Heat lights do nothing but make the ambient temps too hot and suck humidity. Belly heat is much more beneficial as it aides in digestion. Any UTH needs to be regulated with a thermostat, but I'd switch up for sure. Here is some advice I just gave someone today regarding common husbandry issues.
"You have to upload pictures to a hosting site such as photobucket.com or tinypic.com, you then copy and paste the IMG link into the box here, it is labelled the one for forum boards. It sounds like your temps are too high, but you still have not mentioned how you are reading temps. I am going to assume it's with the stick on analog guages, which are dangerously inaccurate. Just a few pointers to help you out okay?
Being a baby ball python, the tank she is in shouldn't be any larger than 20 gallon long. Ball pythons like small tight spaces, and that includes hides. There should be two hides, one on the hot side and one on the cool side.
Belly heat is much more beneficial to snakes, as it aides in digestion. Heat lamps not only suck the humidity out of the tank, but they get very hot and generally heat up the tank too much. I suggest ditching the lamps and getting an under tank heater and a thermostat.
Thermostats are necessary for UTHs. UTHs get VERY hot, and even if they don't feel hot to our touch, it is far too hot for a snake. The hot side should remain between 88-92, and the cool side between 78-82.
Thermostats can range from useful and cheap to top of the line. Here is the cheapest one I would recommend.
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...3&sr=8-1-spell
You should invest in a digital thermometer to read cool/hot side temps and humidity.
http://www.amazon.com/Chaney-Instrum...6786276&sr=8-4
You place the unit on the cool side, and place the probe on the hot side. This way it reads both temps and humidity inside the tank all in one unit.
You may also be interested in getting a temp gun. They are a great tool for any reptile owner as they read surface temps with great accuracy, however they are not necessary.
http://tempgun.com/
You may also want to consider blacking out the sides and back on the tank to help her feel more secure. You can buy black adhesive Con-Tact paper from Home Depot, one roll is $6 and that's all you need. It really makes a considerable difference in their security.
I also suggest covering about 1/2 to 2/3 of the screen top, to help hold in humidity. You can use anything from aluminum foil to plexi glass.
After you've made some changes, I suggest leaving her alone for a full week. Once she has settled in her new home, try feeding at night. If she doesn't eat then, I'd be surprised Good luck! Hope this helps..."
Originally Posted by LGray23
Heat lights do nothing but make the ambient temps too hot and suck humidity. Belly heat is much more beneficial as it aides in digestion. Any UTH needs to be regulated with a thermostat, but I'd switch up for sure. Here is some advice I just gave someone today regarding common husbandry issues.
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