Ball python heating questions

[SnekIsNoodle]

Ok so I got my first snake, a one month old ball python from petsmart(she's about 14 inches) about 3 weeks ago. So I have an under tank heater connected to a lamp dinner and it is on the warm side of my cage. For a thermometer I have a zoo med digital thermometer with probe and I have the probe under the substrate on top of the UTH. The Probe was reading 93 degrees and I used a Walgreens no contact IR thermometer on surface temperature mode and it read that the temp right under the warm hide and above the UTH(and probe) read like 86 degrees. I also have a digital stick on thermometer on the cool side and it was reading below 75 so I got a ceramic heat emitter and now the cool temp is usually about 78 degrees(but that was b4 I even got my snake). So I was thinking that since it was only 86 on the surface(although idk how accurate that Walgreens thermometer is) that I should have the probe on top of the substrate under the hide and adjust the UTH until it's 92 degrees. So basically do I need to put the probe on top of the UTH and under the substrate, or ontop of the substrate where my bp will actually be? And when it says the recommended basking temps are 88-95 is that right above the UTH under the substrate at the hottest point or on the surface under the hide where the snake will be at? Also I tried turning my UTH up(with lamp dimmer) and came back to find the probe reading 99 degrees and the surface temp under the warm hide at 88 degrees(with wall greens thermometer on surface temp mode)

[Eric Alan]

Sounds like you've done some research!

You want the surface (glass) right above the UTH to be in the 90° range. He can, and eventually will, dig around in the substrate and make his way down to the bottom when he wants to. Your job is to make it safe for him when he does.

As far as the "top of the substrate" temps, I don't really worry about it much. Just make sure you don't have more bedding than is necessary to soak up messes (think less than an inch or so) and your temps will be good.

[SnekIsNoodle]

Sounds like you've done some research!

You want the surface (glass) right above the UTH to be in the 90° range. He can, and eventually will, dig around in the substrate and make his way down to the bottom when he wants to. Your job is to make it safe for him when he does.

As far as the "top of the substrate" temps, I don't really worry about it much. Just make sure you don't have more bedding than is necessary to soak up messes (think less than an inch or so) and your temps will be good.

So even if the temp on the substrate is 10 degrees colder it's fine as long as the temp right above the UTH is ~90?

[Eric Alan]

I would thin out the substrate, but yes. It is more important to make sure your snake won't get burned or worse by trying to force a UTH to heat its way through the substrate. A thin layer of substrate is all that's necessary for it to do its job.

[SnekIsNoodle]

I would thin out the substrate, but yes. It is more important to make sure your snake won't get burned or worse by trying to force a UTH to heat its way through the substrate. A thin layer of substrate is all that's necessary for it to do its job.

Ok thx for the help