Supplying heat for my gopher snake

Bandit · 12-30-15, 09:27 PM

Hey everyone, I just purchased a 40g breeder for my little gopher snake and I was wanting some opinions on how I should heat the tank. Currently, he is in a 10g with a heat lamp. Here are the two options I'm thinking of:

1. Heat lamp as primary heat source with a small UTH as a secondary source mainly for night time temps. In this case I'd get a low-wattage UTH that doesn't get too hot at all.

2. Larger heat mat which would likely be 12x12 or something like that. Since it would be the only source of heat I'd get a more powerful one and then a temp controller of some sort.

Let me know what yall think?

**EL Ziggy** · 12-30-15, 10:37 PM

I'd go with a uth as the primary heat source regulated by a thermostat. The uth should be fine as an exclusive heat source actually. I will sometimes use an IR heat bulb on a dimmer for night viewing. I like ultratherm uth's because they don't get as hot as some of the others. I used an 11x17 on my 40g tanks.

Ultratherm Undertank Heater (UTH)- 11"x17" - Reptile Basics Inc

Bandit · 12-30-15, 11:43 PM

Thanks Ziggy!

IW17 · 12-31-15, 02:04 PM

Unless your house temps drop below the low 70's, just a Uth will be fine. Gophers can utilize high temps, but it's not necessary. Just as long as the have a hot spot to regulate.

Bandit · 12-31-15, 02:37 PM

During the winter it can get below the 70s inside, but not by much. I'll just go with a uth.

IW17 · 12-31-15, 03:54 PM

How often? If it's more than just occasionally, I'd also use something to bring up the ambient temperature.

Bandit · 12-31-15, 04:02 PM

Not often at all. I live in Louisiana so our winters are pretty short and mild. I've never had issues with my other snakes during the winter as it only gets below 70 in the house every now and then, and never for an extended period of time.

IW17 · 01-01-16, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bandit

Not often at all. I live in Louisiana so our winters are pretty short and mild. I've never had issues with my other snakes during the winter as it only gets below 70 in the house every now and then, and never for an extended period of time.

Yeah I wouldn't worry about it. A Uth should be fine.

Humble308 · 01-01-16, 04:33 PM

Bandit,

Any new pics of your gopher, it's been a couple of months how is he growing out?

Bandit · 01-01-16, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Humble308

Bandit,

Any new pics of your gopher, it's been a couple of months how is he growing out?

I don't have any currently, I'll get some soon though. He should be shedding within the next couple of days so I'll get some new pics when that happens. As for growth, I haven't measured him or anything in a while but it seems like he's gotten a little bigger.

reptocarl · 02-24-16, 02:37 PM

I don't do belly heat at all because that's not how it works in nature. Snakes also rely on ambient air temps which a uth does nothing. Uth's are also hard to use with a thermostat. The way nature works is the sun heats objects and the objects heat the ambient air. Us and animals are also objects that are heated by the sun. Snakes don't regulate their temperature by their belly. They regulate it by the top of their heads and backs. I use rhp's exclusively controlled by thermostats because they work exactly the way nature does. A ceramic heater would be my second choice also controlled by a thermostat. I don't know how this belly heat thing got started but in my humble opinion everybody's wrong.

**EL Ziggy** · 02-24-16, 03:15 PM

@ Carl- I would agree that RHPs are a very efficient heat source but there's nothing wrong with UTHs. All of my snakes have belly heat and they're thriving. I would also disagree that UTHs don't work well with thermostats. I think they work very well together. I plan to switch my carpets to RHPs only because they do need higher ambient temps, and they're semi arboreal so they don't spend much time on the floors of their enclosures, but my colubrids are just fine with belly heat only. We may have different methods for doing things but it's short sighted to say there's only one way to do something and everybody else is wrong.