It's not terrible in and of itself, but I would recommend spraying it down if you use it for your snake. It allows for some burrowing activities and can hold more moisture than plain papertowel, and lasts longer and allows for more spotcleaning than plain papertowel. The easier a cage is to clean, the more you'll clean it!

Ceramic heat emitters emit heat the same way infrared bulbs do (infrared is not a visible lightwave, we perceive it as heat), they just don't emit light as well. They do get somewhat hotter, so an easy solution is to use a lower wattage - saving you money on electricity! For the size tank you have, you should not need a heat emitter hotter than 60 watts, and if you are concerned about heat the addition of a thermostat should help control it. A similar wattage red bulb would be appropriate, but you would not need anything hotter than a 75 watt bulb in most situations.

Keep your bulb boxes and receipts, and if it doesn't meet your needs, exchange it until you find the wattage that works for you!

-Jen