heating and lighting

lately i've been seeing that people use heating techniques like heat pads and heat tape but dont say much about heat lamps.so my question is...is it important for a snake to have a light or is the proper temperature more important? if the light isnt too important, then i can remove it and just heat my snakes using their heat pad.

Ball pythons are nocturnal.....so I would say correct temperatures are more important than light. My snakes are not 'lighted' in any way other than the light that shines through the window during the day or other light in the room....so I guess they get somewhat of a day/night cycle.


Most people do not use lamps because they kill your humidity...not something you really want with most snakes

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Originally Posted by Snakeman

lately i've been seeing that people use heating techniques like heat pads and heat tape but dont say much about heat lamps.so my question is...is it important for a snake to have a light or is the proper temperature more important? if the light isnt too important, then i can remove it and just heat my snakes using their heat pad.

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Remember, your lamp is probably adding some heat to the cage, so if your temps are spot on now with the lamp, you ambient temps will probably decrease if you were to remove it.

Most people don't use heat lamps because they dry out the air in the cage. Also, I know a lot of people here keep their snakes in racks or tubs, and heat lamps are obviously not appropriate for these setups.

To answer your question, temperature is the first priority, and being that they are nocturnal, a light cycle is probably down the list behind temps, humidity, hides, etc. However, if you plan to breed, a light cycle can be an important part of a snake's routine and a valuable 'change' trigger for breeding behavior.

i keep my baby blood in a tub and i use a heat mat for her.my BP lives in a 10 gallon tank and i use a heat lamp for him.