quick question HIDES

[pyalda]

sorry about this, just have to know
do hides go above the heat matts. if they do they how will my snake get UV.
cheers

 

[littlemay]

Snakes don't need UVB, they get their calcium directly from their prey.

 

[pyalda]

i heard they get nutrients (and cal) but i heard they get vitimans from uv, apparently something they dont get enuf of by eating

 

[andynic07]

Pretty sure the only species of snake that may benefit from sunlight is the diamond python and that isn't even proven. Back to your original question, it depends on what species of snake and what age but I think generally yes I would put the hide over the heat mat.

 

[Shotta]

i usually have the hide on the hot side sometimes he doesnt even use his hide and sits on top of it or tries to squeeze behind it lol you could also try using 2 hides if the enclosure is big enough then you can put one on the hotside , the other on the cool side

 

[riotgirlckb]

yeah if it was a lizardd different story but a snake dont need UVB and personally I would put onr down the cold end and one on a heat mat in the warm end and let the snake decide haha

 

[PieBald]

snakes are nocturnal.................

 

[KristianG]

Piebald is right that is my most python have pits on their faces with heat sensitive membranes inside, to aid the snake when hunting at night and I don't think your snake needs a UV light if it is digesting bones then it should get all the calcium he needs.

 

[RSPcrazy]

Place the hide on the warm end. Because If you have a young or skittish snake, then it doesn't have to leave the safety of its hide for warmth. If you want to, you can use two hides, one for each end.

Snakes do NOT need UV light. Snakes get the important vitamins they need from their food, eg. Vitamin D3 (needed to absorb calcium) from the liver of rodents.
Snakes are nocturnal and use the sun for heat, not vitamins.

 

[Xanthine]

As mentioned above, but not noted, it's vitamin D3 which animals get from UVB, also called calcitrol, which is responsible for proper management of calcium in the body. Snakes would get it from liver, as liver is really the be all and end all for nutrition when it comes to meats. Calcium is gotten from bones.

If you're that worried about UVB for your snake, take it outside when handling it. Even on overcast days, the UVB can be high, and not much is needed for synthesis of D3.

Disclaimer: not an expert on vitamins when it comes to snakes, but I have studied the hell out of vitamins in the past, and really vitamins are the same for all life higher than bacteria. If many of them have the same function in plants as humans, pretty sure they have the same function in snakes.

 

[slide]

You could use paper towel or newspaper as a substrate with the hide at the warm end. That way it can chose to go into its cosy hide or if it wants a hide at the cool end it will burrow under the paper.
Aaron

 

[Bluetongue1]

Vitamin D3 is photosynthesised in the skin under the influence of UVB light. D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin and when excess amounts of it are made, it is stored in the fat globules of the liver. So our livers will contain D3.

The function of vitamin D3 is too allow the uptake and movement of calcium from within the digestive tube and into the blood. D3 is also required for calcium to be metabolised i.e. to be made use of once it is in the blood stream of the body. Without D3, calcium cannot be incorporated into bones and nerves and muscles and other places where it is utilised. So it would not matter if there is more than enough calcium in your diet, without vitamin D3, you cannot absorb it or use it and you will soon suffer from calcium deficiency.

Many animals that eat whole vertebrates are able to make full use of stored vitamin D3 in the liver of their prey and to then digest and use the calcium in their skeleton. Calcium is used for a lot of important processes in our body, such a nerve signals and muscle contractions, so it is not only the bones which can be affected.

Sorry about the repetition but I think it is better to it all correct and in one hit.

Blue

 

[Bluetongue1]

Any snake that eats whole vertebrates does not need exposure to UVB, including diurnal snakes like blacks and browns. Diamond python syndrome has been shown to be caused by continous too high temperatures, which closely related pythons actually need.

 

[spinner_collis]

Just thinking that us as vertebrates need exposure to sun to generate vitamin D so would the same go for rodents. I'm unsure if rodent breeders provide uv light to their rodents. So if vertebrates require sun to create vit d then if rodents are not being subjected to UVB then how are they to create vit d to supply to our snakes with vit d?

 

[Bluetongue1]

I have been atempting to find an answer to that questions and also where geckoes derive their vitamin D from if they live solely on insects. There is also the question of fish as UVB does not penetrate water very far. I suspect that algae might well be a soutrce and if that is the case then possibly land plants as well.That would explain where insects and rodents dferive it from. But as yet I have not been able to confirm that and actually gave up working on it as other priorities took over.

Maybe the first one to find out can let the other one know?

Cheers,
Blue

 

[slide]

Spinner- i was thinking the same about the vit D in the rodents when I read Blue's first post. This thread has gone on an excellent tangent and I think the questions raised really need their own thread with an appropriate title to draw the attention it deserves. Please PM me if you do start one or find the answer to the questions raised, I find it very interesting