new to snakes- enclosure setup

[Crazy4Herps]

Hi as stated i am very new to snakes and am researching into snake enclosures having deciding on a ball python being my choice in snake. at current i have partly decided on the viv pictured below which is a 36" long Vivarium 3ft x 1.5 x 1.7 and is made of walnut.

http://www.valuevivariums.co.uk/viva...6-pi-3947.html

My main issue that i am trying to research is the heating of such a viv as it is wood which i believe will rule out heat mats (correct me if im wrong) and have set eyes on a microclimate 150 watt ahs heater with built in thermostat. question is is this adiquate to heat the whole viv? will this work on its own without need for a second heat source? and will a protective cover be needed?

http://www.valuevivariums.co.uk/micr...w-pi-3730.html

As for substrate, hides, humidity and decor i am pretty confident and the only other question i can think of at the moment is will some sort of device be required to give sunlight to the snake? and please suggest one that is reasonable for the viv above.

thank you so much for any help you can offer and im sure you will be able to as this site seems extremely helpful.

cheers

It may take a bit of meddling, but I could see that heater working in the vivarium. Yes it will need a cover so that the snake cannot come into contact with it and burn itself (something along the lines of chicken wire will work). I can't tell you whether or not it will be enough heat by itself, but try it out, if you want. Setting up any enclosure takes a certain amount of experimentation.

There's no way you'll be able to use a heat mat with the enclosure, but I could see other types of UTHs working. How thick is the bottom of the viv? Depending, some flexwatt with a thermostat could work (as long as you elevate the bottom to allow airflow), though I might worry about fire hazards if the wood is very thick.

As snakes are nocturnal, they do not need any source of "sunlight" (UVA/B radiation).

Good luck, and have fun! If you have any other questions, that's what we're here for.