Red Lights for Snakes?

[McMonty]

I read somewhere that snakes can't see red light, which is why, I believe, you can buy the infrared heat lamps. (it provides heat without disturbing the illusion of darkness to the reptile). I want to buy a globe that will allow me to watch the goings on in the terrarium without emitting heat as the nights are fairly warm here already. Will a normal red light bulb work. Or am I completely misinformed? Also I found globes that provide uvb light but what kind of globe provides uva? Of all the pet shops I have been to, the staff are even less knowledgable than me (that's scary). I guess reptiles are more common as pets in Canada and the U.S. Here in Australia its all cats and dogs.

Please somebody help me.....................

[infernalis]

Red LED lamps make NO heat, are cheap to run and cheap to buy.

[McMonty]

Thanks Wayne - but is it true that they are invisible to reptiles?

[infernalis]

That's debatable I'm sure...

I have garter snakes that will react to a red dot from a laser pointer, but red light does seem to be the least disruptive.

Nocturnal species are used to a little ambient moonlight in the wild, so having a low level light on at night will not disrupt them either.

I can only assume that you wish this light to be on for viewing purposes??

If so, turn it off when you are done viewing your snakes.

[Will0W783]

Red LED lights make no heat, but infrared heat bulbs make A LOT of heat. Although, if you need to heat your snakes' cage(s) at night and have no source of heat other than a lamp, a ceramic heat emitter bulb would be best. These produce NO LIGHT at all but emit a lot of heat.

[mykee]

Snakes do not "see" as we do. They only have photoreceptors that pick up on different temperatures (think Ahhh-nold from Predator).

[emseeKAY]

Originally Posted by mykee

(think Ahhh-nold from Predator).

greatest quote i have ever heard lol

[infernalis]

Originally Posted by mykee

Snakes do not "see" as we do. They only have photoreceptors that pick up on different temperatures (think Ahhh-nold from Predator).

Excuse me?? what???

They can see independent of temps... How exactly do they navigate through the environment they live in.??

Arboreal snakes travel from limb to limb, and all the limbs are the same temperature.

Garter snakes & water snakes commonly go fishing and dive into water to catch fish, fish are cold blooded and the body temp of the fish is the same as the water, and yet somehow my little colubrid friends manage to see a fish swimming under the surface of the water......

[McMonty]

Thankyou to all - my question has been answered. Mykee- too scared to click on your website. lol

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by mykee

snakes do not "see" as we do. They only have photoreceptors that pick up on different temperatures (think ahhh-nold from predator).

"get to tha choppa!"