heat

how warm does my ball like to be? i got a desert hat pad, so its at about 80-90.i got everything all setup yesterday and when i took him out he was pretty warm, just wondering if its normal. also is he smart enough to know when he is to hot?
aftr being in its permanent enclosure for the first night last , he seem alot friendlier and way more responsive :sunny: :sunny:

Have you searched for how to setup your cage? You need to monitor temps of his hides especially because they can be much higher. But you need a gradient, a cool side of 80 and warm side of 90. Under Bp husbandry they have a sticky post telling you how to setup a cage it is very helpful and needed for a healthy python.

i would actually leave him alone for a few nights before messing with him. make sure in your enclosure he has a cool side 80-84, and a warm side of 90-95. and then a humidity level of 60-70%. then he should be fine what kind of cage is he in?

Check the caresheet for info on temps. A warm side and cool side will give your snake the ability to thermoregulate its temperature. How are you measuring the temps?

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Originally Posted by juddb

then a humidity level of 60-70%.

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Should be 50-60%

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Originally Posted by bodar

...also is he smart enough to know when he is to hot?
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No, a snake will often not realize the surface it is sitting on is getting TOO hot. It's critical to have some sort of control on your heat source, especially a heating pad under the tank. Your best bet is a thermostat that will keep the pad at a precise temperature of your choosing...so you KNOW it's neither too hot nor too cool. If you can't immediately afford a thermostat, you can use a lamp-dimmer switch from Home Depot (or similar hardware store) until you're able to save up enough for a good t-stat.

An uncontrolled heat source can very easily cause serious burns.