Bad Shedding :(

[Skittles1101]

Sorry... I guess even when trying to be diplomatic about it and only stating my BP's behavior I was wrong and it offended you. I apologize for speaking up.

I don't easily offend, and nothing you said offended me. I was simply saying why I said what I had said about ball pythons generally not soaking for no reason. It's impossible to tell tone through text, so no need to jump to conclusions.

[Skittles1101]

Yeah that is what I meant...it is under the glass under the carpet so I doubt I need a thermostat for it. Why do I need a different hide out and the paper around the sides and back? I believe I need to use both a heat lamp like we have and the UTH because to keep the temp up.

How do you read the temps directly above the carpet?

There should be two identical tight fitting hides because they need to be able to thermoregulate. Because snakes are cold blooded they need a heat source, but to prevent over heating they move to the cool side. If you have two identical hides then they won't sacrifice safety for security. In your current setup your snake cannot properly thermoregulate because there is only one hide on the hot side.

The contact paper around the sides blacks out the tank, making it feel more secure to them and making the tank seem less wide open. It's not a necessary but I've found it to help them feel more safe in such a large tank.

[Minpin1985]

How do you read the temps directly above the carpet?

There should be two identical tight fitting hides because they need to be able to thermoregulate. Because snakes are cold blooded they need a heat source, but to prevent over heating they move to the cool side. If you have two identical hides then they won't sacrifice safety for security. In your current setup your snake cannot properly thermoregulate because there is only one hide on the hot side.

The contact paper around the sides blacks out the tank, making it feel more secure to them and making the tank seem less wide open. It's not a necessary but I've found it to help them feel more safe in such a large tank.

Thanks for the info but our snake has two plant spots also in the corners that he LOVES to hide under, one on the cooler end and the other on the warmer end next to the plant. He actually prefers the plants over the hideout.