Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have just invested in my first ball python and she is a beaut. I have a questoin about my enclosure set up. I have a rubbermaid style container that I have drilled holes in at either end (top left, bottom right), I am using a human heating pad to heat 1/3 of the enclosure. On the end the heating pad is on I have her hide rock, at the other end is her water dish, and in between is another hide (on the side). My crappy gauge that I bought said the temp. inside the hide is nearly 100 degrees, yet near the water it says just over 70, should I bu a new gauge, or did I set up the tank wrong???

thanks guys

...no your quage is probably accurate...move the heat pad so that only an inch or so is under one end of the rubbermaid. The snake will behaviorally thermoregulate according to its wishes. Better yet, get a strip of 3" wide (6 watts/ft) FLEXWATT (see the caging/heating classifieds), and place this under one end of the cage. Good luck!
Scott J. Michaels DVM
Serpent City

Thanks,
But should I have her hide on the hot end or should the hot end be more of a basking area??, also with the heating pad covering only 1/3rd of the tank the end that isn't covered by the heat source only reads about 73ish. Is this allright??

thanks

....should be at the warm end...it would be better to have about 80F at the cooler end, but not if the warm end exceeds about 96-97F...sometimes you have to play with the ventilation (ie, minimize it) to get more even temps...SJM

oh one more thing,
should i turn down the setting of the heating pad? right now it is on high, it has the high, med, and low option on it. sorry for all the questions, i just want to be a good keeper.
thanks

....ie, low setting with a little more of the heat pad under the box...might lead to a better temp gradient....

....well I have to hit the hay, so I have to sign off...

good luck...Scott

And I liek to use a GLKHerp dimming device

" Better yet, get a strip of 3" wide (6 watts/ft) FLEXWATT (see the caging/heating classifieds)"

No need to search the classifieds, the prices are too high and can go up overnight. Just give the Bean Farm a call and they will hook you up with flexwatt.

Another nice thing about the Bean Farm is they don't try to sell you a dozen other items and the price they give will be good the next day.
-----
www.NEWReptiles.com

...check the classifieds, there are some VERY GOOD sources there!
Scott J. Michaels DVM
SerpentCity