Heating ambient temps?

[dross9615]

Okay so I have a heat mat on my tub currently housing my baby hypo boa (about a foot and a half long). But anyway it's about 26x18x10 (give or take). And the heat mat is a 10x20. When I check the ground temps its ranging anywhere from 92°F to 78° and almost 100 degrees if I move out all the bedding but my thermometer is only reading at about 72 and I'm worried the ambient is too cold any advice?
P.S.
Ground temps were checked with a radiant heat gun

[Humble308]

I'm having a similar problem. I use Flexwatt heat mats for my gray rat snake enclosure. My hot spots are around 83-87 with eco earth sub, but the rest of the enclosure hovers around 68-69. I'd hate to buy a radiant heat panel for just a couple degrees! I'll be interested to see others solutions to this problem, I'm also battling this chilly Ohio weather.

[prairiepanda]

Is there any particular reason you can't just raise the temperature of the room?

[riddick07]

I would also just raise the temperature of the room. I keep my room 75-78 makes it much easier to get higher ambient temperatures.

[Zelg]

I'm having a similar problem. I use Flexwatt heat mats for my gray rat snake enclosure. My hot spots are around 83-87 with eco earth sub, but the rest of the enclosure hovers around 68-69. I'd hate to buy a radiant heat panel for just a couple degrees! I'll be interested to see others solutions to this problem, I'm also battling this chilly Ohio weather.


You're using inadequate heating. Heat mats dont raise the ambient temps. They create a hot spot, especially when theres a layer of substrate over them. Having dealt with my own temperature issues, settling on a RHP was the best investment I've made when it comes to my snakes. I only have 2 snakes but any issues I had were sorted out with RHPs. Whether the hotspot was too hot, the cold side was too cold, if I raised my hot temps to try to raise the cool end, I'd end up with hot spots that are too hot.

It may just sound like a few degrees but when you struggle to maintain a cool end over 70 degrees (i never want to drop my temps below 75 and I keep the cool ends at about 82) then its a problem. Along with the temperature issues, it becomes harder to maintain the humidity as well.

I keep my snake room heated with a small space heater I got for like 15 bucks that keeps the room at 80 degrees. That way, even if a rhp fails or something, I'll keep my low end temps at a comfortable level.

My advice to anyone getting into snakes would be to not skimp on the setup. I dont mean buy an extravagant enclosure, just meet those basic needs and meet them well. You may not feel like going from 69 degrees to the proper 84 or whatever but I'm sure your snake feels it. Not to mention the possibilities of unintended consequences like going off feeding or R.I. or whatever. Do whats proper in the beginning and it'll save you a lot of money and stress in the long run.

[pet_snake_78]

Heat tapes are great in collections because they won't raise the ambient temps yet still provide a hot spot... but if you only have like 2 snakes and don't want to heat the whole room, an RHP would be better. You'll have to cool the entire room likely either way unless you keep your whole house cool.

[Humble308]

Great advice yall. Are the RHP's used in conjuction with heat mat hot spots to control ambient or a they used specifically to create a hot spot?

It sounds like space heater may be in order.

[Nightflight99]

Are the RHP's used in conjuction with heat mat hot spots to control ambient or a they used specifically to create a hot spot?
Either or both, depending on your particular setup. In most cases, you can use a single radiant heat panel per enclosure as a heat source that will provide the proper ambient temperature gradient and a localized hot spot. Simply install the heat panel of appropriate wattage on one far side of the enclosure to achieve the temperature gradient, and the spot immediately below the heat panel becomes the hot spot. You can increase the temperature of the hot spot without affecting the temperature gradient in the rest of the enclosure by providing a flat rock or a similar item in order to allow the specimen(s) to get closer to the heat source. Regardless of how you set up the heat source(s), make sure that you're always using a thermostat or rheostat to control the temperature or power output.

[dross9615]

I'm actually surprised to hear the replies because I've always read and been told a heat pad is adequate for heating enclosures. But I really appreciate the replies. I will be investing in an rhp this week

[Nightflight99]

I'm actually surprised to hear the replies because I've always read and been told a heat pad is adequate for heating enclosures.
It can be, but only if the ambient temperature in the room is somewhat close to the target ambient temperature within the enclosure. Otherwise the snake is forced to choose between two extremes, neither of which it would usually prefer under most conditions.

[pitontheprowl]

I'm actually surprised to hear the replies because I've always read and been told a heat pad is adequate for heating enclosures. But I really appreciate the replies. I will be investing in an rhp this week

Don't forget to properly regulate any UTH source.
Your reptiles can and will burrow so they can get burned.

[Zelg]

Don't forget to properly regulate any UTH source.
Your reptiles can and will burrow so they can get burned.


Just out of curiosity (i use thermostats), what temps would cause a burn to a snake?

[pitontheprowl]

Just out of curiosity (i use thermostats), what temps would cause a burn to a snake?

The idiot I got this girl from said he was only using the smallest zoomed because that's all she needed.
Sure wish I would have taken photos when I first got her, all the puss and blood was sickening.
Needless to say, I went and bought one of those little mats. It hit 110 within about 15 minutes running.
I don't know the exact BUT the highest recommended with a ball python is 95 degrees and I personally wouldn't push the surface temperature past that.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h19/pitontheprowl/Snakes/QTi%20Normal%20Female/20141211_064804_zpsne0gktek.jpg

[pitontheprowl]

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h19/pitontheprowl/Snakes/20131128_164908_zpszdz9tb8r.jpg

[pet_snake_78]

Heat tapes will get pretty hot. I don't remember exactly but I clocked THG at around 130F if I remember correctly.

[dannybgoode]

I recently purchased a Boa and was told a heat mat would be useless once she was of any size.

Too much muscle mass for a heat mat to be of any use and all the snake would do is bury down to it and have very localised heating to their bottom 1/3 and very little elsewhere leading to a) potential burns and b) digestive problems.

I have settled on a thermostatically controlled ceramic heat emitter which acts much more like the sun when raising the ambient temperature and heating the 'ground'.

[Zelg]

The idiot I got this girl from said he was only using the smallest zoomed because that's all she needed.
Sure wish I would have taken photos when I first got her, all the puss and blood was sickening.
Needless to say, I went and bought one of those little mats. It hit 110 within about 15 minutes running.
I don't know the exact BUT the highest recommended with a ball python is 95 degrees and I personally wouldn't push the surface temperature past that.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h19/pitontheprowl/Snakes/QTi%20Normal%20Female/20141211_064804_zpsne0gktek.jpg

Man thats absolutely terrible. Glad its in a good home now. Heat mats get hot as hell. I remember when I first set my balls cage up, i hadnt gotten a thermostat yet and was shocked to see the temps go so high so quickly. I remember it got to like 125 in a few mins. I didnt have my ball yet so it wasnt in there...

The best part is that when you go to petco/petsmart/other pet stores, its really hard to find a thermostat sold at one of these places. They all have heat rocks (ugh), mats, lighting, TIMERS, etc.... but nothing to control your temps with.

While my ball had the aquarium, I even made a dimmer for his lamp, which was a great feature.

Anyways, rambling now....unregulated heat mats = bad news.