Temps too low?

Danielle, I am curious where you are measuring temperatures, and what you are using to do so? You have to remember that the snake is in contact with the floor, so you have to measure temps on the floor. The temps you are writing sound more like air temps mid tank to me. Also, if you are using a cheap or well used thermometer, they can go bad and be WAY off.

Steelsack, I'm guessing you have a screen lid for the tank, correct? Because I didn't know exactly what enclosure Danielle has, I tried to make a general statement. As far as the screen tops go, the bulb sitting on top is fine. And most likely, it has to be a high wattage to get the heat up because you are always losing it. In my rattlesnake enclosure, the lid is made of peg board. This keeps the humidity up and the temps warm. It allows for optimum air flow while keeping what needs to stay in. I learned this from a local reptile store (Arizona Reptile Center). It works really well. Steelsack, you have nothing to worry about. Your enclosure sounds good. The only thing I would make sure, like I said before, is to make the substrate so the reptile can't come in contact with the glass above the UTH. I've taken temps and they usually go over 110 degrees. It won't hurt them for short term contact, I'm sure, but if in contact a lot it could burn them. And not to offend you of course, I'm sure you know what you are doing.

Dustin

Yup, it's a screen lid. I have a sweet little dimmer hooked up to the UTH that I use to insure against burns. Took me a couple days of fine tuning, but I eventually found the mark that holds the UTH at 91 to 92. The dimmer came with a light built in that gets brighter as you decrease the juice which helps to give you a visual indicator that it's functioning. Of course that's never good enough and I am a compulsive surface temp checker :roll:
LOL Don't be concerned about offense.....any info given on these threads helps countless people on many levels of expertise. I'm not one to get huffy...........such a great community, I'm sure no one means any malice :D

You have a rattler? cool! what kind? they're beautiful animals........kinda "hands off", tho :shock:

Daniel, Zeus's cage temps range from 75 on the cool side to 84 degrees on the hot side (without the lamp on) to 90 degrees (with the lamp on. Zeus loves the cool whenever he is not digesting any food. I tried to keep his cool side at 80 and his warm side at 90, and noticed the he was not as happy as he was when the temps were cooler.Hope this helps.

RPlank, yes, I was measuring temps at mid-height. I never thought to measure the surface temp, but I will right away.

I had already turned off the light about three hours ago, and I just measured the temp right above the layer of reptile bark, which sits on top of the folded newspaper - it was 95!

So, I turned the setting to low and added some more bark just to be on the safe side. I'll check the temp again in about an hour.

So...if the surface temps are okay, then do I still need a lower-wattage heat light to increase the ambient air temperature, or will just the heating pads be okay?

Someone, I forget who asked about the setup...it's a 30 gallon tall glass tank with a screen lid. I put duct tape over about 4/5 of the lid to hold in the humidity. Big bowl of water in the middle, a hide at each end. I have one very small UTH (belonged to a baby corn snake) on the cool side and a people heating pad on the warm side, both are definitely under the tank, and newspaper is taped to the inside botton with an inch of bark over top of that.

He's been out and about since I ditched the blue light. I've never seen him so active. As soon as I took the lid off to check the temperature, he was making a break for the top of the cage.

I feel like such a numskull, but thank guys.

If your surface temps are good, I wouldn't worry too much about ambient temps, as long as they are not freezing! Your BP spends 99% of his time on the floor, so gets his heat from there via the belly. 95 isn't necessarily too hot, but it wouldn't hurt to lower it a tad.

Yea, what Randy said. I've never worried about ambient air temperatures; just the temp of the surfaces (the light doesn't necessarily need to be checked; this is why a lot of snakes get burnt though [if they have access to the lightbulb]). 95 should be the highest you go with ball pythons. 90 to 92 on the warm side should work. Of course, I'm going by The Snake Keepers recommendations. 80 on the cool side, 90 on the warm side.

Dustin