Temperature Range for Mandarin Ratsnakes

[bistrobob85]

It seems like all the sources of information i have are kinda vague and none of them say the same thing about the temperature for a Mandarin Ratsnake... Are there any owners that can tell me at what temp they keep their mandarins??? Id rather speak with owner who get them eating than just reading tons of caresheets ( thought i already have, hehe ). Any help would be appreciated!

[Simon]

I don't have mine anymore
but I used to keep them at aroud 15-17C

they tend to like it on the cool side~~

[crimsonking]

Well, I used to try and keep mine as cool as I could. Here in FL. cool is mid 70'sF. Mine have done just fine in the last year without air conditioning and it's pretty darn hot outside. Mid 80's to mid 90"sF. My pair have acclimated well over the past few years and seem to not be bothered too much by the warm temps. I always give them a hide with damp sphagnum to use as well as others. If I could, I most likely would drop the temps to the 70'sF if at all possible.
WC are more apt to have problems obviously. Mine are WC but like I said, have adjusted well in the past few years.
CB animals seem to be more like other rat snakes in their requirements.
Good luck and post pics!
:Mark

[bistrobob85]

I have to say i just LOVE your avatar!!! I guess if you are able to keep them healthy in Florida with no air conditionning, i guess in a basement in Canada, i wouldnt have any problems at all! I'm going to get a CB yearling female and eventually, a CB male and see if i'm able to get some babies out of them! I think i'll even try a heat pad... i'll keep mine in a 30 gallons tank each with, let's say, a 5 gallons tank heat pad... How about it? They will be kept between the low and the mid 70's with a tiny heat pad... I guess i'm going to go nuts with the camera again and take thousands of pics!!!! Ill let you see as soon as i have the snake and the pics!!!

[lolaophidia]

I keep mine in the coolest area of my snake room- 70-75 degrees F. I have both WC and CB and the CB are more tolerant of temp changes. The WC doesn't shed well if he gets too dry or too warm. I've found CB juveniles that needed a little extra heat to aid digestion- so I tend to keep them a little warmer around 75-77 degrees. Juveniles can also be prone to dehydration if the humidity isn't high enough, so provide a damp hide box for them.

Make sure that your heat pad doesn't create too much of a hot spot on the floor of the tank as these snakes like to hide and burrow in the substrate. The surface of the hot spot shouldn't get over 80-83 degrees and most heat pads will require a dimmer or thermostat (or greater air flow between the heat source and bottom of tank) to keep them from running too hot. Get your temps worked out on the cages before you get your snakes. Investing in a digital thermometer/thermostat is a great way to protect your investment.