You don't need a heat lamp unless your ambient air temperature falls below 75 degrees. The heat mat is way to hot, use the thermostat on the under the tank heat mat and set it at 93 degrees. Put the probe of the thermostat directly on the under the tank heat mat out side of the tank, just use foil tape or duct tape and tape it in the middle of the heat mat. As for the snake not using the hide, he probably won't go in because of it being too hot. Also, I would get another of the same hide and put it on the cool side so it can regulate its body temperature.