Lighting affecting color?

[Blackavar15]

I'm wondering what type of lighting you all recommend for a garter snake enclosure. I had my T.s. similis in a one of those large ExoTerra front opening tanks with a full spectrum florescent light on top, but had to move them into a Boaphile enclosure with no supplemental lighting due to space restrictions. I've noticed that, since then, my blues have developed more of a greenish color and are not as brilliant as they used to be. Is this a result of loosing the full spectrum light? Or, is this just a natural color change as they get older?

Note: I will be moving them into a large naturalistic glass walled enclosure as soon as I do some rearranging over winter break. I miss seeing my babies out and about and all lit up!

[ConcinusMan]

Some snakes do tend to dull as they age. They also tend to darken up or look dull when a shed cycle is approaching. It sounds like he just went from blue to more greenish? What I'm wondering is, if the snake is actually changing color or if this is just a perception because of the lighting you're viewing it under.

Lighting should have no affect on how the snake's colors develop but my blue concinnus' naturally dull and turn more green and lose the blue color this time of year but that's because I either put them in brumation or just shorten the days and lower the temperature. If I were to warm them up, they turn blue again in just hours, a couple of weeks, or with their next shed. It's temperature that affects their color, not lighting.

Many will tell you lighting isn't important at all but I disagree. Bright light of a somewhat balanced spectrum, and the day length has a significant effect on their appetite and activity levels since they are sun-loving diurnal creatures. I recently added a full spectrum florescent to a tank that was only getting ambient light from a window. The added light made a big difference. They went from hiding all the time to being out and very active for most of the day.

It can't hurt to brighten up their enclosure. If proper temps are already achieved by other means add a flourescent ot LED lighting and see if it makes a difference. In my experience, it does. But the light you use won't cause them to actually change color. That's something that happens at various times of the year, and over years with age.

[paulh]

I'm wondering what type of lighting you all recommend for a garter snake enclosure. I had my T.s. similis in a one of those large ExoTerra front opening tanks with a full spectrum florescent light on top, but had to move them into a Boaphile enclosure with no supplemental lighting due to space restrictions. I've noticed that, since then, my blues have developed more of a greenish color and are not as brilliant as they used to be. Is this a result of loosing the full spectrum light? Or, is this just a natural color change as they get older?

IMO, it's from losing the full spectrum light.

Regular cool white fluorescent tubes are very high in the green part of the spectrum. When I was shooting film, I tried to take a picture of a bust of George Washington under fluorescent lights. The bust was white to my eyes, but it was pea green on Ectachrome film.

[Blackavar15]

Interesting. I know that temperature can play a role in coloration, but it's probably because they are getting older that they are greener. When they were young they were a nice crisp blue and black, but now they have a lot more colors in them which is totally awesome. They are still pretty blue and maybe the blue isn't going away, maybe other colors are just starting to stand out more. When I set them up in their new glass tank I'll put the full spectrum back on them.

paulh- I totally get that! Whenever I photograph my snakes I use a full spectrum light to get the best pictures. If they decide to stand still, lol!

[ConcinusMan]

Most cameras have a white balance setting. It compensates for red or blue shifted light spectrum. Naturally if it's set for full spectrum or natural daylight, you won't get natural looking color from an incandescent or white florescent light source. It will look too yellow or too blue. That's what the white balance setting is for.