I was wondering about lighting. Suggies being nocturnal (duh) like it dark. Is there a type of light bulb (source) that I could use at night so i could see better, but, not affect them as much?


Thanks a heap,
patrick

i made a light with an 11 1/2 what balb blue works grate

Some people use LED globes like fairy lights in there cages and they simulate moon light. When I go out into the aviary I often use a torch with a red filter. I have found this doesn't disturbs them at all and they are much more active with me than if I don't use the filter.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/SOLAR-FAIRY-LIGHTS-60-BLUE-LEDS-ON-10M-STRING-NEW_W0QQitemZ230171382765QQihZ013QQcategoryZ42154QQcmdZViewItem

These ones are solar powered but others are available.

Sounds funny, but I have a type of disco ball that puts different colored circles (green, blue, red, orange) onto the wall. Then of course it turn slowly around. I turn this on when I want to see them at night and play. They are amused by it and chase certain colors sometimes. But I dont leave it on all night, Im afraid they might get dizzy. I have heard that any red light source does not bother any nocternal pets, almost like they can't even see it.

You can use a low wattage bulb with a red gel covering it. Red LED works ok as well but I recommend a diffuser of sorts as LED's are 100% directional and intense. Fluorescent bulbs do emit ultraviolet energy which is probably bad for long term glider eye health, so stay away from tubes and spirals.

Night creatures are not bothered by red light; Supposedly they do not have the cones to see red, just blues and greens, so they are dichromatic. They could even possibly be monochromatic or colorblind. They may have rods only in their huge eyes which could account for how easily they are startled by movement near or far as they would have poor spatial accuity.

Thanks I will find some red lights. Can it be a red bulb? If it has to be a gel where might a fellow find one?

You guys are great, Kasko is a glider-genius

A red bulb would probably be ok for the most part. Perhaps a small base low wattage one like a christmas or night light bulb. Or maybe a 20W large base. You should probably use a diffuser or reflector of sorts so you can never see the bulb directly.

And remember to always keep the 120V cord out of chewing reach of the animals.

You might try to use a cheapo PAR can or some type of lamp holder with a gel over it and point it at the ceiling to reflect the light down. The ceiling will soften the bulb a lot and the light can fill your whole room, not just the cages.

Try these Ebay searches:
Gel Par
Gel Lighting

This is an interesting read about lighting effects on animals:
http://www.lifestylelaboratory.com/articles/ott/animal-response-light.html

quote:

---

Many zoos are now using red light in rooms where nocturnal animals are located, and the animals seem to think it is nighttime and are accordingly more active and interesting to watch. When ordinary lights are turned on the animals usually curl up and go to sleep.

The indication that some nocturnal animals cannot see red light, and the suggestion that other nocturnal animals can "see in the dark" because their eyes are sensitive to infrared is somewhat contradictory.

However, the range of wavelengths to which the visual receptors of nocturnal animals respond may vary with different species. Likewise, the usual receptors may not respond to the precise same range of the longer wave lengths that activate the oculo-endocrine system, which seems to be definitely so with the ultraviolet.

---

Again, keep in mind that red light will not close the iris of a sugar glider, therefore their eye is being bombarded with the light they cannot see. If that light contains UV, their wide open eyes will be effected over time and they can lose their sight, get tumors or such. NO FLUORESCENT LIGHT SOURCES with a red filter. If you dont filter the light from a tube, their iris will narrow and their eyes will be more protected from the light, so normal room lighting is ok to be fluorescent, just dont filter it. Use an incandescent filament type of bulb for cage lighting.

We use a dimmer switch. They have trained us on where to adjust it for optimal play at night...

I got a 4 pack of LED nightlights at Walmart for $5 (I hate walmart but some times you have to go there to save $$$) They have a soft lightblue glow and they have a thick shade on them to diffuse that glow even more, 1 is on the wall by thier cage and the 0ther 3 are in thier playroom. They seem to mind that light at all and will come out and play in thier cage if that is the only light on.

I've used a black light on occasion, They seem alot more comfortable when it on instead of a normal white bulb.

Theory, dont use a blacklight of any make, especially a tube. Blacklights are notorius for emitting high doses of UV. That is what charges things to glow. That is what the blacklight coating passes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_light

quote:

---

Black light (also Wood's light) is the common name for a lamp emitting electromagnetic radiation that is almost exclusively in the soft near ultraviolet range, and very little visible light. In many areas this type of lighting is more commonly referred to as simply "UV light".

---

Black lights will hurt your sugar gliders wide open eyes much more than the sun does to your closed irises. Why do you think sun glasses with UVB/UVA protection are so important for us?

Hey I was looking through the ebay site for light red and it only had 12% transmission. that's not very much light comming through. What is a good transmission to get I 'm going to look at home depot and see if they have any so I wont have to pay shipping and find a singal sheet. Any suggestions on where to find them other then ebay? would a hardware store have them.