Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When I purchased my hondo the breeder said to set the heating tape to 85 and have the cool side as cold as you can. Well I get home ready several articles which say hondos need a heated are of 80-83. I initially had some thermostat issues and had the temp at upper 80s and the snake didn't use that area at all. Once I got that taken care of (set to 80 some stops getting 82-83) it seems like within 2 days he started using the heating area now he goes back an forth randomly yet recently the thermostat probe got moved slightly the temps went up again and at that time he didn't use the heated area. Maybe this is by chance maybe not I've read books and articles on king/milk snakes in general they all seem to say upper 80s with one person saying as high at 90. So I'm curious how warm can hondo be heated to? Oh my cooler side seems to stay about 78.

Thanks

Xavier

Hondurans like cooler temperatures. They should have access to a warm area in the mid 80s. It is natural for snakes to move around and regulate their body temperature as needed. There is no single temperature that the snake is always trying to be at - that's why the idea of a thermal gradient exists.

Tim

Third Eye

The 80-83 deg F works, but I believe it is best to offer warmer on one end and as cool as you can on the other.

If the cool side only gets down to 78, then yes, I would lower the high to low 80s. Limitations of a small cage often force us to use very average temperatures to avoid the possibility of overheating. Snakes seem to deal with it well.

In the wild, a Honduran would be able to go underground where the temps can be surprisingly cooler than the surface. A snake can easily find temps of 60-65 deg underground. I was in Mexico in Sinaloan habitat and even though the air was 90 deg, we measured nice cool 73 deg in burrows about 8 inches down. Coolest were around trees.

Make sure to offer a humid chamber. Hondos benefit from some humidity, at least a few days a week.
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Mark

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