i need advice on temperature

[ThunderThor]

Originally Posted by TRD

Surface temp can be much higher than ambient temp... if you have an IR thermometer just go outside on a sunny summer day and measure the temps on a piece of rock in the full sunshine. It's not odd to read temps of well in excess of 105 F while ambient isn't even reaching 85 F.

Yeah I've definitely witnessed that, especially with pavement. Which is more important? I have seen some people focus on the surface temp, since that is where the snake is in contact. But if the surface temp is 85 then the air temp may be 75-80. And if the air temp is 85 then the surface temp maybe 95 or more.

[TRD]

Originally Posted by ThunderThor

Yeah I've definitely witnessed that, especially with pavement. Which is more important? I have seen some people focus on the surface temp, since that is where the snake is in contact. But if the surface temp is 85 then the air temp may be 75-80. And if the air temp is 85 then the surface temp maybe 95 or more.

Surface temp can be whatever is needed to get the right ambient temp. It's not a problem is that is much hotter as long as it doesn't get that hot that it will cause thermal burns. Inside a vivarium/terrarium I wouldn't create surface temps upwards of 120 F because that gets hot enough to burn skin.

And please don't ever create such temps with a UTH. When you have say a 120 F surface temp and the snake or lizard lays on it, it will start to cool down because the radiation comes from above.. ie- heat will transfer from the surface into the reptile. When that heat is created with a UTH it will not cool down and keeps heating and will eventually cause burns when set to way too hot temps.

[ThunderThor]

Originally Posted by TRD

Surface temp can be whatever is needed to get the right ambient temp. It's not a problem is that is much hotter as long as it doesn't get that hot that it will cause thermal burns. Inside a vivarium/terrarium I wouldn't create surface temps upwards of 120 F because that gets hot enough to burn skin.

And please don't ever create such temps with a UTH. When you have say a 120 F surface temp and the snake or lizard lays on it, it will start to cool down because the radiation comes from above.. ie- heat will transfer from the surface into the reptile. When that heat is created with a UTH it will not cool down and keeps heating and will eventually cause burns when set to way too hot temps.

Thanks for the detailed response.

[werled]

Originally Posted by TRD

Surface temp can be whatever is needed to get the right ambient temp. It's not a problem is that is much hotter as long as it doesn't get that hot that it will cause thermal burns. Inside a vivarium/terrarium I wouldn't create surface temps upwards of 120 F because that gets hot enough to burn skin.

And please don't ever create such temps with a UTH. When you have say a 120 F surface temp and the snake or lizard lays on it, it will start to cool down because the radiation comes from above.. ie- heat will transfer from the surface into the reptile. When that heat is created with a UTH it will not cool down and keeps heating and will eventually cause burns when set to way too hot temps.

TRD a question for you.

today i bought a exo terra temp and layed it in the corners of the terraria end it hit 26 degrees cold side 36 degrees hot side.

and another question my snake has not been eating in the last 6 weeks. she sneezes some times but does not have bubbles. could ther be any other reason thats she is not eating. and is a 100 watt heat lamp to hot
thanks