I didn't know any better when I got my first BP. I didn't know about thermostats. I was lucky that my baby didn't get burned. I had a thick layer of substrate and he didn't burrow in it. Thanks to the threads here I have the UTH regulated. The pet store peps didn't say a thing to me about a thermostats. Wait until you get your thermostat before you get your BP. Don't take a chance.