Please I need help!

[Garrett]

Hey all, Just got my first snake today, she is around 2 feet long.
The problem is
I got a light/heat lamp, here is what the box says

Active UV heat
160 watt flood
UV producing heat lamp for the solar glow
Saves you money by combining flourescent and heat lamps in one
Provides up to 50 micro watts/cm

Now, my room gets a little cold at nite, and when i told the girl at petland, she said i should leave the light on, so it would not get to cold at nite. I now have read that leaving a light on at nite is not good for the snake. So, what should i do?
Also, my snake has borrowed into her subterfuge, which is *i think reptibark* it is bigger then woodchips, and a darker texture. Is she tryin to tell me something?

Thanks for your help
Garrett

[SatanicIntention]

I would take a short trip to WalMart and get a human heating pad. It can stay on 24/7. Place it under one side of the enclosure, 1/3-1/2, and turn it on low. Also, while at WalMart, get an Accurite Digital Thermometer/Hygrometer, it's $15, and will save you so much trouble. The little stick on thermometers and humidity gauges are very inaccurate and when measuring with those, you could be freezing or cooking your snake.

Since most snakes are nocturnal, UV is not needed. Just provide a 12/12 day/night cycle and your snake will thank you.

Burrowing into the substrate could signal being cold, but it could also show the snake isn't feeling secure. How many hides in the cage do you have? One or more on each side, one on warm end, one on cool end, will solve that problem. Make sure the hides you pick are nice and secure, clay pot bottoms, you know the ones that sit underneath the clay pots, are awesome, you just knock a hole into one side, and the snake is happy.

Garrett, Wally World will end up being your best friend. They don't realize that they actually have a reptile store on their hands...

With that light, you "might" be able to use it, but I would rather save yourself some money, and take it back. Depending on how much the heat pad heats the enclosure up, you might not even need a light. The light from a window or other light source will work great.

The boa caresheet here should be able to tell you pretty much everything, but if something isn't clear, just ask. It's a friendly place around here Good luck with your new boa

[Super_Smash]

as for the heat lamp, you can get a red bulb. i'm no expert, but i BELIEVE snakes can't see the light coming from the red bulb... heh, just what i think some one told me. could be wrong. if i am, some one correct me.

[SatanicIntention]

Yeah Angela, he can get a red bulb, but it's kind of midnight and stuff...I don't think the pet stores would like him breaking in...LoL Yep, I would get a red bulb or a second heat pad if the enclosure isn't warm enough. That's what I had to do with mine, second heat pad did the trick. Just need to get 2 thermostats, since I don't think you can plug 2 heat pads into one thermostat and put them on separate temps..

[Garrett]

Satanic, thank you very much for your help. I will make a trip to wallmart tomorow and pic up those items. If the light is not really nessisary, i will take it back, because it did cost my a lot of money (100 CAN) I will leave the light on for tonite, just to make sure she is nice and warm. I only have one hide, i will ether purchase or make one tomorow. and a nother question, where should the water bowl be? And did you place the heatpads ontop of eachother?

Thank you very much for your help, it is very appreciated I was really woried when I saw her go under the subterfuge
Garrett

Just thought i would add, she is extremly doctile, apparently she has never lashed out at anyone, and she was used for birthday parties at Petland. She is only 5 months old. I am extremly excited about her. But I am havin trouble choosin a name, what do you guys like more, Cali or Bula?

[SatanicIntention]

The water bowl should usually be in the middle, in between the two hides, but you can put it wherever it helps maintain humidity best. The light will most likely leech all of your humidity out of the enclosure, causing other problems to arise, that's why heat pads are usually the best solution, because they help maintain that humidity and don't dry out the air. Not to mention much cheaper. Thank you WalMart A human heat pad WITHOUT auto shut off should cost you around $10 US(more if canadian). I found one at Target, an offbrand, for $10, so it may be cheaper at Wally World.

As for the hides, you can use the clay pot bottoms, or plastic circle trash can lids, pretty much anything, just so she feels secure in it. An opaque hide is best so they don't feel out in the open. If you don't feel she is warm enough, if you have a space heater, or anything of that sort around your house, that may be good to use.

Also, you can make humid hides out of nearly everything. While you're at WalMart, see if they have some suitable disposable Gladware containers. You can cut a hole in the side, place some moist paper towels, wash cloth, or sphagnum moss in there and place that on the warm side. It acts as a little snakie sauna and really helps with shedding.

Any other questions just ask. I'm glad I could save you some money, I know it makes me feel alot better knowing I don't have to buy every gosh darned thing at the pet store.

[Garrett]

your great, thanks for all your help. I only hope petland will take back that light. Also, you were talkin about thermostats for the heat pads, do they come with them? And for feeding, should i take her out of the tank and put her in a different container? SOrry for all the ?'s :?

[Cody]

For hides....go here and read up on them. They have pics and info of the best hides you can use for smaller snakes- clay flower pot bottoms. I bought a bunch for a dollar each at Walmart. And I'm in canada too.

As for heat pads, they dont come with thermostats that I'm aware of. You'd have to purchase that seperately. I don't use one for my heat pad currently. But I do have to monitor the temps once in a while, cuz some days the heat will be at like 96 and I'll have to turn the setting on the heat pad down, and other times the warm side will only be 85 so I'll have to turn it up. Frustrating. I'm looking into thermostats currently. Just need some money, lol.

As for feeding, you can feed in the tank if you don't have loose substrate. But you mentioned you have reptibark or something like that. I use reptibark aswell, and it's a pain in the butt to feed out of the enclosure everytime, so I just lay a sheet of newspaper over the reptibark in the tank so my snake doesn't swallow any while eating. Seems easier for me.

Don't worry about the questions. We've all been a new owner before. We know where you're coming from.

[Kara]

Just a little more info...

Active UV Heat bulbs are designed for lizards that want a hot spot over 100 degrees (beardies, uromastyx, some monitors, etc), which is way too much heat for a little boa. 160 watts is just a huge amount of light & heat being blasted into the enclosure, and will not only greatly reduce humidity, but could also stress out your snake from constantly being exposed to a bright, hot light.

I'm willing to bet that you paid a good chunck of money for the Active UV bulb - a lot of pet stores try to push them on everyone even when they're not an appropriate product for every animal - i.e. snakes, amphibians, nocturnal lizards, etc.

Good luck with your new baby!

K

[Schlyne]

You can get a theromstat that has been wired to a power strip so that the theromstat is controlling everything plugged into the strip. I think just cage still has some for sale in the classifieds section.

I wouldn't recommend stacking the heat pads on top of each other, I'm thinking fire hazard.