[GarterGuy]

It really sounds like the vet is mistaking the care of basking lizards like iguanas and bearded dragons with the care of snakes. I've had snakes for over 20yrs. now (even have one that just celebrated her 15th year, this summer) and none of them have exposure to high enough levels of UVA or UVB to really affect anything in their health. I think for snakes, like garters that are day active, exposure to full spectrum lighting is beneficial, pyschologically for them, but people have been keeping and breeding snakes for years with out the benefits of UV lighting. Most of your breeders of snakes use rack type systems for housing snakes in "tubs" that are not lit at all except for just room light.