Its actually very simple. A choice between cool(65F to 75F)or even cooler, to about 100F surface temps, not air temps. Snakes could care less about air temps, they live on on in where they get their temps.

What seems to be hard for folks to understand is, reptiles do not bask at their needed temps, instead they bask at higher temps so they do not have to spend their time basking. They acquire a body temp to do something other then basking.

Most snakes rarely bask in the open like lizards commonly do, Instead the acquire their needed temps in or under something, depending on species and habitat.

The key is humidity and security. They require a mid level of humidity, like 50% for areas they live in. Not wet, just humid air. Even where they lay eggs in nature is dry and humid. Also they need to feel safe, as in tightly hidden.

Sir, that is so easy to provide. For instance, room temps are normally in the low seventies, so use room temps as the base, and add a SMALL hot area to elevate their temps as needed. Also provide areas they can hide or burrow in, all over, not one here or one there. Again, most snakes and in particular kingsnakes, acquire their temps(bask) in burrows just beneath the surface. This is again easy to duplicate. Provide a deep substrate. Not hard with snakes.

Lastly, most people mistake what snakes do, they normally live underground, not above it, as in, spending most of their lifes underground. Its funny, but if you take all of us one these boards and ask how many saw kingsnakes breeding in nature, you would find very few have seen that. Yet in captivity we see in very commonly. ALso, there have been thousands of kingsnakes captured or observed by folks on these forums, So why have we rarely seen them breeding, or feeding for that matter.

A thought, when you do not see something that HAS to occur commonly, it means your not looking in the right place. Cheers

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