Adult snakes and heat pads?

[bigsnakegirl785]

Originally Posted by treaux

I'd like to see some actual evidence to this. I know tons of people who use heat tape and have been caring for and breeding snakes small and large for many years. It's true that heat tape/pads won't raise ambient temps, so that does need to be addressed, but I don't see heat tape as being a problem.

Most snakes don't "bask" in the sun, as it's a very exposed area. Most of the ground dwelling snakes get their warmth from the earth, especially at night after the ground is the only thing left warm from the sun during the day. This would mean they are accustomed to getting warmth through their belly when the ambient temp is much cooler. Heat also will dissipate into the snake even if it's only being applied on one side. For my snakes in a rack that only have belly heat, when I pick them up off it, their entire body is warm and around the same temp as the tape.

As for thermal blocking, I don't know much about it, but I have noticed that effect. It seems to only happen when something is placed directly on the heat mat. Most people I know use the heat tape to heat the bottom surface of the enclosure, which then heats the snake. This leads to more even temps and hotspots.

That said, I do find RHPs more effective at heating the surfaces the snakes sit on and prefer them over heat tape when it is convenient. Unfortunately this doesn't really work in a rack environment as of yet.

Actually, many snakes do bask in the open, especially diurnal snakes. They do also make use of warm surfaces during the night as you mentioned, though. But basking in the direct sunlight is actually quite common, you can see rattlesnakes and garter snakes especially doing this.

Here's a link saying that using snakes' natural basking behaviors is a useful tool in observing them in the wild: Snakes - Living with Wildlife | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

It again mentions them basking on roads since it's warm after nightfall.

Here's a link that mentions boa constrictors basking in the sun in trees: Boa Constrictor

Another one mentioning carpet pythons basking in the open: https://www.australiazoo.com.au/our-...carpet-pythons

For snakes, basking in the sunlight is an invaluable way to get warm, even if it opens them to predation.

[treaux]

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

Actually, many snakes do bask in the open, especially diurnal snakes. They do also make use of warm surfaces during the night as you mentioned, though. But basking in the direct sunlight is actually quite common, you can see rattlesnakes and garter snakes especially doing this.

Here's a link saying that using snakes' natural basking behaviors is a useful tool in observing them in the wild: Snakes - Living with Wildlife | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

It again mentions them basking on roads since it's warm after nightfall.

Here's a link that mentions boa constrictors basking in the sun in trees: Boa Constrictor

Another one mentioning carpet pythons basking in the open: https://www.australiazoo.com.au/our-...carpet-pythons

For snakes, basking in the sunlight is an invaluable way to get warm, even if it opens them to predation.

That may be true, but conduction is their most efficient way to gain heat (and probably accounts for more of it than radiation from the sun). Sitting on hot pavement either in the sun or after dark, most of the heat is coming from the pavement which has more heat stored in it than the snake itself. Same goes for basking on rocks or anything else that holds heat. My point being this is very similar to a heat pad and snakes are definitely built to make use of it.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Originally Posted by treaux

That may be true, but conduction is their most efficient way to gain heat (and probably accounts for more of it than radiation from the sun). Sitting on hot pavement either in the sun or after dark, most of the heat is coming from the pavement which has more heat stored in it than the snake itself. Same goes for basking on rocks or anything else that holds heat. My point being this is very similar to a heat pad and snakes are definitely built to make use of it.

I'm sure they get just as much heat from the sun's rays as they do from the surface, after all any dark pigmentation will absorb more of the sun's heat than light pigmentation. At night, yeah I can agree the majority of the heat is coming from the surface they're sitting on, although there is still going to be a lot heat radiating off of the surface into the surrounding air. During the day, they aren't getting heat from just one direction, and a snake sitting on a rock or whatever will absorb heat from what they're sitting on and cool the area they're sitting on as a result. Heat pads only give off heat in one specific area without giving any ambient heat, and they do not cool off however long the snake sits on it, instead it just gets warmer. If you walk over a hot rock ledge on a hot sunny day, you're not just going to feel heat where your feet touches the rock itself, you'll feel the heat all around you, even as a person whose head is 5'-6' off the surface. On a cool, mostly overcast day, it probably won't be as hot, but you'll still feel heat radiating off of the rock at short distances.

I don't think the usage of heat pads is a dire issue where using them could mean a sick or dead snake, but I do believe they aren't a natural way of heating, and that there's benefits to using RHPs/CHEs where possible. Especially considering many people who use belly heat heat the entire room to a certain temperature to maintain acceptable minimum temperatures for their animals. So they still get ambient temperatures to a certain degree.

I think the the belly heat vs. ambient issue is more one of enrichment and preference.