Mr Misha, I shouldn't have to do your research for you, but here is some basic information.
From Reptile Basics:
"RHP's are similar to Ceramic Heat Emitters (CHE) - they both project IR (infra red) heat into the cage. Unlike CHE's that get very, very hot on their surface, these RHP's maintain temperatures safe to use inside the cage. This Infrared Heat tends to heat objects more than the air, much like the natural sunlight outdoors. This type of heat mimics real sunlight both in the direction it comes from and its penetration into the muscle tissue. IR heat has been shown to have a therapeutic effect on sick and injured animals as well. Your reptiles will spend less time basking and receive a much greater benefit from it."
From ProProducts:
"Radiant Panels replicate the sun’s direct radiant warmth from above that reptiles have evolved with, allowing them to properly thermo-regulate...."
Notice they use the terms "IR heat" and "radiant heat". Radiant heat (which IS IR heat) is like the sun's rays - it heats the surface below. There IS some minimal heating of the enclosure. Of course there is. Any heat source is going to affect the overall internal temps of the enclosure due to the enclosed and insulated space. But an RHP does not work well to heat the ambient air temperature, it just doesn't heat that way. Personally, I LOVE my RHPs. They are fantastic and I would like to switch all of my boas over to them instead of belly heat. Maybe one day.
I'm not trying to be rude here, but frankly I do not appreciate being talked to like I'm wet behind the ears. I see you have 5 snakes in your signature. Not sure how long you've been keeping reptiles and snakes in general, but I've been maintaining them for nearly 20 years and have almost 40 snakes. Most of them are boas. I also use RHPs in all of my Green Tree Python enclosures. Sorry, but I've been around the block just a few times. I do kinda know what I'm talking about here.
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