Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got myself a digital thermometer (probe style) and measured the temp of my snakes hide box. I carefully slid the probe under the snake to get the best reading possible and it read 83 degrees. It was slightly lower outside the hide box at 81 degrees. I'm not at 90, so what shoudl I do? Is this ok, or should I try to increase the heat? If I should increase the heat, how should I do so?

Maintaining temps and/or humidity are often problems with glass tanks - but fixable.

Warm side temps should be 90-95
Cool side 80-85

Is your UTH set on a rheostat or thermostat? I ask because it's unusual for a UTH to not get that high - they usually get too hot. do you have airflow below the UTH? If so maybe it's too much. Did you stick the UTH on the tank or leave it unattached?

And again, you need at least one hide per side. If your BP doesn't have a good sized hide on the cool side he may never go over there (even if he wants to) because he doesn't have a secure place to go.....If I remember right you only have one hide?

By the way, what did you name your BP?

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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

Well, theoretically I can't name the littel fella because he was a gift to my GF. We are waiting to name him/her until we can find a vet that specializes in reptiles so we can find out the sex, as I'm sure the poor thing doesn't want a noob like me trying to probe it....ouch...

The UTH is stuck directly to the tank. It has no themostat on it, but the packaging says that a 1" bedding would yeld temps of 90-100. I have a 1/4" so I dunno. I got home tonight and took the snake out of his hide and Jenny held him while I checked the temp of the area he was laying on. (I know I shouldn't handle him, but the situation is in his best interest, so I'm sure he understood). It seems a though he had moved the bedding in the spot he was curled up in so that it was the bare tank glass. THe temp reading was 88. Better than before, but still not where it should be.
By the way, I'm not having a problem with Humidity. I'm at 70% inside the tank....go figure.

Any suggestions as to what I can do? Is the current enviornment in any way harming the snake?

It's weird, but some people have problems with humidity, some with temps, some both and occasionallly some people don't have problems with either.

88 is close to where it should be. I say as long as the cool side is 5-10 cooler & there's a hide on the cool side for him to go to that might be okay. The real indicator is once you have the 2 hides - where does he spend his time? If you see him using both hides/sides then he's thermoregulating and that's good.

I'd love to see pics!
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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

I don't have a hide on the cool side, but I'll be making one ASAP.
I will also get some pictures up soon.
On a lighter note, when I went to bed last night, the snake was roaming around his home which is the first time that he has been out since feeding Saturday (that I have seen). I took that as a good sign.