heating

[Linds]

Originally posted by daver676
I use a red heat bulb which stays on 24/7. If the floor of my enclosure is being heated by the bulb, and the snake is on the warm floor, is the snake not recieving belly heat? I certainly think so. With the bulb however the snake is also recieving back heat. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this ....

It actually switches from one to the other. The belly heat is absorbed and dissapates, as the light is no longer able to reach the ground, so then it heats the snake through its back. Although it still does the trick, it isn't a very efficient method of heating snakes. Not only do you use more wattage (more $$), but heat rises, so wouldn't it make more sense to heat from below than above? Much easier to heat up through the snake than from above, and easier on the electricity bills, as well as the annoying red light. While red lights do not have the white and blue light necessary to simulate daylight, they still have a piercing light to them I find. I don't know how much research has been done on reptile's eyesight, but I know when I crawl in the the big cages at work with the red lights my eyes are strained and everything is all messed up when I get out. Red lights are used for mammals as well, so it woudln't be a reptile specific thing. I'm sure some of these animals can feel the same effects. Also, with everything under a red light, you can't really observe your animal in its normal colours and the like, everything is red. Not much to look at :/

[AlexPan]

Auskan, i have 150W red night light for them aproximatly 15 hours a day, it dosen't seem too hot for them, and my male have had 16 consecutive perfect sheds. Should i use a smaller voltage bulb or go with the UTH under tank heater? Thanks.

[Auskan]

Originally posted by AlexPan
it dosen't seem too hot for them

By your guesstimation, or are you using a thermometer to measure temps? If you're not using a thermometer (preferably digital, not one of those round dial ones from the pet store), then you really don't know if your temps are good or not. "It doesn't seem too hot" really doesn't cut it. Think about it - our bodies are at 98.6 and we can take a shower in water much hotter than that. But even a BP doesn't need a temp over 95 & most colubrids need a lower temp than that. So what may not "seem" too hot to you, might very well be too hot for them.