Repti-therm UTH not getting very hot.

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Originally Posted by SDA

105 degrees is enough to burn a snake given enough time laying on it. You absolutely need a thermostat not a dimmer to make sure the temperature on the inside of the glass does not get over 92 degrees to prevent overheating. The top of the substrate does not matter, only the inside of the glass as the ball python will burrow or push substrate to get down to the bottom.

When you get the thermostat the probe goes between the UTH and the glass on the outside of the tank, not the inside.

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105 F, is NOT enough to burn a snake. No way ever, no matter how long they touch it. Human skin is far more soft and delicate than ball python snake scales, and it take 130+ temperatures to cause a burn to human skin. There is no danger of a burn to snake scales in the 100-125 F range. The danger is that cold-blooded reptiles will absorb the heat and if they cannot or do not move away in time, their organs will heat up to the surrounding temperatures and cause damage, most dangerous outcome being brain damage and even death.

I try to keep the hottest spot in the tub around 90F. No less than 87, no more then 92.

edit: apparently 110-125 CAN cause burns to human skin, after a long enough period of time, but it would have to be quite a while. 130+ is the danger zone for human skin burning relatively quickly. My point stands though, that 105 is not enough to burn a snake, the MAIN DANGER IS ORGANS OVERHEATING. It is universally recommended to keep the hottest spot 92 or less, and keep ambients no higher than 85. A THERMOSTAT IS NOT AN OPTION, too much heat will injure or kill a snake.