snakes hiding during daylight hours

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alex92

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this is probably a naive thing to post but some things i come across seem to conflict one another unless young snakes are the exception but basically this is the deal;
most sources recommend giving your reptiles a natural light source for their skin and general health and basking etc. the thing is when my snakes have direct sunlight and/or a basking lamp going they completely avoid it which makes me question the validity of this advice since during all hours of the day both snakes remain in their hides and the only time i ever catch them out is late at night when it's completely dark, either perched on the branches or curled up around the heat mat.
so has it been proven that the animals wellbeing and health are vitally connected to them having the sun and basking spots? because it seems that even when given that they stick to displaying the characteristics of a completely nocturnal reptile which kinda seems to contradict the whole lighting thing most people seem to tell me. for further reference the reptile in question is the coastal carpet python.
 
young snakes stay out of sight during the day to avoid predators,

my adults are more confident and will bask under the lamp.
 
ok then, so it more comes down to them instinctively hiding while they're young and small, i hope that's the case haha coz i was starting to worry i'd set something up wrong in the enclosure or there was something strange going on, thanks for the response
 
Even adults are more active at night. It's when their prey is out and about. That's why we generally suggest feeding after dark for 'fussy feeders'
 
All the above, and it also depends on species. Antaresias (Stimmies, Spotteds and Children's) are largely nocturnal throughout their lives, so will not use basking spots during periods of strong light. Pythons don't actually need light - I remember seeing them kept in fully fibreglass boxes at VPI in Texas, had been for generations, and all appeared very healthy. Not much of a life, but I guess that when they've got a belly full of food and the temps are fine, all any python wants to do is curl up in a rock crevice or hollow log until it's time to eat again, so maybe it suited them just fine. We tend to place many of our own mammalian sentiments onto our reptile charges, and this might be a mistake sometimes.

Jamie
 
All the above, and it also depends on species. Antaresias (Stimmies, Spotteds and Children's) are largely nocturnal throughout their lives, so will not use basking spots during periods of strong light. Pythons don't actually need light - I remember seeing them kept in fully fibreglass boxes at VPI in Texas, had been for generations, and all appeared very healthy. Not much of a life, but I guess that when they've got a belly full of food and the temps are fine, all any python wants to do is curl up in a rock crevice or hollow log until it's time to eat again, so maybe it suited them just fine. We tend to place many of our own mammalian sentiments onto our reptile charges, and this might be a mistake sometimes.

Jamie

This maybe a dangerous question to ask but it ties in to the original posted question as I understand it. When UV comes into the equation and the snake avoids coming out while the UV is on.... is the UV necessary. ( I am particularly asking as I have a young BHP 7 months old and am getting mixed feedback as to whether a BHP needs UV light). Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere.
 
This maybe a dangerous question to ask but it ties in to the original posted question as I understand it. When UV comes into the equation and the snake avoids coming out while the UV is on.... is the UV necessary. ( I am particularly asking as I have a young BHP 7 months old and am getting mixed feedback as to whether a BHP needs UV light). Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere.

This question comes up again & again, but the answer is always that snakes do NOT need UV, despite the constant push by the pet trade and those who anthropomorphise their animals. It will probably do no harm, and if it makes you feel better to use it, that's cool, but definitely not a necessity, for ANY species.

Jamie
 
This question comes up again & again, but the answer is always that snakes do NOT need UV, despite the constant push by the pet trade and those who anthropomorphise their animals. It will probably do no harm, and if it makes you feel better to use it, that's cool, but definitely not a necessity, for ANY species.

Jamie
Thank you Jamie, ive looked at previous posts and answers (for what I looked at where rather contradictory). I have best intentions for my animals hence the question. Your answer is appreciated. Cheers.
 
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