snake feels cold

[milklover]

I have a fairly new Hondoduran milk, fully grown at about 5' right now. Warm side is 83 and room is heated to 75. He stays on the cool side all the time. When I pick him up he's always cold. Eats great, just shed and seems to be fine other than that. Is is normal for them to be cold?

[littleindiangirl]

My corn snake is full grown and feels cool to the touch when he's just hanging out. The only time he ever felt warm was right after he was done basking.

If you provide the right temps and everything, he will use what he needs. It sounds to me like the cool side could maybe drop a couple of degrees and still be fine.

[frankykeno]

ectothermic
Adjective
1. of animals except birds and mammals; having body temperature that varies with the environment
(synonym) poikilothermic, poikilothermous, heterothermic
(similar) cold-blooded

Cold-blooded
Cold-blooded organisms maintain their body temperatures in ways different from mammals and birds. The term is now outdated in scientific contexts. Cold-blooded creatures were, initially, presumed to be incapable of maintaining their body temperatures at all. They were presumed to be "slaves" to their environments. Whatever the environmental temperature was, so too was their body temperature. Cold-blooded animals are now called ectotherms, for the term cold-blooded is misleading.
(from http://www.babylon.com/definition/ectothermic/English)

[milklover]

thanks guys! I read the caresheet over and over to make sure I was doing things right. Hubby will be glad I can drop the temps just a tad, save the 'lectricity, you know! Only milks and rats in that room.

[wolfy-hound]

Yaa, if your snake feels warm to the touch, either you have the world's coldest hands, or the snake is overheated.
Remember that a human body temp is 98.6F which would be WAY hot for a snake. Yes, our extremities are not normally 98.6F but they are still warm and will percieve something at 80 to be cool to the touch.
Glad your snakes are doing well and I hope you'll post some pics, cause we all love pics!