Checkered Garter Snake

[riley_napalm]

i went out and picked up an additional set of LED lights. i already use a ceramic heat emitter for one of my lizards, but i know they are a bit pricey, but VERY much worth it. so i may grab another one of those, right now he's got an under tank heater. thanks for the heads up on the uv rays. that totally slipped my mind!

[kibakiba]

I'm sensitive to sunlight and I have none of that. I can get a sunburn in 10 minutes, 30 minutes with a thick coat of sun block. And not to mention, my skin is so pale you can see my veins and all that. I did get a little tan once after having a sunburn for a week, but it didn't look well on me.. You could still see my veins.

[ConcinusMan]

All I have to say is that your sunblock sucks. Nobody burns with sunblock that works.

But anyway, I didn't mean to get off topic. I was just trying to give you an idea why it's bad for albinos to get sunlight or any UV.

This is really why albino garters don't stand much chance in the wild. They need to get sun to warm up, but sun is deadly to them.

Any that manage to survive do so only because they are able to avoid the sun and still get the warmth and everything else they need, all while saying out of sight. Not an easy task.

[riley_napalm]

do you think that a light placed at least 12 to 16 inches above the snake would still pose a threat? i know that uvb bulbs do tend to lose their effectiveness if they are above 12 inches above your critter. these LED lights aren't really giving me the visibility i'd like.

[ConcinusMan]

Quite honestly, I don't think a 2.0 UV bulb puts out enough UV to do any damage if it's more than 12 inches away or if it's sitting on top of a screen. Still, if you're thinking about using a florescent instead of your LED's it might be prudent to just use a regular white florescent instead of a reptile bulb if your snake is an albino. An incandescent bulb for a basking area, tends to put out a rather yellowish light and would balance the overall spectrum quite nicely when used with a white florescent. Besides, the UV reptile florescent is more expensive.

[ConcinusMan]

i went out and picked up an additional set of LED lights. i already use a ceramic heat emitter for one of my lizards, but i know they are a bit pricey, but VERY much worth it. so i may grab another one of those, right now he's got an under tank heater. thanks for the heads up on the uv rays. that totally slipped my mind!

Just about any lizard needs at least UVA rays. Some need UVA and UVB. A ceramic heat emitter just doesn't cut it. I know that when I was keeping several species of lizards, even the UV reptisun florescents aren't quite enough. My lizards also had an outdoor screened cage and spent quite a bit of time out there in the summer to get exposure to natural sunlight.

Only with the UVA/UVB bulbs AND the sunlight in the summer time, did I have any success with them. Without it, they simply wither and die. Ceramic heat emitters are not really all that pricey. A UV bulb that is worth a darn at all is quite a bit more money.

As far as non-albino garter snakes go, some claim they don't need it, but they also say garters typically only live 10-15 years in captivity. Well, they get lots of sun in the wild, so obviously, the UV doesn't hurt them either. The longest lived garters I kept (much longer than 15 years) got plenty of real sunlight in summer and always had a UV florescent the rest of the time.

[mustang]

oh ya that was my other science fair idea for next year! zoo med made a statement that ALL REPTILES WILL NEED UVB and they said that they'll die without it and the effect will begin after 2 weeks! and i never used uvb! (they had a chart with a lot of species garters included and what lighting if any (and other things like humidity or undertank heaters are reccomended ) is need along with uvb light(iow uvb is manditory and other lights are optional)

Hi,

This is my first post on this forum and hope to become an active member.

I am considering getting an adult 4 year old Checkered Garter Snake (approx 3ft long).

Please advise what setup I need and any other useful info would be great.

Cheers.

oh ya if i hadnt allready said it "WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" my names Robert! (or mustang or hothunterrobert if you go to youtube!) i got a checkered garter and they are wonderfull chick magnets! i have countless stories but all the girls so far i just want to stay friends with

[Mix]

I just ordered an Exo Terra sun glo bulb, since it gives out the heat needed for the basking spot, is 'daylight' rather than yellow light and has UVA. Got it new on eBay, so wasn't too pricy (relatively), and it hopefully solves all things in one. Has anyone else tried these?
Lily is near to a window, but the basking lamp really outshines the natural daylight and makes her tank very yellow-lit.

[riley_napalm]

Quite honestly, I don't think a 2.0 UV bulb puts out enough UV to do any damage if it's more than 12 inches away or if it's sitting on top of a screen. Still, if you're thinking about using a florescent instead of your LED's it might be prudent to just use a regular white florescent instead of a reptile bulb if your snake is an albino. An incandescent bulb for a basking area, tends to put out a rather yellowish light and would balance the overall spectrum quite nicely when used with a white florescent. Besides, the UV reptile florescent is more expensive.

right on. so you think i'd be safe to use a regular old incandescent bulb for basking and then a standard florescent or a 2.0 bulb by, sayyyyyy exo terra? i've never had an albino anything before, and i'm a tad bit worried. i don't want to screw up in the early stages and regret it later. i really appreciate all of the help, this is great!

[riley_napalm]

I just ordered an Exo Terra sun glo bulb, since it gives out the heat needed for the basking spot, is 'daylight' rather than yellow light and has UVA. Got it new on eBay, so wasn't too pricy (relatively), and it hopefully solves all things in one. Has anyone else tried these?
Lily is near to a window, but the basking lamp really outshines the natural daylight and makes her tank very yellow-lit.

i use those bulbs regularly. i have a 40w on my arizona hairy scorpion and it does a good job of lighting as well as heating. and a 25w on my dumpy frog. the color isn't yellow and gross for me either. it does a good job of providing an overall temperature increase in the tank. i also use them on chameleons too. so i can say i've been happy!