Help me

so i was at the store today talkin bout ball pythons and this dude told me the i need some light for night instead of what i heard... i heard u use a heating pad thats what ime doing now.... should i ditch the pad and get a speacial light (witch i wouldnt kno what kind) or keep the pad


answers would be nice :}

Why would your snake need a special night light? You are doing just fine with the heat pad. If your husbandry is fine don't worry about that special night light.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CherNasty21

so i was at the store today talkin bout ball pythons and this dude told me the i need some light for night instead of what i heard... i heard u use a heating pad thats what ime doing now.... should i ditch the pad and get a speacial light (witch i wouldnt kno what kind) or keep the pad


answers would be nice :}

---

You don't need any type of light for a ball python unless your air temperature (ambient) is too low, then you have to work extra hard for humidity.

Generally, no, heat lamps are not recommended for ball pythons.

Also, make sure your UTH (heat pad) has a THERMOSTAT hooked up to it to regulate the temperatures. Not a thermometer, those just read the temps, you need some of those too.

Some places a single uth under the warm side is not enough to keep the average air temps and cool side temps up high enough, and a heat lamp is usually the recommended option to solve that.

I used a heat lamp this first MN winter taking care of reptiles, because even with my thermostat cranked to max the room never got warmer than the high 60s on particularly cold days, but I haven't used it since mid february.

It seems everyone has an opinion when it comes to the lighting vs. UTH pads for our pythons. Alot depends on your climate. Obviously if you live in the southern states the cold weather isn't so much of a problem as it is up here in the Northeast. Sometimes supplemental heat might be required during the colder months to sustain the proper temps in your enclosure.
Personally, i have both UTH's and heat lamps simply because it can get cold here in NY and I want to make sure my snakes are as compfortable as possible. I don't turn my heat lights on every night, but I do, on occasion turn them on when it's particularly cold out.
The end thing to keep in mind is this: As long as your temps and humidity are ACCURATELY monitored and in the correct range for your snake, that's all that matters. Go with what works for you and go with the plethora of information available right here on this site. You'll do just fine if you listen to what the experts here tell you when it comes to properly caring for your python. I learn something new every single day I'm here. ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CherNasty21

so i was at the store today talkin bout ball pythons and this dude told me the i need some light for night instead of what i heard... i heard u use a heating pad thats what ime doing now.... should i ditch the pad and get a speacial light (witch i wouldnt kno what kind) or keep the pad


answers would be nice :}

---

RULE #1 don't follow advice from pet stores,most don't know anything about reptile care.

RULE # 2 follow rule # one