Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello! For years I've kept my older kingsnake in a tank with an undertank heatpad, with no problems. This past summer one of my friend's ball pythons burrowed down and burned itself on a undertank heater. This winter I've been afraid to use the undertank heater on my old guy's tank and have switched to a top-tank red bulb heat source. He doesn't seem to like that at all, always in his cool side hide, even while digesting. Should I go back to the undertank heat? Are kingsnakes smarter about this than ball pythons? Also, my new little guy is in a ten gallon right now with just low heat via heat tape under one end, but I'm afraid I might be hindering his digestion with the lower heat. As soon as he's big enough I'm sure he can't escape my twenty long tank I plan to put him in that, and am not sure whether to go with under or over heat for him then, too. Thanks so much for always replying and helping me out here - oh, my little blotched guy is growing great; about 4 times in size than what he was when I brought him home. I now can give him regular sized pinkies - lol!
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1.0.0 277 Graybanded Kingsnake, Boris Karloff - R.I.P.
1.0.0 Crockett Graybanded Kingsnake, Julien Sands
1.0.0 Appalachian Blotched Kingsnake, Boyd
1.0.0 Ball Python, Frank Langella
1.0.0 Blue-eyed lucy, Ian McKellen
1.0.0 spider Ball Python, Martin Freeman
0.1.0 Bearded Dragon, Moira
1.0.0 Sweet Rosy Bourke Parakeet, Didgeridoo
1.0.0 Ringneck Dove, Pimmdale Plumington
0.1.0 Smart & Loving Daughter

There is a reason snakes burn, and its actually not about type of heat. It normally occurs when the ambient temps are too cool, then the snake attempts to heat its whole body, with a small real hot spot. It doesn't matter if its a above or below heat.

Snakes are creatures of routine, they find something that works, then they repeat it as long as it works. They do that in nature and in captivity. So if you raised the snake with above tank heating, it may prefer that, or under tank if that's how its raised. Or the use of both, if that was there when they keyed into the cage.

Of course there are other conditions that can effect that. Kingsnakes are very subject to dehydration. So above tank heating with a screen lip is HORRIBLE and dehydrates the heck out of them. If you have tight cover under a lite, they will use that. Its rare that folks use undertank heating without substrate. Most snakes would avoid that as well.
Screen lids or perforated, are not as bad when there is no heating from above. There is more, but you get the picture, thanks

Read what FR posted a few times, as there is actually alot in there that holds true for nearly any snake.

I have done the following with kingsnakes:

1. I kept a few in a glass tank with aspen substrate. In the cage I had a plastic box full of sphagnum moss (no lid over the moss). On the cage lid I placed a regular 8.5 inch dome with a 60 watt ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat.

The snakes would lay in the moss below the heater when they wanted to warm up. They would go lower or higher depending on what they wanted. I misted the moss periodically because it does dry out.

2. Undertank heater with aspen. Although this works, the snake can dehydrate too. Adding a hide box with moss made it all better.

3. Big cage with a radiant heat panel. Overkill for small snakes like kings, but works very well.

4. Aspen, heat lamp, screen top. Too dry for kings unless you have the moist hide. IMO the ceramic heater was better in this scenario.

Hope that helps. Kings prefer to heat up without drying out. Any setup that facilitates heat without dehydration will work.