New Owner Question Re:Temperatures

[kbarietnnan]

I came into possession of a gorgeous Ball Python this weekend through very weird circumstances. I am not a snake person, though I do respect and admire them.

Anyway, I now have a Mojave Ball Python, and am trying to provide the best care possible for him. He came from someone who really wasn't caring for him too well. He was in a 10G glass aquarium (he is 2 years old, so full grown) with no substrate and one hide with a ceramic heat source from above.

I know you are supposed to set up their enclosures before getting them, but I couldn't leave him in the situation he was in, so I immediately took him home.

I purchased a large, 7 inch high, Tupperware for him, and am using one of those reptile rugs in lieu of substrate currently. He has a heating pad on one end that is hovering around 88F, and the other is about 76F. He has two hides and a half log thing he can hide under or hang out on top of, as well as a water bowl.

I obviously have two thermometers with probes under the rug to measure the heat, and a humidity reader.

My issue is this - It is apparently still too chilly for him in there. So how can I heat it up? I guess I need another UTH? I currently am using the ones they sell at petco, as I ran out and grabbed everything yesterday as quick as I could since it was past closing time.

What UTH do people recommend? A ceramic of bulb heat source aren't an option in his current enclosure, as he is an escape artist so the lid is clamped shut.

When I had him out and handling him he was very active and sweet, so he doesn't seem to be suffering from any averse effects, and last night he was just laying stretched out all the way, and I think he was happy to be able to do that.

He is currently asleep on the warm side in one of his hides, so he is sleeping in about 87/88F.

[EarMice]

Thank you for rescuing him.

Why do you think it's too chilly for him? How large is his hotspot and how large is he?

[PitOnTheProwl]

Those are good temps as long as your probes stay under the carpet.
Truthfully that carpet is a pain to keep clean, paper towels would be an easier option.
Would like to see the uth on a regulating device of some kind.

[kbarietnnan]

It is about 1/4 of the tank, and the heating pad is on a dimmer switch so I can turn it up and down.

I was reading that the lower end of temps should be 85 and higher end on 95. So my understanding is that I am about 10 degrees too cool.

[JoshSloane]

Sounds like you have everything pretty close. I would keep the hot end around 90, cool end around 80 and you are golden. Those are the current standards most try to achieve.

Mid to high 70s isn't bad for the cool end. Many new husbandry concepts believe that we have been keeping snakes way too hot.