Can I keep hogs like this?

[Anya]

So, right now I'm heating my ball pythons solely with ambient heat- my snake room (walk in closet...eh-hem...) Is kept at 80-86 F constantly. I haven't seen any posts here about people heating their hoggies this way. Is this a reasonable way to heat this species?

[Mike41793]

I want to say yes, but I could be wrong. I know that people keep corns like this.

[RaskaNeil]

Im definitely not the person to ask for advise, but my hoggie loved his belly heat.

[interloc]

You should probly try to hook up some belly heat for your balls before you get a hoggie.

[Mike41793]

You should probly try to hook up some belly heat for your balls before you get a hoggie.

why?

[interloc]

why?

I just feel like its safer. Balls like to thermoregulate. Only giving them ambients somewhat limits this. It's probly possible to not but I wouldn't personally so I was trying to offer my opinion.

[KMG]

80-86 is a pretty wide range. What are you using to heat your snake room? I think I would second the belly heat and get your ambient temp to stay around 80 without much deviation. The range you are having is the whole room and is approaching the hotpot limit. If it gets there you are not giving your snakes a retreat. I heat my snake room with a oil heater and it is a constant 80.1.

I would add belly heat and keep the room at 80.

As for a hoggy they are kept but many people in many different ways. Personally mine is in a glass tank in my living room (68°) and she has a 60 watt bulb keeping her ambient around 78-80, a hotspot on a log under the light at 87-90. I also have a small uth at 90 since she is usually buried in the eco earth.

I have found this site to be helpful for hognose info.

http://extremehogs.com/Caresheet.html

[Old_School]

I have kept hognose now for 5 years, before that I had corns. I heat my entire snake room with an oil filled radiator that I have plugged into a Johnson thermostat. I do not use belly heat, never did. I keep the room at 82 degrees, I have had no problem with feeding, shedding, fertility, ect. My holdbacks from 2012 are all already over 100 plus grams. Some may not agree doing it this way, but not only does it work for me, but I don't have a room full of heat tape and wires,.. I have a page on FB, if you care to check it out its " The Hog Farm"
Also by keeping your room at 82 degrees you can incubate your clutches by just placing them on a shelf in the room.

[MisterKyte]

I think your main source of heating should be from belly heat with the ambient temps to supplement the temperature, like Interloc originally said. You want your critters to be warm but you don't want to swelter them.

Can't say much on the topic of Hogs though.

[Royal Hijinx]

My hoggie LOVES his belly heat. I tried just having a tub at snake room temp (80ish) and he would not eat. Got some belly heat (88-90) and boom, became more active and started feeding like a champ.