BP tolerance to temp?

PO_0784 · 07-23-02, 06:46 PM

ok, first off, I CAN provide the necessary temps without problems... I just noticed that I keep my bp cage at 27 because I fear that the little buddy get burned or too hot lol...Yep, you can blame me if its really a bad thing, sorry! I keep my bp in a twenty gallon and the meter is in the middle (so the middle is at 27?) so I bet its around 31 at the hot spot (an infrared heat lamp(100W) set with a dimmer at 50% of its capacity) . How much cold is 25 for a snake ? Let say 22? oops im talking in celcius sorry LOL
31 celcius = 89 farenheint
26 celcius = 80 f..

BTW, im building his new melamine cage in a week

(3,5 ft long by 2 ft!)

sorry for the paranoya

:grab: PO:grab:

Linds · 07-23-02, 08:26 PM

They may not die, but they won't thrive at such low temps. The cool side should be no lower than 78, and they need somewhat higher temps to digest their meals adequately. They will digest their meals extremelely slow at such low temps, and when meals are left in the stomach for too long they can sour causing regurgitation. When keeping herps there isn't an "it's ok to keep a few degrees lower or higher to be safe" zone. They need to be correct. A 78/80 - 90/92 gradient is good for ball pythons. They are not colubrids that can thrive at lower temps.

BoidKeeper · 07-23-02, 08:31 PM

Ball should have a hot spot of at least 90. Less then 90 and your ball could become ill. Don't measure the temp in the midle, measure it directly on the surface of the hot spot. UTH is prefered IMHO but I too right now have a small ball in a 20g high with a 60w black light, not the ideal but it will do until I move. Lay a thermometer on the hot spot itself, this is what is important, if there is a spot you want to guess about guess about the midle and know exactly what your hot spot is.
Hope this helps,
Trevor

SPJ · 07-24-02, 07:25 AM

The average year round temps where BP's are found in the wild vary very little. They have average highs of 82 and average lows of 75 throughout the year. A hot spot of 95 or more is dangerous. IMO, the ambient temp during the day should be roughly 85 with a NTD to about 82. A hot spot should be no higher than 90 degrees. Remember, BP's are nocturnal and spend the hot part of the day underground in burrows. They come out at night when it is cooler. To keep a hot spot any higher than 90 degrees could cause health problems in the long run.

SPJ · 07-24-02, 03:15 PM

I have years of experience with not only BP's but RTB's, and native snake species as well. I also do educational herp shows every so often for extra cash.
I should have been more specific in my post regarding temps. I was referring ONLY to Ghana with those temps since that is where the majority of imports that show up in petstores originate from.
A hot spot of 90 is essential for proper digestion but IME, anything higher than that can lead to problems. MY BP's live in 36 inch neos. The way I have it setup is there is a hot spot of 90 degrees (that temp is measured on the substrate) with the middle being 85 and the cool side being 82. There are hides throughout the temp range so the snake can choose without being out in the open. At night I eliminate the hot spot and maintain the ambient temps at 82. II also maintain humidity at 70% (Zookepers Choice shredded aspen is great for this BTW) have never had one refuse a meal, go off-feed, have an RI, or regurge. I think most of the problems associated with BP's in captivity are from higher than optimal temps.
Again, this is just my opinion and what has worked for me. It may not work for everyone but I wanted to share my perspective.