Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I currently am using Cobra heat mats under part of my Neodesha cages. No thermostats. The mats run 24/7. It has worked well. No problems and my boas reproduce with that as the heat source.
Am I making a mistake with this approach? Can I use this with Boaphile cages or would Flexwatts with Thermostats be a better option? Cobra mats or a bit pricey but I love them.

Thanks,
Dan

On a similar note i use zoo med heat pad which i keep under the tank which seems to suffice my boa.
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1.1 Columbian red tails (Zeus, Athena)
1.1 Corn snakes (Appolo, Boreas)
0.1 King snake tri striped cal morph (Helios)

i would not say this is the best idea. i have used cobra heat matts (and zoomed) in the past and currently use one for my female who is in a rubermade tub. i use them with a dimmer as they can easily get to be over 110F.
in my opinion you can stick with the cobra heat matts (they are pretty much the same as heat tape) but i would suggest getting a dimmer or thermostat to regulate the temperature. i am not sure how thick the cage material is on your cages but i would guess that the hot spot you are providing is significantly higher then what is commonly accepted.
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- Jason F.

If you choose not to have a thermostat, then you have to be around all the time to control over/under heating by adjusting manually, even with rheostats. The reason we get thermostats is so we can also have a life! : ) There are lots of ways to heat cages and lots of kinds of caging too. If your temps are correct it doesn't matter much what you use to your snakes, so find what caging suits you best, and that's a matter of opinion.

Caden

Using a thermostat will of course give you more percise control over the cage and what the animal will/ can be exposed to. There is also the safty factor involved there that will give you a peice of mind know that it cannot overheat or burn the animal...
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