Some quick questions for first BP

[ds1091]

Belly heat is not intended to heat the ambient air even though it does slightly.
You can anlways run a dual set up for belly heat, one on the "hot side" with a t-stat set to get the surface temp to 95ish and then the other on the "cool side" with another stat set to get the surface temp to low 80s.

BTW I didnt know Africa was tropical

When i used to breed my other snakes a 80 degree cool end is too warm. Corns and kings prefer 88 for a warm side, 70-75 for a cool side. A little different from a BP. If my racks were housing ball pythons your theory would be s good thermal gradient for them but i sold those racks years ago so until i get more ball pythons im sticking to a glass tank

And I shouldnt have used "tropical" but there no where near a temperate climate like the US. All my other snakes would have a hot spot lower then a BP and night/cool side room temperature with no ill effects. Ball pythons come from a region where it is not desert nor rainforest, more grasslands. The temperature there remains warm pretty much day and night besides some exceptions. Warming a BP is alot diffferent from corns and kings who would remain under the aspen above the UTH. The challenge now is warming through the bedding where the BP is laying on to get a 90-95 hot spot without burns.