Highest temp a ball python can handle before it is burned?

I know 92 is ideal for the hot spot.

Lets just say it somehow manages to get up to around 95 would this hurt the snake?

I am asking because I reset both my acu-rites and my flukers about 48 hours ago. And my hot spot temps have varied between 89-93.5 and my cool side temps have varied between 78-82. This has been over the last 48 hours. I have dropped the temps in the room down to 65degrees and increased them to 78 degrees during this 48 hour test period to determine the temp ranges to determine if its a safe environment.

Also will this 4 degree variation in temps cause problems with the snake?
I keep the temps in the room stable around 72-74 normally. I use a window unit set to around 74(so it doesn't cut on until the temps are over this). And I keep a electric room heater that is set to 71(so it only cuts on if it drops below this).

I keep it around these temps because its my computer room and it can get quite warm if I don't have a window unit. And at nights it can get cold so I use the room heater.

Upstairs rooms are a pain to keep right only useing Central air/heat

I think 95 long term is definitely not good, but 95 short term won't make a huge difference. I'd probably say anything over 100 degrees has the potential to cause a burn.

i think 95 is perfectly reasonable as long as they have a proper gradient to thermoregulate properly. I'd even consider 96 as a hot spot, usually during the winter when the ambient temps are lower.

i wouldn't go over 100 at all. Temps over 100 are the ones i've seen cause burns. It's usually unregulated heat mats that can get 110+ degrees, up to 140!!!!! that end up harming your snake.

It would certainly be short term. I just could not find anything on this.

I am using a thermostat and was just worried about a temperature spike caused by unknown reasons! And just wondered how hot it could handle.

At the moment I have not seen the 93.5 on the thermometer, it happened today while I was away at work. I shut off the window unit and set the heater to heat to 78 so it kept it at 78. Even when I came home it was around 92.6 and the room temp was 78. But I checked the max temp it reached and it said 93.5.

95 is fine. I would not let it get over 100. The more important thing is for them to be able to get cool when approaching those hot side temps. These animals are experts at thermoregulation if you give them the options.

Awesome now what is the lowest that the cool side should reach? As long as the warm side is around 90-94?

I target a 75 degree ambient temp in my room. Any lower and you risk RI's.

Great so 78 is safe =D

I am running a CHE along with the Heating pad so its actually keeping around an 80 degree ambient temp in the tank. It is seeing around 78 at times on the furthest wall on the cool side.

They can handle 100ºF (VPI 'ball pythons ref.) for short periods as long as they don't have a meal in the belly. The first issue isn't burns but they simply cannot digest food if it is too hot. Burns happen after the digestive system shuts down. My hands after I have been working hard often reads 101-2 Rats body temps are 99-101 it is unlikely that the normal body temp of a prey item is going to burn the predator.

100º won't burn a snake but it will stop eating and digesting food items.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

100º won't burn a snake but it will stop eating and digesting food items.

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Do you have a source for this information?

Yes, 'Ball Pythons' Barker and Barker 2006 vpi library pp 171

"Ball pythons that do not have food in their guts usually can tolerate low temperatures to 55ºF and highs to 100ºF for periods of several days."

They also comment that they would NEVER on purpose subject them (balls) to temps below 75 and above 90.

There is a reference about digestion and high low temps on page 172 they continue to speak about ambient air temps and ventilation as well as heat generated from digestion (I have noticed this as well) in smaller snakes.

There is also notes in "Clinical Anatomy and Physiology of Exotic Species" by O'Malay (or something ??) which I don't have in front of me, (library book)

I read an article by Klingenburg on digestion and temps of snake in general but I can't remember where that was exactly where that was a journal I think. I am 70% certain it was Klingenburg but I could be mistaken on that it was a while ago.

I would never suggest that a royal should ever be at 100º but short contact is not going to cause burns. It does have other health impacts that are also very critical. I don't know at what temperature burns will occur or what exact conditions need to be in place for a snake to burn its self, and I do know they happen with depressingly regularity. :mad: I do also believe that 100 for an hour or so is unlikely to do lasting damage.

(I have a pet theory on why, too low ambient temps, temperature sensing of snakes in general is crude more an average temp not exact temps, too low ambient temps and too high surface allows the snake to sit and burn. My idea, no reference just a unproven notion on my part)

This is awesome information thanks everyone on your input!

Ok now I have only one issue all of my temps are perfect, however my warm hide is below my Che and the top is reaching 96 degrees.

The substrate below the hide is 92 and around is 92. I have moved some plastic leaves over the hide but I'm afraid that the snake will move them.


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Plug in lamp dimmer for the CHE?

It is on a dimmer but reducing power the temps fall on both the warm and cool sides.


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you might try angling it from the side a bit that might help regulating...

Their flesh isn't significantly different from ours--if it would burn you, if you sat on it for 3 hours, then it will burn them.
But burns aren't the only issue--internal temperatures are as well. A ball python cannot handle having an internal body temperature much higher than 95F for any significant period of time--their health will suffer, even if they aren't burned.

Having a 95F hot side temperature, with a normal 80F cool side, however, is not an issue. The snake can move to the cooler area when its body temperature gets too high.

Thanks Kite demon I believe your idea worked my putting the light at an angle it appears to be putting out a more even spread of heat.
Instead of super heating the area below it. It seems to have reduced the warm side slightly and increased the cool side temps!

Short term temp fluctuations aren't bad... You gotta think, does the temperature in Ghana stick at exactly 92 degrees in the sun and 78 in the shade? :P

I wouldn't purposely go over 92 honestly... I keep them with an 88-89 hot side and a 78-80 cool side. If a snake shows any mild respiratory issues I bump it up to 92 until they go away.

I've had a thermostat fail and (luckily) noticed in time to save the snakes before they got cooked... The temps went over 100 for probably a few hours but once I fixed the problem they all turned out OK. If you are walking through your snake room and notice that in one of your racks, every single snake is pressed up against the front of the tub, you might want to check on the temperatures!

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

...But burns aren't the only issue--internal temperatures are as well. A ball python cannot handle having an internal body temperature much higher than 95F for any significant period of time--their health will suffer, even if they aren't burned.

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I was going to say the same thing. People will see their snake corkscrewing, wobbling, possibly regurgitating, and a general loss of control/coordination, and they automatically think IBD, when they should probably be thinking more along the lines of heat stroke.