Quote Originally Posted by ballpythonsrock2 View Post
The REAL question to me is do ball pythons even need a UTH at all. I don't think they do. As long as you have a middle range 80's ambient. I have had my snake over a year now and I have/had no UTH
You don't have to worry about burns from thermostat failure or any of that. How to attach it, how to take it off. Where does the probe go. blah, blah. I can't see balls as doing much basking on a hot rock in their native habitat or any of that. Now I do up the ambient heat a degree or two after my snake eats for a couple of days. I think with a good over head (or room heat) balls do just fine. I have Styrofoam underneath and on the sides and back as well. But my ball is doing just fine with two heat lamps on thermostat's over head. At this time of year they are almost never even on. So it's much less head ache and worry. And my snake poops very regular, weekly even.

Now a corn snake and some other colubrids like a corn absolutely seem to need a UTH I had a corn and it seemed to need and love the UTH. I also agree a half inch substrate max is plenty and important when using a UTH As far as poop and pee you can scoop a wide handful and then replace some afterward from your spare substrate bag.

You can have your own belief about balls and uth's but I just don't see it as necessary for a ball IMO. I do see the importance of a good 80's upper to lower range though. I don't allow mine to get to below 82 at all or over above 90 on the hide surfaces which can get pretty warm on the black plastic hide types. They can always use the black plastic hides to warm on. My snake loves to stick it's neck and head on the hide and watch.
I stopped using overhead heating a long time ago. The room gets warm enough and UTH alone is adequate. Never goes off feed, poops regularly etc

Hot rocks are for idiots or the ignorant.