Quote Originally Posted by dizzmcd View Post
Well, to those who say i need a better themometer, this themometer doesn't use a probe, but its digital and cost nearly 300 dollars. Its an advanced tool for weather conditions a friend of mine has, and its very accurate. My temps right now with the themometer are 79.7 and 89.7 WITH the UTH on,no thermostat. the heating pad itself isn't giving off very much heat. I don't have the tank insulated, but i do have the top covered with a towel with a cut-out for the light. The snake seems fine right now, will these temps do okay?
What you have is probably measuring the air temps. You need something to measure the bottom surface, since the UTH will only affect the air temp by a couple degrees. Nothing substantial.

A thermostat really is a must. A lot of people come here with burned snakes due to unregulated UTHs that didn't seem that hot to the touch. When your snake lays on top of a +100º for an extended period of time, they will start to burn. A thermostat ensures that your heat source only heats up to the temp you want, ensuring the safety of your animal. If you want to live life on the edge, so be it. But I would never put any of my animals in with an unregulated heat source.