Forgive this question if it has been asked before but I saw nothing definitive in a thread search:

What, specifically, is meant when the term "ambient temperature" is used. I do know that it is a measure of the air temperature but, used here, is it the temperature of the room in which the reptile enclosure sits? Or, is it a temperature found inside the reptile enclosure?

If it is the latter, how then, specifically, is it measured? Is it some balance, some percentage, or some mix of the hot side and cool side temps? Or, is it found some other way? If there is some simple equation used to garner it, I would greatly appreciate someone passing it on.

I'm trying to take care of these two critters (ball pythons) that I "inherited" and want to make sure that my efforts are helping them and not hurting them. Thanks for your help.

<><Marc