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I posted a similar question a while back didn't get too many responses so I thought I'd try again. Just wondering how everyone regulates the temps for their ball pythons and what your heating/cooling challenges are.

Do you have a dedicated room that you heat or do you just use heat tape and hope for the best with the ambient temps?

I live in Florida and keep most of my snakes in the garage (colubrids) which stays about high 70's to mid-80's most of the year. But there are times when it's colder or hotter. During the winter, it stays pretty cool in there since it's concrete block and there are a lot of oak trees around my house. So for the ball pythons it would be too cool in there during the winter. Works for great for hibernating colubrids.

So for them, I plan on moving the rack unit inside and using heat tape. But the house still gets pretty cool during the winter as I don't crank the air. Wondering if I might need a room heater? What do you guys do?

Thanks in advance. Mike

Well Florida is a lot different then PA but I have about a 350 sq ft room in my basement and in the summer time I dont have to do anything but run my heat tape...my room temp stays about 80 to 82 all summer long.
But in the winter I have to run a 4' wall board electric space heater that cranks up the electric bill about another $40.00 a month, but it keeps the room in a zone of about 78-80 no matter how cold it gets outside. Heat tape runs year round.
Travis
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LAIR OF DRAGONS

I live in Central Florida and use a combination of room heat and heat tape/rope. I am fortunate to have a dedicated animal room that I keep between 78 and 84 using an oil filled space heater hooked up to Johnson Controlls thermostat. I also use heat tape/rope to provide a hot spot in the racks. I have toyed around with using just ambient room heat as I let my house get pretty warm for most of the year. I just haven't actually done it yet. Hope this is helpful.

Rob

>>I posted a similar question a while back didn't get too many responses so I thought I'd try again. Just wondering how everyone regulates the temps for their ball pythons and what your heating/cooling challenges are.
>>
>>Do you have a dedicated room that you heat or do you just use heat tape and hope for the best with the ambient temps?
>>
>>I live in Florida and keep most of my snakes in the garage (colubrids) which stays about high 70's to mid-80's most of the year. But there are times when it's colder or hotter. During the winter, it stays pretty cool in there since it's concrete block and there are a lot of oak trees around my house. So for the ball pythons it would be too cool in there during the winter. Works for great for hibernating colubrids.
>>
>>So for them, I plan on moving the rack unit inside and using heat tape. But the house still gets pretty cool during the winter as I don't crank the air. Wondering if I might need a room heater? What do you guys do?
>>
>>Thanks in advance. Mike
>>

Thanks for the replies.

With the space heater, do you leave it on during the day when you are not home? I read that you should not leave them running unattended. Are they safe?

I leave the heater on all the time but it doesn't run very much, especially in the summer. I let my house get up to 85 during the day when no one is home which is higher than the thermostat on the heater is set so, on most days, when no one is home the heater is off. On really cold days in the winter it runs more but still not all the time. My understanding is that the oil filled radiators are pretty safe but I know there is some risk. I am not sure that I would leave it running full-on 24/7 but with the thermostat I feel better.

Rob

>>Thanks for the replies.
>>
>>With the space heater, do you leave it on during the day when you are not home? I read that you should not leave them running unattended. Are they safe?

I use an oil filled radiated heater...its unplugged during the summer but I started running it about 2 weeks ago...I keep it plugged to a thermostat at 80 degrees...I have been doing this since this past winter and I have had an outstanding year so far...and it s continuing now...I have 1 ready lay any day now...and 3 others in ovulation mode....plus i have hatched 3 other clutches and i have 1 more clutch due this weekend...so right nw its really only on at night when it gets cooler...as the winter rolls in it will stay on longer...Im in Miami Fla
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Michael Enriquez

Enriquez Reptiles