Looking for opinions on lighting for rosy boas?? Ive heard it isnt a big deal but i want the best for them! What are your guys thoughts?? I read NatureSun bulbs but not sure where to start… anything will help!
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My little rosy is in a tub so he gets natural light. 
I don’t think rosies need UVB, though that doesn’t mean they can’t have it. So if you want to light the enclosure, you could use UVB or LED lights. LEDs are going to be a lot less expensive and give you more options in terms of the style of lights, how they’re mounted/installed, and even the colour of the light (warm vs. cool, white vs. colours, etc.). Also keep in mind that you’d have to replace any UVB bulbs every 6-8 months or so (check the packaging on the bulb you buy), which you don’t have to do with LEDs.
If you do decide to go with UVB, keep in mind that the longer tube-style bulbs are a lot more effective than the vertical coil bulbs. Since rosies are crepuscular/nocturnal (if I’m remembering correctly, someone please correct me if I’m wrong on that), perhaps a “shade dweller” UVB bulb would be most appropriate. I know that Arcadia makes very good UVB bulbs that are often cited as being some of the best in the industry, so that would be the brand I’d recommend. You would need to either mount a light fixture inside the enclosure, or have an enclosure with a screen top or screen cutout and get a light fixture that sits on top of the screen.
If you decide to use LEDs, you can get strips of LED cabinet lights off Amazon for pretty cheap. Lots of different styles and colours to choose from, and most can simply be mounted to the inside of the enclosure with adhesive (many of the light strips come with peel-and-stick adhesive already on them).
While your rosy doesn’t need UVB, if you want to do a full bioactive setup with live plants, then you’ll want UVB. If you’re not doing bioactive, then I think it’s more a matter of personal preference.
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I don’t have a rosy, but my Vet Clinic recommended Arcadia UV lights, especially their forest dweller (for my leo), so they are at least somewhat doctor recommended as reliable!
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I use the room lighting on a timer. Also a window provides indirect natural light. In the wild they spend much of the hot part of the day in crevices so hides are a must.
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Now with the caveat that I haven’t raised one yet, speaking as a native of some of the places Rosies come from, I’d be inclined myself to provide at least moderate UVB.
They lurk under boulder piles and around the bases of little oak trees and under dense shrubbery, but I’d get them a moderate UV light so when they want to bask, they can do that.
They’ll probably be comfy in a very cluttery setup with a lot of brushy cover otherwise, but a snake from Sunny Southern California occasionally wants to work on their … well stripes? Not a tan, is it? LOL.
From my general experience, we see SoCal snakes out and about in the rising morning, as the rocks and road asphalt warm up, the reptiles tend to come out to sun for a little while and shake off the night chill. You don’t tend to see them out there in the scorching midday oven, though.
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