Tarantulas and red lights?

[Jmanbeing93]

Ultraviolet light / blacklight on the other hand is supposedly very disturbing to tarantulas, like - bordering on torture. I'll see if I can find a source if anyone wants to know more.

Interesting, I heard the same thing for scorpions in prolonged exposure to black light. I would like to read the source.

 

[Ungoliant]

Interesting, I heard the same thing for scorpions in prolonged exposure to black light. I would like to read the source.

The 330-700 nm range from Biology of Spiders includes NUV. Jumping spiders have been experimentally proven to see UV light.

I don't know whether anyone has specifically studied tarantulas and UV light, but given how other spiders and invertebrates can see NUV (near-ultraviolet) wavelengths, I would not want to have an enclosure constantly lit by a blacklight.

 

[viper69]

Ultraviolet light / blacklight on the other hand is supposedly very disturbing to tarantulas, like - bordering on torture. I'll see if I can find a source if anyone wants to know more.

I'd like to see that source if that is true. I've heard from a scorp keeper on here that UV light harms their exoskeleton by weakening it.

A lot of critters can see in the UV.

 

[ThisMeansWAR]

The Tarantula Keeper's Guide 3 (S. & M. Schultz, 2009): "Their eyes respond differently to different wavelengths or colors of light, with them being nearly blind except around 500 nm wavelength, in the blue-green range for our eyesight, and around 370 nm, in the near ultraviolet for us (Dahl and Granada, 1989). Thus, working around them with a red bulb for illumination would seem almost pitch black to them. The one kind of light that we strongly urge the enthusiast to avoid is ultraviolet, UV or "black" light. Using such illumination on a tarantula's cage for any reason is surely a rude thing to do and may blind them. Do not damn your pets to such lifelong abuse."

Bonus: I started looking for the referenced research paper by Dahl & Granada and came across this: "Berge, Bjorn (2003) Predatory behaviour of theraphosid spiders in Northern Queensland" (PDF) - I have only skimmed through it but it looks very interesting!

 

[grayzone]

How does a red light affect a tarantula? I read on a thread that they can't see red light but I have doubts about that. Has anyone actually observed tarantula behavior while using infrared lighting? What was the difference in behavior?

P.S. Is red lighting bad for T's over long periods of time?

Ive almost always used a red heat bulb at night for my ts and never had a problem in the slightest. They do not appear to be bothered by it, and in fact, the heat draws them out more at night.
Ive tried blue/purple and they hide from it, and well we all know about natural light.

This leads me to believe they cant see the red as well

 

[ThisMeansWAR]

Whether tarantulas can see red light or not is not really up for discussion. It is scientific fact and not a matter of opinion.