Keeping snakes without a hotspot

[TRD]

Bottom line; snakes need heat to be fully healthy (metabolic processes, immune system). Providing a cold blooded animal with only ambient temperature is not sufficient, they may survive at such temperature, but it suboptimal and can lead to long term problems. They need to be able to raise their temperatures to what they require, I see no reason not to provide that to them unless your electricity bill is more important than your animal's wellbeing. There is literally tons of info on why reptiles bask and thermoregulate, not sure why it is being questioned now. I think we are beyond that and actually venturing into not only providing the right basking temperatures, but also the right type and intensity of light.

Ps. A heat rock is still the same as it always was; a metal heat pipe in a epoxy "rock". If the device fails for whatever reason your reptile will burn for it as these devices have the potential to get insanely hot and are in direct contact with the reptile. That's why they are unsafe, regardless if you used one or several over many years without issues. It is not as if all will fail or all have a bad design, it is just more common than with other sources. If you like to use them, good for you, but don't expect empathy from any reptile owner in case you come home to a snake with 3rd degree burns over his body... that's all.