need to take her to her vet. She's been under UVB for a year and a half and only just started to show signs of blindness, but she's a young snake
@@Geoffrey454 that's very strange, I've heard of snakes developing cataracts, even when they are without uv. Not sure if that's common in young animals though
You probably already answered... How big / much uvb light should I use
If you watch my uvb guide it will teach you how to pick the right one
@@ReptilesandResearch I guess I'll watch it again
Here is footage of a green anaconda - a primarily nocturnal and aquatic snake - climbing to the top of the forest canopy to bask in direct sunlight (already shown you this, Liam, but others might find it interesting): -
th-cam.com/video/UsqfEwCYE2M/w-d-xo.html
Well guess who’s going to the store to buy a UV….me
Thats fantastic to hear!
A good video but next time speak more slowly.
Thanks for watching, I'm actually not speaking fast I just cut down all the pauses to shorten the video down. As youtube punishes people with a short average retention score. People generally only watch for around 3 minutes. Was just trying to squash as much info in as few minutes as possible, I'll relax on it if it's hard to understand.
this is not allowed, i call the police (piepdüdelidupieptut.......tut.......tut)
Nee Naw