Hello, So I'm new to owning a ball python, and I have a question about he needs the UTH. I'll explain a little about him first. He's just a typical pet store ball python that I received from a friend who could no longer care for him about a month ago. He was in horrible conditions with no humidity and not enough heat, dry sheds, and very underweight. My guess is that he is around two years old, He's also just a little over two feet, and 482grams. I have him in a 40-gallon tank with a screen top which is on legs that raise it about an inch off of the desk it's on.
Right now I have a ceramic heat bulb that is 100 watts, which I just leave on all day. His heat temps stay around 80-90, and the humidity stays around 60, which goes up to 80 when he sheds. I also have a small heating pad for a 10-20 gallon tank half of which is under his water dish with about an inch of substrate between the two. He never actually goes and lays on top of it, But should I move the heating pad elsewhere for him? Like under the rock, he hides in. I've read that they need belly heat to help digest their food, but I've also read that they don't. Any tips for the UTH is very welcomed.
Thank you.