>>i got the 100 flower snake thursday. it shed and even ate for me already. it is VERY shy. the only thing that worries me is that it likes the warm end of its cage and i have always been told that they like it cool. the cool end is 71.3 degrees and the hot end is 84.4 degrees. should i be worried or am i just perinoid with my cool new snake?
>>on a side note, i love it!!! i've been trying to get one for over a year i finally found one.


Yep! It sounds like you're a little paranoid. You've got a good temp range, although the warm end is a tad high I think. Then again, there's more to think about than just the temps.

You haven't said it's a juvenile, although I've assumed that. You haven't said where the hide boxes are, if any? You haven't said if there was any bedding to hide under? Are there any water jugs? In other words, the cage arrangements are important, as well as the temps. How about humidity? What's the humidity? If the humidity is low, the snake will prefer cooler temps, imo. Right now, if it's a juve, it will probably seek warmth for digestion, as long as it continues eating. The snake will tell you what temps are appropriate, as long as there are other options to go with the temp options. They need hiding options to go along with temp options. A big problem with juves is that we don't give them enough options, and if forced into unfavorable conditions, they won't do well.

Back to the 84.4*F, I think this is a tad high, but there's no reason the snake wouldn't use it to help with digestion. Prolonged exposure to that temp wouldn't be too great for the snake, imo. One thing is that it will likely be very dry. Try a moist hide and see if your snake prefers that. Try it at different temp gradients and see if it will continue to use it. As far as digestion, moellendorffi can digest at minimal temps, 70 to 80*, also. If your snake starts to have problems, like with shedding, for instance, or not eating, try lowering the temps at the high end. Just my opinion...good luck and give us a little more info on how it's doing.

TC

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