Why Belly Heat is Necessary

[SerpentLust]

Hahaha Lisa and Grant, funny thing is, before I read your posts, I was discussing building it with my mother, and we both came to the conclusion that building 6 identical units would be the best way to go about it.

Glad to see the experienced cage builders agreeing with my logic lol

Jenn

[tHeGiNo]

Ok guys, lets get back on topic here, heh. Basically, I have always heard the term belly heat thrown around with importance. Also, there has got to be a reason that all the big guys use heatpads rather then overhead heating for their snakes. This is what I am trying to get at.

Jeff I remember you expanded on this before, get in here and post!

[Grant vg]

ok...i personally dont believe neither is better nor worse. like, incubating eggs, as long as the humidity and temperatures are correct, everything else does not matter.. heat from the top, side bottom, is still producing the desired effect. ...heating the snake.
ive used both heat tape and heat panels. And other then the fact that the heat panels produce a heat much more like in nature (eg. heat rays) theres not much difference.

I really like the heat panels for high humidity species... after spraying, the air truly feels like a tropical environment...rather then just a wet cold one produced when using heatiung from beneath.
Now, are they any different for the snakes??????
or do they prefer one over another....well....try and ask them...lol

i think belly heat has been more excepted because its usually less of a fire hazard, easier to maintain, less wiring, more convenient, usually less wattages used, and benefits the breeders who wishes to use alot of stacking and rubbermaid racks.
And since more commonly used these days, perhaps its just become embedded in our minds that its more beneficial.
So my stance is that it doesn't matter as long as the correct temperatures are achieved.

What i have noticed in larger enclosures using heat panels, is that the snake has a much larger choice of temperatures.
90 on the hot spot, then it gradually decreases (88, 86, 84, 82, 80) as it moves to the cool side.
Where as with most heat pads/heat tape heated cages...the temperature a few inches off the heat pads is exactly the same as 3 feet away (ambient).

Hence, my choice to have switched to heat panels. It gives more choice to the snake.

grant vg

[Scales Zoo]

I pretty much agree with what Grant VG said.

We use many different sources of heat, we use some heat tape where it applies.

Grant touched on ambient temperatures and humidity. From my experience, that is the key to keeping boas and pythons happy.

I have a feeling, that many people who use heat tape have too low an ambient air temperature. You know, 75 degrees ambient temp, 95 degree hot spot. The air the python breaths should be warmer, and I use a variety of under heat, side heat, lights and radiant sources - as well as a higher room ambient to create that.

There are many ways that work, do what works for you.
So your question "why belly heat is necessary"
It isn't

Ryan

[Jeff Hathaway]

Not much I can add to what Ken, Tim, Grant, and Ryan have already said!

Except, as before, warm air rises, so using heat lamps to heat something underneath them is tremendously wasteful compared to using a heat element of some sort underneath the object. And the farther away the heat lamp is (i.e. bigger cage) the worse it is!

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!