You can add heat mass. That is, something that heats up slowly and cools slowly. It will absorb some of the heat and get rid of extremes. Ceramic tile works well for this. Above the heat pad and below the substrate.



Heat pads evaporate moisture every bit as much as lights. Heat pads dry objects touching them, lights dry out air.



I have found that ceramic heat emitters are the inbetween. They dry out air somewhat, and objects somewhat, but not as extreme as either heat pad or lights. Has to do with the way the heat energy is absorbed. A CHE couples with a large humid hide will give you a large heat gradient workable to the snake while reducing evaporation.



Of course you can stick with the heat pad. Reduce the thickness of the layer of sani-chips, reduce the ventilation, and for god's sake use a light dimmer or fan control (I agree with FR). Less ventilation coupled with less heat will be safer, and add the tile (heat mass).



The whole premise of kings using heat in the wild has to do with heat mass. They use the soil, burrows and in some cases rocks to adjust the amount of heat mass so they can warm up safely. They would not do well on just a heat pad and glass. Wood chips do provide some heat mass, but they also insulate, heating the glass. A better approach is a "semiconductor" like tile. Rack systems do not need tile because the shelves provide the "semiconducting". OK, rambling now.

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