Ah sorry for not responding!

No, I currently do not have any thermostats, and since it has been brought up, I have just researched it and realize now that I need one. I had heard that people use them, but wasn't sure if they was necessary, or what they were, but nobody had told me that I needed one.

Now that I know their importance, it might explain my previously healthy garter snake's sudden and mysterious death.

I have a few more questions, if you guys don't mind:

I have two heat sources for him, a light and a mat. The mat was originally a seedling mat, and the lamp has a normal house bulb in it. It gives off some heat though, I imagine. Is a thermostat needed for both of them? Or just the heating mat, since the lamp has a normal bulb?

Do I need two thermostats, or can I plug a power strip into one as long as I don't exceed the maximum wattage?

This might depend on the brand/model, but if I plug them both into a power strip, and I put the probe between the lamp and mat, will it switch them both off when it reaches the ideal temperature between them? And will it switch them both back on when needed?

I'm going to order one from online as soon as I can. It may take from a few days to a week to get here. Is it really the best to switch off his heat sources in the meantime? Is it at least okay to keep his lamp on? It's pretty high up and I'll mention again, a normal house bulb.

Thank you for all the help! I wouldn't want my BP to go the same way my garter did.