Buried Temperature Probe

My Ball Python's temperature reading has been over 100 degrees for a couple weeks now. I turned down the thermostat multiple times, but it stays above 100. The temp probe is buried about inch deep under the substrate, directly above the heat pad. Is this the reason for the high temperature readings? The cypress mulch I use is very moist because I just changed it. I have used this heat pad and thermostat for almost two years and it has never done this. Thanks for your help.


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Nevermind, I put the probe on the mulch's surface and it dropped back down to 90! :)


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It will still be too hot down below the mulch. If a bp burrows down there it could be trouble...

Okay, thanks.


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Your probably using to much substrate, should only be about half an inch. You want the bottom of the substrate to be within comfortable temps as well because they have a tendency to move it.

Better placement would be between the UTH and the glass.

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Originally Posted by sho220

It will still be too hot down below the mulch. If a bp burrows down there it could be trouble...

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Yeah if the top of the substrate is 90 underneath would be much higher.

If checking temp when spraying or changing the substrate out you can get a spike in temp because you are changing/removing basically the insulation so it will activate the thermostat to increase temp.

The probe should be at the bottom of the substrate and the snake can dig down into it if it wants more heat. But that shouldn't make it possible for the top of the substrate to be higher then the bottom, like you said happened so that's weird.

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Originally Posted by kylearmbar

Your probably using to much substrate, should only be about half an inch. You want the bottom of the substrate to be within comfortable temps as well because they have a tendency to move it.

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It's about half an inch everywhere except under the warm hide. He piled it in himself, which is odd because he usually clears out a hole.


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