First let me apologize for not welcoming you to BP.net when responding to your first post, my bad.

Welcome to BP.net!!!

A thermostat is a device used to control a heating device (Lamp, CHE, or UTH), and keeps the heating device within a set temp range. It allows for safe operation of heating devices and takes away the worry of your tank get too cold or too hot.

While having a heat lamp on a thermostat is very nice to have, putting a UTH on a thermostat is essential due to the risk of thermal burns to your snake from an unregulated UTH getting too hot. Unregulated, a UTH can reach temps of 130+ degrees.

In case you haven't had a chance to check these two threads out, I urge you to read them:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...p-w-pics-*DUW*

Welcome to the BP addiction