Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey all,
I have been working to get my temps right. Glass cage makes it tough, but I 've gotten a consistant 92 warm side, 86 cool side. This is with the probes on the floor of the cage (where the snakes are). However, the snakes (6.5', 14lbs & 5.5' ??lbs) always choose the cool side. I've tried covering one side of the cage or the other to rule out a security/ privacy issue, and they choose the cool side 99% of the time.
I am using a heat cable taped with foil tape. I've checked with multiple thermometers to verify accuracy as well. I'm using newspaper for the floor as well.
Does anyone have any insight. Should I cool the cage? Do the snakes know how warm they should be?

92 is a little high, I would think. They may spend time on that high a temp after a big meal, not much otherwise.
A male will fry his sperm at that high a temp.
The object is to cool them down to breed, if that's what you're trying to do.
jsc

Yeah, on the low side, it should be more like 80 or 82, not 86. A high of 90 or 92 is fine, so seems like you should cool down the whole cage a bit.
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Lauren Madar - OphidiaGems.com | CageMakers
1.1 Ball Python, 1.0 Hog Island Boa, 1.1 Hypo BCI, 1.1 Surinam BCC, 1.1 Saharan Sand Boa

Thanks for the replys! Will the snakes let me know, or would they continue to sit on the cold side until they got an RI if I got it too cool?

Yes, watch the snakes. They will always move to the most optimum temp. and humidity that's available, depending on what their physiology is up to at the time.
Sometime they just need to "chill". Get some rest, you know.
A constant high temp. is like being amped up all the time and very stressful longterm.
jsc

That did the trick! I lowered the temps a bit yesterday, and this morning my wife caught them copulating!!! Now, I need to have some self control and leave them alone! It's hard not to check on them all the time!

Thanks for the help guys!