Keeping snakes without a hotspot

[dannybgoode]

Originally Posted by MesoCorney

I mean to be fair our idea of thermoregulation is based off of what hobbiest have done before us. If the snake can maintain the correct temperature does it need to thermoregulate? Is this changing of temperature actually better for an animal than staying at the correct temperature all the time? I use heat pads as constant temperature isn't realistic in my home, but I may consider it if it were.

That's the point though - there isn't one ideal temperature for a snake to be kept at. That's why they thermoregulate. In nature they move from warmer spots to cooler ones depending on what their metabolism is doing / needs to do.

Also I'm still of the opinion that running a cold blooded animal at full tilt so to speak shortens their lives. I have no proof of this for reptiles but it's certainly the case for tropical fish for example.

A snakes metabolism isn't designed to run 24/7 and therefore it would have the option of speeding up and slowing down.