Tank Temperatures

[Meghan_h]

My BP came with me to my parents house for the Holidays where his tank is set up in the basement. It gets quite cold down there, especially at night, the cool side of his tank drops down to 65, while the warm side is around 75. Will this be dangerous for him for the next two weeks? Are there any ways I can heat up his tank besides the heat lamp and heating matt underneath?

[Bogertophis]

Yes, that's way too cold- yes, it's dangerous for him & he's likely to get sick. The cool side should not go below 75*- the warm side needs to be 85-90*. Just the stress of being in a new environment along with temperature swings causes stress, & just like for humans & other animals, stress lowers their immune system, making them more likely to get sick. And we have winter storms hitting many states this holiday season- you also need to be prepared for the power going out, unless their home has generator back up. (Do you know how to do that? What you need to save your snake IF the power goes out? It's not hard but you need a few things.)

Tanks are harder to heat no matter what- you can insulate the glass with styro-foam sheets, cork tiles, several layers of corrugated cardboard (cut to fit all sides & securely taped on) & various other things, and by reducing the airflow (ventilation) to minimal, it will retain more warmth, but it's still hard to overcome a very cold basement. Maybe you should have left him at home- how long are you staying with your folks? How cold does it get & for how long?

***Are your heat sources ALL controlled by a thermostat(s)??? They need to be, for safety. It's risky to heat an entire tank, which may be what you'd need to do to get the temperatures warm enough. Heat injuries (thermal burns or neurological damage) can happen from temps. that are too warm, & snakes NEED to be able to thermoregulate their body temperature by going from cooler to warmer at all times.

BTW, at night, use a red or black incandescent bulb instead of the heat lamp -which I'm assuming is mimicking daylight?

Also, when your snake is exposed to these unusually-chilly temperatures, it may also make him refuse food for some time to come, even when you get home & back to normal temperatures.

[Meghan_h]

Thank you for the reply!
I’m going to move him upstairs where it’s much warmer. That should help, but if it still needs more heat I’ll add some insulation. Thanks for the advice.