Quote Originally Posted by Amp625 View Post
after all the research know you need a warm side and a cold side are you saying that the warm side of the tank can only consist of the hot spot which would be in the hide or do i still need a basking light for outside of the hide? right now is it dangerous for my ball python with the basking light and the UTH the cheap thermometer says it 90 in that side of the tank
Yeah, so the temperature you're interested in is the temp under the hide, right where the ball python's belly is. It's nice if the air temp (what the cheap thermometer actually measures) is at least 75F or better yet 80F in there (even on the "cold" side). But it's the warm spot that really counts.

Ball pythons like to be warm, but they don't really use "basking" spots the way lizards or tortoises do. What they like is a choice of hides--one on the warm side AND one on the cool side. That way if they need to cool down, there's another nice secure hole they can tuck into and still feel safe.