Is it okay to lift hides to check temps? Will it cause stress?

Basically, my area has been having lots of thunderstorms lately, and occasionally the power will go out in half my house.
So my bedroom will have electricity but I often find my snake's room to lose power without me knowing, which means the UTH will go out.
Basically my question is....is it okay to lift the hides (cool and warm) 1-2x a day to use my temp gun to check temps?
I have a new baby ball python- he's 2 months old, I've had him for 1 month, and I've been trying everything in my power to decrease his stress and establish our trust. I don't want to stress him.
He's under one of the hides all day. Great eater but scared often.

Yes, you can lift the hides to check temps.

Do you have your heating equipment on a thermostat? If so, you can look at the tstat and know roughly where your temps are. That should at least let you know if the mat is running or not.

I answered this question in your other thread, then saw you made a new thread (and also before you explained that your power has been going off). You'll pretty much
have to do the best you can, & check...but you won't have t-storms every day. I hope? :cool:

Think about it...would you mind if a stranger entered your home several times a night to look around while you're in bed? -Of COURSE it's stressful for him...why are you
needing to check temperatures so often? Are you using a thermostat to regulate your heat source? Did you take the time to set up and test the cage (for temperatures)
before moving the snake in? I'm guessing not...that's why we constantly suggest that keepers set up & test their cages for a week before bringing a snake home.

Depends on the "stranger."
If it's someone I trusted, and I knew it meant me no harm, I wouldn't care.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

Depends on the "stranger."
If it's someone I trusted, and I knew it meant me no harm, I wouldn't care.

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Can you answer the questions we asked about thermostats?

Lol.
I don't wanna because I know you guys will rage keyboard Hulk attack me.

I have him on dimmer switches which control the power output which I adjust via temp gun. Honestly it's not an issue unless the freaking power goes out like it has been since it's summer and I live in a really humid area.
I've had other types of reptiles for 5+ years which this method worked well for, plus the morphmarket breeder I got him from said it was fine.

My main reasons were because a lot of the reviews for the thermostats were bad, plus they are more expensive, and they require that extra part you have to stick in the hide, which I thought would make the cord aesthetic unappealing and cleaning a little harder.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

Depends on the "stranger."
If it's someone I trusted, and I knew it meant me no harm, I wouldn't care.

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By definition, you do NOT know a stranger's motives...just as your snake doesn't know or trust YOUR motives.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

Lol.
I don't wanna because I know you guys will rage keyboard Hulk attack me.

I have him on dimmer switches which control the power output which I adjust via temp gun. Honestly it's not an issue unless the freaking power goes out like it has been since it's summer and I live in a really humid area.
I've had other types of reptiles for 5+ years which this method worked well for, plus the morphmarket breeder I got him from said it was fine.

My main reasons were because a lot of the reviews for the thermostats were bad, plus they are more expensive, and they require that extra part you have to stick in the hide, which I thought would make the cord aesthetic unappealing and cleaning a little harder.

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Rheostats work. But you're definitely better off investing in a thermostat. Even a JumpStart for $30. I use them and have for years with no issue. I can't see not being willing to drop $30 to keep your pet safe.

Oh, and the probe you referred to goes OUTSIDE the enclosure, so no worries about cleaning or aesthetics there.

Might be a shot in the dark since we don't know what size hides and UTH you're using, but here's one possible idea? If your UTH covers more area than the hide does, you don't need to lift the hide to get a reading. You can just measure right outside it where the UTH is still heating the bottom of the cage. That'll at least be enough to tell you whether it's on or not.

When I want to double check my UTHs for peace of mind (though I do use thermostats), that's what I do.

If you haven’t already got one of these .... get one and then you’re sorted !

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If using a heat gun you don't need to lift the hide just shoot that red dot in through the opening of the hide.

Hi Siwueofk,

Constantly wanting to check your temperatures is natural if you are concerned about your snake. However, it shouldn't be necessary if you follow a few basic steps. From your posts above, you are using a dimmer and temp gun to control and check temps. This isn't the best way to control temps to be honest with you as it is a manual process. You should buy a thermostat to do this. You can get cheap thermostats that do a great job. This will add automatic temperature adjustment to the setup and you won't need to use the heat gun as often. Even the cheaper On/Off thermostats have a power and heat light to indicate that they are functioning correctly.

If the power is gone, you would know as the power light would go off. You can also buy very cheap digital thermometers off Ebay. The cheaper ones probably aren't as accurate but they will give you a good indication of temperatures without having to disturb the snake. You can then use the temp gun less frequently (as long as you get the thermostat).

I hope this helps,
Liam.
https://www.reptilerange.com/ball-python-care-sheet/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mechliam

Hi Siwueofk,

Constantly wanting to check your temperatures is natural if you are concerned about your snake. However, it shouldn't be necessary if you follow a few basic steps. From your posts above, you are using a dimmer and temp gun to control and check temps. This isn't the best way to control temps to be honest with you as it is a manual process. You should buy a thermostat to do this. You can get cheap thermostats that do a great job. This will add automatic temperature adjustment to the setup and you won't need to use the heat gun as often. Even the cheaper On/Off thermostats have a power and heat light to indicate that they are functioning correctly.

If the power is gone, you would know as the power light would go off. You can also buy very cheap digital thermometers off Ebay. The cheaper ones probably aren't as accurate but they will give you a good indication of temperatures without having to disturb the snake. You can then use the temp gun less frequently (as long as you get the thermostat).

I hope this helps,
Liam.
https://www.reptilerange.com/ball-python-care-sheet/

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These digital thermometers are good enough plus the have the all important wired probe ..

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