I have 7 (soon to be 8) snakes- an assortment of balls, corns and a jungle carpet python. I finally get to move them into their own room. They're kept in Visions, rubbermaids and critter keepers depending on their age and everyone has heat mats or ceramic heat emitters. There has to be a better way to heat them all, but I'm afraid of wiring up some heat tape. An additional problem is this room only has one electrical outlet. It's also in the basement, which tends to get cold in the winter here in MN.
What would be a good yet cheap way to heat these guys? I know the balls and JCP have a bit higher temp requirements than the corns, but I figure I can move the corns farther from the heat source, whatever it ends up being, and of course using rheostats/thermometers to keep temps good. One thought I had was using a spave heater to keep a moderate ambient temp when needed, and supplementing it with individual lights during the day. I've also considered buying some larger heat pads and setting them each up between two cages. But then what do I do with all of the $maller heat mats I've bought? I never thought my collection would get this big. Now that they have their own room, I'm sure it will be even easier to grow it! But how should I heat it?
Greg