Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have only been on the computer for a short while, so finding this webb sight has really been cool.
I have been keeping snakes for over 40 years and always ready to learn more.
one of the problems I see a lot is to many keep their cages way to hot, I have found over the years that 77 to 80 seems about right for most if not all snakes, onless your breeding or treating a sick snake!
80 is fine but having a hot spot or side at 90 I think is just to hot!
What are some of your thoughts?
Sydney

Hello and welcome to the world of PC chat forums...

I agree, we have a dedicated room set up just for our reptiles.

The room is maintained at a steady 78-82 at all times.

The only cage with any additional heat is the Savannah Monitor. He has a basking spot at 125-130 degrees.

Everything from the little Dekayi snakes (a cool weather species) to the Python and Asian species are doing very well with this arrangement.
Dances With Reptiles

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Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey

1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cain" Rescued from a crack house
0.1.9 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmella" adult super sweet temperment (Eggs all hatched!)
1.3.13 Storeria dekayi - Brown Snakes Casper, Xena, Athena, Copper, Sharon & Kids
0.1.0 Thamnophis cyrtopsis Easter Black Neck Garter "MoJo"
0.2.0 Thamnophis ordinoides - Northwestern Gartersnake(Blue Phase)
1.1.0. Thamnophis elegans vagrans Wandering Garter
2.2.0 Thamnophis Sirtalis - Florida Blue stripe Garter
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis HybridAlbino Checkered Normal eastern"Mutt"
2.0.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters (xtreme orange phase)
1.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Snow Het
0.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Christmas Albino
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - Red Phase Eastern Garter red and white stripes
0.0.1 Thamnophis butleriButler's Garter Snake
0.0.4 Thamnophis proximus orariusCoastal Ribbons
0.0.7 Thamnophis sirtalis - Eastern Garter babies 7/11/08
0.0.7 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis HET Anerythristic Scott Felzer stock.
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis Eastern Snow "Snowflake"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis California Red Sided (R.I.P. little guy)
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC Pink eater!
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Sub-adult CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Getting Huge!
1.1.3. Green Anole "Crystal" & "Chris"
0.1.0 Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) - "Peach" (A Monitor with fins)
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
??.??.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish / Giant roaches
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

WOW! , and I thought I had one to many snakes ( never )!
I see you like your garder snakes, my first snake I had was a eastern garder; had her for almost ten years.
Thanks for your reply.
Sydney

When temp measurements are taken of wild snakes, it is clear that these animals make use of both very warm and rather cool temps. They use warm temps when they need it, and cool temps when they need those (like to conserve energy when food is not plentiful.) And of course, they are subject to temps from mother nature and have to deal with that accordingly.

In captivity, we generally limit them to a very narrow range of mild temps. Yes, they seem to do well in our cages with 80 deg, and with small cages, it is dangerous to try and offer higher temps if there is little area to escape those temps.

Still, it is limiting, even if they seem to do well. Some species may prefer lower average temps, but even those species may take advantage of high temps for short periods.

Field data from boa constrictors for example show body temps much lower than the 75 deg we say should be the low as the boa emerges in the morning, and while basking, field data shows body temps of 86-95 deg and even higher. So these snakes thrive in temps that span upwards of a 30 deg difference.

I also think that if high temps are offered, so should lower temps. But again, this is tough to do in a small cage, so then the more middle temps are easier to maintain. So actually, we are the limiting factor here because we can't offer 65 deg to 90 deg in one cage usually. It is kind of backwards I think. We offer average temps then say that the snakes prefer that, rather than offering a true wide range and seeing what happens.
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Mark