heating pad

[jlax786]

ok well i got the heating pad that everyone said i should get, now that i have that is it ok to keep the light on still just for added heat.....the temp with the heating pad and light on the hot side is 93.8......once again sorry if im being annoying this is my first snake iv ever owned actually reptile for that matter

[smeagel]

The heat lamp will work towards heating the entire tank. The heat pad only heats that specific part. And in your other post it was mentioned that ball pythons are not arid snakes. They need belly heat, not heat lamps if you want your snake to do good.

[Spirit]

If the room is warm, don't use the heat lamp. Lamps dry out humidity and although some snakes do seem to enjoy basking, most balls don't. I use both a UTH (temps 92-96 inside the hide) and a lamp (83 under the bulb). Without the lamp the temps here can drop well into the low 60's or high 50's (lower in the winter). The humidity stays around the 50-55% mark without misting (lamp is on 24/7), and will go as high as 70-80% with misting. I use a glass aquarium with a shower curtain on top to help hold in the humidity.

If you get the husbandry set up properly, and your ball is having healthy sheds and eating aggressively, it should be pretty easy to house in glass. Having said that, I do agree that while a proper "hot spot" is cruicial to good digestion (and overall health), good overall ambient temps are equally as important.

BTW, the only reason I say this is because it sounds like you use a glass tank (as do I). If your snake is housed in a rubbermaid, heat tape (and no lamp) is better than a UTH (in my opinion).

[Boakid]

lights are only really for the people that look at the snakes they only really serve a purpose for lizards