Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've read that this is a really common question, but I can't seem to find anything that works. I'm new to snakes, and have only had my ball about 5 days now. I obsess with all my animals, so my problems with humidity are needless to say bugging me terribly.

I've got a 20gallon tank, glass, with cypress substrate. It's got a wire mesh top. I've got a 75watt heat lamp, and a medium size undertank heater. I also placed a towel on top of the tank to try and restrict some airflow. I've already tried taking off heat lamp, which made the temp way too low, and I've tried taking off the undertank heater, which seemed to have no effect at all. His water bowl is in the cool area(I haven't tried moving it on top of the undertank heater, though.).

Can anyone help me?

Try keeping the towel on top moist. I had this problem before and misting the cage and the towel helped alot.
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B Sleeper

1.0 Chocolate Lab
0.1 ?? Normal Ball python (yet different)
1.0 04 Het Albino
1.1 06 Het Albino
1.1 06 Het Pied
1.0 06 Pastel
0.? 07 Pos Het Albino (Momma has not laid the eggs yet)

My question before I can help. How are you measuring the temp/humidity? And where?

A digital thermometer with a probe is a good Idea. You can find them at any pet shop hardware store, also Target and places have them. Now in my opinion you should try to get readings where the ball is and not an ambient temp/humidity. There is also humidity gages with a probe too.

This is a good one it has a probe with both in it.

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Brian n Chrissy

"snakes are kind of like potato chips, you cant have just one"

I'm new to snakes myself, but placing a sterilite or rubbermaid plastic tub on the warm side with a hole on the lid just big enough for your snake to fit in works for me. I mist it once every couple of days and none of my snakes that I have with this set uo have ever had a bad shed. I use coconut as substrate in the tub. Hope this helps.
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RIP Gunner

I cover about half of the top with plexi glass.

When the temps are way too low with the heat lamp off, where are you measuring the temperature? The snake(s), remember, are almost directly on the heat pad. As long as the ambient room temp isn't below about 75 (which should be hard to accomplish during summer), just a UTH should be perfectly fine.
I'm not even using any heating for my snakes right now, but then I'm in southern california and we don't use the AC

Humidity wise, everyone's already suggested everything I was going to

Good luck!

~jenny
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"The python has, and I fib no fibs,
318 pairs of ribs.
In stating this I place reliance
On a seance with one who died for science
This figure is sworn to and attested,
He counted them while being digested."
~Ogden Nash

jenny.thegreenes.org

"If you're happy and you know it,
Bomb Iraq!
If you cannot find Osama,
Bomb Iraq!
If the terrorists are frisky,
Pakistan is looking shifty,
North Korea is too risky,
Bomb Iraq!