What other kinds of animals are you getting advice for? The reason I ask is because all reptiles are not the same in their requirements or tolerance of heat. Many people unfamiliar with each specific species simply aren't educated to make informed recommendations (or, worse, they think they are and still make generic recommendations). Off the top of my head, bearded dragons can tolerate upwards of 110 F, uromastyx upwards of 120 F, and leopard geckos are closer to BPs at 90 F. A heat mat, for better or worse, is designed for all of these animals in mind. For this reason, thermostats are recommended for the lower temperature-tolerant species (such as ball pythons), whereas they're not as critical for others.
Take this information for what you will, but a heat mat doesn't care if you have a ball python or a uromastyx - it will still reach the same temperature for both if left to its own accord. It's up to us to fine tune it, through the use of a thermostat, for the pets we choose to keep.
