Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought an apricot Pueblan milk snake for my son a week ago. This is my first snake. I bought it at a shop that specializes in reptiles and has been in business for quite a while. So I figured they knew what they were doing. I got everything they recommended and set up the aquarium just like they told me to...I have a 20-gal glass aquarium with a screen mesh top, Cypress mulch as substrate, a heating pad that is about 6" square and it stuck under that aquarium at the left side, a 50W light that is over the same area as the heating pad.

So here's my question...
With the light OFF, the surface temp in the area over the heating pad is 90 deg, and the surface temp at the opposite side of the tank is 77 deg. With the light OFF, the temp under the mulch above the heating pad is 136 deg, and the temp under the mulch on the opposited side is 78 deg. This just seems way too hot, especially since the snake is almost always burrowing under the mulch. With the light on, it's 5-7 degrees warmer. If the snake ever crawled right over where the heating pad is, I'm sure it would get burned. I'm in Houston, and have our house thermostat set at 76, so even at night it's not going to get much cooler until winter(without costing me a fortune up the A/C enough to cool down the entire house more).

What do I need to do?? Or are these temps normal?

from heating pads: Take a new reptile heating pad and mount it onto a ceramic floor tile. Then put the ceramic floor tile under your tank. If the temp is too high, raise the tank a bit at a time until you can obtain the wanted temps. Another benefit to mounting the heating pad this way is that you can use it on other tanks at other times. Once you stick a heating pad onto the bottom of the tank, you cannot safely use it again on another tank after peeling it off, as it can have breaks in the wires inside where you cannot see.

You can also use a reostat on the heating pad, which is basically a dimmer. Or you can invest in a thermostat and really control it easily. Hope this helps.
sue
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sue

Cool suggestion about the ceramic tiles...

Pueblans come from a mountainous region of Mexico where the temperatures can be somewhat temperate. They are also nocturnal and have no real lighting requirements. The dim ambient light that most houses receive during the day are sufficient for any photo cycling they need. I say get rid of the light unless you are using it to grow plants in the cage (which is rather rare in a snake enclosure) in which case I would go with a flourescent setup. I use a simple under tank heating arrangement. My Pueblan, which I've had for several years, does't lay on it all the time though he does park there after he eats so that indicates to me that he is getting the heat he needs and is comfortable. If your snake stays on the heating area all the time, he probably needs more heat...if he is never near it, it is too much. Your pet can tell you more than a thermostat can if you are observant and understanding of their nature.

You say this is your first snake. I have a few pointers for you regarding this species:

If it is a young one, about a foot long or so, it may bite and chew when it is handled and this will draw blood. This is a natural response from young reptiles trying to defend themselves against predators. As the snake gets older, it will, hopfully, stop biting. Mine did. Never give a pet reptile any feedback from a bite...endure the shock and the pain without reaction until he releases you...this is the best way to teach them that biting is futile. Pulling away or jerking his head off of you can permanantly injure it's jaws. Dropping him or releasing him after he bites teaches him that biting does work. Always keep all your attention on your pet while handling it. Keep sessions short and sweet.

They are amazing escape artists. Holding an adult is almost like holding a live piece of re-bar. They will test and re-test every nook and cranny of the cage and exerpt tremendous pressures against anything that even slightly gives. Rethink your cage over and over and try to design something that is virtually impossible to escape from. Mine has escaped from "escape-proof" critter cages...you know, the kind with the sliding screen top that everyone says is the best....he pushed so hard, he pried the pin stays off the glass. I had to build a frame that fits over the top and slide to make it, as I feel, escape-proof (until he prooves me wrong).

They will relax for short periods when holding them, but will go back to their nervous fits of squirming without notice. But these snakes are so beautiful, I am satisfied just looking at him and I have to admire their cocky attitudes. Keep these things in mind, and you will have a long and happy relationship with your pet.