Is my bulb too hot for my corn snake?

Question

I've recently bought a big vivarium for my corn snake because he's getting bigger so i thought it was about time. The vivarium came with a light bulb connection. The pet store told me a 60watt bulb should be ok for him but it's very bright and warm. I'm just wondering if this is too much for him?

Answer 1

If you are using any kind of heat source then you should be using it with a thermostat.This enables you to set the temp you need on the dial at the front and this is the temp that the basking area will warm up to.Ideally you should be using a ceramic bulb that only gives off heat and not light.Using a normal house hold 60 watt bulb is no good whatsoever.It gives off the wrong kind of heat and snakes also need a day night cycle which means turning the light off at night which also turns off the heat.As it is at the moment using a thermometer as suggested will tell you the temp but you have no way of controlling the heat anyway.Thermometers are a good visible indication of the temps at either end and should always be used.Also your bulb should be guarded with a bulb guard to prevent contact with your snake and prevent burns.It looks like once again someone has been badly advised by a pet shop.

Answer 2

Get a thermometer - preferably a non contact digital one, and check the temperature?

If it is too hot, you can either get a lower wattage bulb, or buy a dimming theromostat to keep your current bulb at the right temps.

Answer 3

Depends on how big your viv is, personally I have a feeling 60W is too much. I am assuming the 60w bulb you were sold is a heat bulb seeing as it feels so warm. Household bulbs are hot to the touch but don't create a basking spot or heat the viv.  Focussed on one spot, from a height of maybe 1-1 1/2 feet a 60W heat bulb could raise the temp to burning temperature. 40-50W would be better I think. They don't need heat bulbs anyway.

In fact they don't even need vivariums. Most snake hobbyists and collectors house their animals in tubs. It might seem strange but even though corn snakes can be active when taken out, they don't do much in their viv. They don't willingly exercise much like other animals. In fact snakes are born claustrophobic and like to be somewhere closed in. Feeding problems and stress may arise if they do not feel secure. A baby corn snake can be housed in something as small as a 1-3L cricket tub, and gradually move on up through different sizes of tupperware and household storage boxes, usually to a max of around 64L as adults.

Corn snakes have no requirements for special lighting, the vast majority of people use heat mats as the heat source and a basking spot is not needed. Too much heat will distress the snake. The housing should have a heat gradient, ie only put the heat source at one end and leave the other end of the housing to become cooler. Then if the snake becomes too hot it can move away, and vice versa. Close fitting, dark hides should be provided at each end of the housing as well.

If you would like a bulb in your tank in order to illuminate it and make it look more attractive just use a normal  household lightbulb of a suitable strength (40W is enough), ensure it has a guard around it (this is essential, if the snake climbs onto the light fitting it will burn itself, and turn it off at night.

This kind of information is often not given when you buy a viv or a snake. You must go to somewhere such as reptile forums, and read books from experts in order to gain accurate information. When I got my first viv it was fitted with a light with no shield around it. Thermostats are also something which are not always sold to you, but they are very important to protect against injury from heat sources which suddenly get too hot.

Just look at this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berks...

Answer 4

reptile kings answers are spot on,....but another thing to point out is only go to reptile breeders or reptile shops,usually ordinary pet shops know very little about reptiles,they'll say anything to get you to buy their products

Answer 5

Your snake won't burn. It will just move away from it after it feels that it is warm enough to be active. This is why in reptile vivariums, you have basking areas, and cool areas so the animal can cool again. The bulb should be 12", (30cm) away from the substrate, and should be replaced every 6-8 months.