A little help please

[dsilvester34]

Hey, hoping you can help me a little with a heating question...

So hot end is 32° at the basking spot using a heat bulb and dimmer stat
Hot end hide I keep at 30.5° using a heat mat and mat stat

My question is should the hide be a bit cooler like I have it set or should it be the same as basking spot?

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[Morjean]

You need two hides, one for the hot end and one for the cool end. The "hot" one a temperature of ~32C (measured beneath the substrate, on top of the bottom glass. In the best case use a heat gun to check this). The cool hide should have a temperature of ~27C. Temperatures should never go above 35C (risk of burning) and never go below 24C (risk of RI).

I can't see much on that photo, but it looks like his scales are a bit dry, and your use of a lamp suggest that too ― Make sure you have an accurate hygrometer (do the salt test), and keep the humidity between 50-60%, bumped up to 70% during shed.

I hope you have every heat source hooked up to a thermostat and a guard for that lamp!

[dsilvester34]

He has two hides. Humidity is 56%. I was just asking about the hot end as I'm told they use old termite burrows in the wild, and I would presume that it would be slightly cooler in there than the actual basking spot temperature. I figured keeping his hot end hide a degree lower in temp would be a bit more natural. He of course can use the cold end whenever he chooses. I just wondered if i was over thinking the temp, or if I was doing the correct thing. I've got everything set up properly for him after taking him on as a rescue (and my first ever snake) and doing a lot of research. The slightly cooler hot end hide was just a thought I had as sitting in the shade is never as hot as sitting in the sun. Hope this makes sense and thank you for the input. Just trying to make his life with me a really good one.
A bit of background on the snake...
He had been left in a bare viv since Xmas without heat apart from the room temperature, he hadn't been fed, handled or even looked at until I got him maybe a month and a half ago. I've got him eating after a bit of perseverance. I started with large mice, then small weaner rats, atm it's large weaner rats every week. He has shed once in this time and is currently due to shed again any day now. I've replaced his viv for a properly sized one, put in a lamp and guard run by a dimmer stat, a heat mat run by a mat stat, built a natural looking (I think) enclosure. He has been gaining weight and has become much more active since warming up and eating. He is now very friendly and loves coming out for a while.

As said...he is my first ever snake and my main priority is for him to be healthy and happy as possible
🐍

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[Morjean]

It's wonderful to hear that he has a loving new owner now! The neglect might explain why his scales look so weird, so I guess that will go away in a couple sheds, provided it isn't scars (I really can't see much).

I just gave that run-down to make sure everything is considered, I had a bit trouble visualising your description, so I didn't want to miss anything~

As for your question, the 32C surface temperature is already factoring in the shade a burrow gives, so there's no need to make it cooler ― Beneath the substrate, a surface temperature of 32C inside the hot hide is perfect

[dsilvester34]

The reason I ask is because I heat the hot end with the bulb, but also use a mat to get belly heat. He only ate yesterday so tomorrow I will get some better pics of him. Your help is really appreciated so thank you for taking the time to reply. 🐍

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[dsilvester34]

Best pics I have atm...but will get more tomorrow

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[Morjean]

No problem! As long as the temperature in the warm hide below the substrate reads roughly 32C, using a temp gun or something similarly accurate, you're fine to go! Doesn't matter what you used or combined to achieve that heat.

Also, may I say, that looks like a wonderful enclosure from what I can see! I am really so happy to hear that this poor little fella is gonna have a better life now! Handsome stud you got there I would guess those dry/rough scales will clear up with your evidently better husbandry soon

[dsilvester34]

Hi Morjean. So...went to take some pics last week and he had gone into blue phase. Waited for his shed and took some pictures now. Let me know if he looks ok to you. All scales are smooth, no burns as far as I can see.

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[dsilvester34]

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[Morjean]

Looks good to me!
Whatever I had seen in the earlier pictures either was due to low photo quality or it went away with the last shed!

A beautiful boy you have there!

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