Hot Spot For Blood Python

[JungleBoi]

Hello. I just got a blood python that is about 15 inches long. She is housed in a plastic tub with a UTH and a hide on the hot side and humidity at about 75%. I have the UTH hooked up to a thermostat at 91 degrees with about an inch of coconut fiber substrate on top. I have been using a temp gun and have found the ambient temp in there is usually 80-81 degrees which my temp gun still reads on the hot spot unless I clear all the substrate then it gives me a reading of 90-92 degrees. I was just wondering if the ambient temp is ok in the hot side as long as that UTH is set to an acceptable temp in that spot? Also the substrate on top of the UTH doesn’t feel that hot so should I set the thermostat higher or is my 90-92 too hot? This is my first snake since I had a BCI when I was a kid so I wanna make sure I do this very right. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[ClockwerkBonnet]

There is one article I found that says the hot spot should be between 86 and 88 degrees.

[chairman]

The hot spot an animal requires and the ambient temperatures that an animal requires are two different things. Many keepers are able to regulate both temperatures with a single heat source, while others need to use multiple heat sources to meet the animal's needs.

It sounds like your hot spot is probably ok. If you are concerned about the ambient temperature then you may need to add a heat source the raises the ambient, such as a radiant heat panel, CHE, heat lamp, etc. Just make sure to use a separate thermostat for each heat source, unless you can position a single probe such that both sources can be controlled by one. (Or you have a thermostat with multiple probes and the ability to control multiple sources of heat.)

As an example, many keepers have dedicated rooms for their animals. The only heat source in the enclosure is the UTH that provides a hot spot, controlled by a thermostat. But the room itself has a separate heat source, controlled by a separate thermostat, that keeps the ambient temperate where it needs to be.

[craigafrechette]

Your hot spot temps should definitely come down. Bloods/STPs thrive with a hot spot closer to 86-87. And you want to measure the actual surface of the tub, not the substrate over the hot spot.

Your ambient temps are fine though.