Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was wondering what type of heating element you use( heating pad, light?? etc...) the reasson i ask is that i was told all i need was a heating pad...but since it started getting colder here...i cant get the temp above 75º but my snake seems to be doing just fine...

any suggestions or advice will be greatly appreciated

75 is too cold for all day long,... i find when it gets chili and hard to keep the temps up a thin blanket or a towel or two draped over the enclosure top and sides helps alot at insulating it and holding in heat. keep a close eye when you do this as you dont want it to get too hot in there. alter the coverage of your 'insulation' to accomodate the desired temperature.

sean
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recycle your pets

Your temps are to cool for a boa and to answer your ? we need to know what type of cage you have. For example, if it is an aquarium all your heat is escaping out the top, and covering most of the top will hold in heat and humidity. If it is a custom cage we need to know how big. If it is big enough you could use an incandescent or radiant heat panel. The options are endless and depend on your cage.
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Jaremy Douglas

sorry...it is i guess a 20 gallon aquarium, and im using an undertank heat pad, which did keep the temp at a good range, but now thats its getting colder its only at about 75º, which i know is too cold....thanks for your reply and im looking forward to your feedback--

Is your air temp 75 or the cage floor. I have used undertank heat for a long time and often the air temp will be 75 or so, but if you check the cage floor you might find it is alot warmer. Near the heat source it could be well over 90.

well i have my thermometer about an inch or two from the floor...so i dunno....i guess it around 75ºnear the floor??

any suggestions?

It is probably to cool and covering some of the ventilation will help. Keep an eye on the temps though. If you can get ahold of a temp gun(as cheap as about $35) check the floor, that is where the snake is laying. I have drawers that I keep some things heated in when I cool down my room. When I do I take my room temp down and the ambient temp drops to about 75-80 in even the heated cages, but if I hit the snake with the temp gun while he is lying on the heat, he might be as high as 90. I hope this all makes sense, It is like 3:30 am here. Just got home.Craig

You want your ambient temp (the air your boa is breathing on the cool side) to be at least 82F. Aquariums allow heat to escape out the top and through the glass. I would cover 80% of the top with strofafoam. The 20% opening on top should be on the cool side. This way warm air will have to circulate to the cool side to escape out the top. You could also cover the sides and back of the aquarium with styrafoam to insulate it. You boa will also feel more secure with all sides covered except the front.

Good Luck
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Jaremy Douglas