Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For those of you that don't have a dedicated snake room, how do you heat your collection of ball pythons? I have mostly worked with temperate zone colubrids in the past and even though I live in Florida we have periods where it gets and even stays pretty cool. Cooler than BP's like, for sure. The colubrids are fine with it since they need the lower temps for hibernation anyway. But with the ball pythons it would be hard for me to maintain an ambient of temp of 75 to 80 during the winter months as my house is generally not that warm.

The reason I'm asking is because for breeding, it seems you have to be a bit more precise with these guys temperature wise than colubrids. And I know that not everyone breeding them has a dedicated snake room that they can adjust the temperate in, leaving the rest of the house alone.

I would love to have a snake room that was climate-controlled. But right now I just keep my animals in my garage and some in my office.

Thanks for the feedback.

>>For those of you that don't have a dedicated snake room, how do you heat your collection of ball pythons? I have mostly worked with temperate zone colubrids in the past and even though I live in Florida we have periods where it gets and even stays pretty cool. Cooler than BP's like, for sure. The colubrids are fine with it since they need the lower temps for hibernation anyway. But with the ball pythons it would be hard for me to maintain an ambient of temp of 75 to 80 during the winter months as my house is generally not that warm.
>>
>>The reason I'm asking is because for breeding, it seems you have to be a bit more precise with these guys temperature wise than colubrids. And I know that not everyone breeding them has a dedicated snake room that they can adjust the temperate in, leaving the rest of the house alone.

>>
>>I would love to have a snake room that was climate-controlled. But right now I just keep my animals in my garage and some in my office.
>>
>>Thanks for the feedback.

Keep your balls in your office. As long as your office ambient temp is 70-75 deg and your cages have heat you should be fine.
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Best regards,
AlanColesReptiles

Thanks, that's actually where they are now. I just wonder about when they are big enough to breed if I'm going to be able to control temperatures (i.e., drop the ambient temp as a cue for breeding) since it's already kind of low as is. Just trying to figure out the best way to control temps across the board without having a dedicated snake room.

Do what you can.
Put your heat source(s) on a thermostat/timer. Double check temps with a temp gun. Longer nights/shorter days with lighting will help too during breeding season.
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Best regards,
AlanColesReptiles

you could add an oil filled heater on a johnson with a night drop (or without). i do not drop my temps below 82 in florida and they breed fine, but they are a little all over the board when the females ovulate (year round). we are so hot year round that i really do not like taking mine into the 70's.
good luck
howard

Heating tape on warm side should be enough.

Otherwise, if the room is too cool and you can't warm it up.
I suggest that you put heat tape for the cool side too. Just put a way lower value.

But I suspect if you have enough snake, the room will heat itself eventually, or you gonna need your own room.
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