Heating Question

Hi, everyone... I'm new to this site. I have a corn snake and rainbow boa that I have in tanks (separate, of course!) and I am currently using the infrared lighting 24 hours to keep my temps & humidity consistant during the winter. In the summer I am able to turn the lighting off at night. For humidity I am having to mist several times a day for my boa, but it's not a problem for me. I have been doing a lot of reading here and am wondering the importance of "belly heat." Is it necessary if my temps & humidity are correct? By the way, I have digital ones for temp & humidity so they should be pretty accurate. I love ball pythons and will be adding one to my collection soon, I hope, so I've been here doing a lot of reading about them. Thanks in advance for your advice/opinions!!!

Welcome to the forum!

To answer your question, I don't think it's necessary to use an UTH as long as your temps and humidity are correct. UTH are nice because they're easier to regulate and they don't dry out the air. One other problem with bulbs is that they can cause burns if the snake has direct access to it, but so can an UTH if it isn't connected to a rheostat or thermostat.

Welcome aboard!


I don't know anything about keeping rainbows, so my answer will just be a general one. But I was thinking that if you are successful in maintaining the right environments with the overhead lights, I wouldn't change it. If you want belly heat, maybe get a "basking rock" or something similar that you set in the cage on the floor below the light...that way the light can warm the rock and the snakes can lie on that if they want.....the way the sun warms rocks in the wild.

Thanks for the input and for the warm welcome!!!

I actually do have a rock that is also a hide right under the light which I didn't really think about that as giving "belly heat" but I guess it would!!! Duh!!! :oops:

I was just wondering because it seems most people use the UTH method. My snakes are happy and healthy so I won't "fix" what isn't "broke!!!"

UTH's and flexwatt under the enclosure are so popular because they make it much easier in the long-run to maintain proper humidity and thermal gradient. But if you've got that with your setup already....yeah, don't fix what ain't broke! :D