To cut a long story short I've recently joined a group on facebook and I'm questioning some of their recommendations as what I've read online regarding some of what they are suggesting is "wrong" and I don't want to be "that guy" without actually knowing what I'm talking about..

Anyway:

http://i.imgur.com/NTU9PPg.png

Essentially I am just wondering if the last post here holds any water.

"Ceramic bulb is safest option with bulb guard on a pulse stat. This years the air aswell as heating the ground, which provides belly heat. Heat mats shouldn't be used with vivs, and unless your room is heated to 24c or more, will not provide adequate heat. You will find with a ceramic and hotter ambient temp, the humidity will drop slightly, so you could see how it goes with the orchid bark then. However i do love lignocel, so would recommend having a look at that "

The subject matter is substrates and heat sources.

From what I have read over here: http://www.worldofballpythons.com/ar...isconceptions/

"Ball Pythons require a hot area, and a cool area in the enclosure. Ball Pythons are cold blooded animals and they require an outside source of heat to maintain the correct internal temperature. They need heat in order to metabolize food properly, among many other daily bodily functions. The most common heat source recommended for reptiles are heat lamps. Heat lamps come in coloured bulbs (some labeled as night and day) and also in non-light emitting ceramic bulbs. Both are great sources of heat for many reptiles, but are not suitable for Ball Pythons. They require belly heat, not basking heat. In northern Africa you will never see a Ball Python on top of a log or rock basking in the afternoon sun. They like to spend the day hiding under branches and rocks in the dark, with their bodies on the warm ground. In the wild they will hide all day, and if your Ball Python is healthy it should do the same. The solution, since your snake doesn’t bask like other snakes and lizards, is to use an Under Tank Heater (UTH). There are many types of UTH’s available today such as heat tape, heat cable or heat pads. All of these perform the same function and should be regulated with a thermostat. Do not use a heat rock with a Ball Python. It cannot be regulated properly with a thermostat and will burn your snake."

So basically what I'm getting at is that this article here, at least as I interpret it means that you should have a heat mat no question. Combining a heat mat with a ceramic bulb to keep ambient correct? Maybe possibly but I don't know and hence this is why I'm here posting this thread. I'm not wanting to spread misinformation as there is plenty of that going around.

- Joppsta