The cheapest snake in most retail stores is probably 30-40 bucks. There is no normal's in the petsmart industry. They charge a 20 dollar markup on an albino corn snake here in Ohio which is already 40-60 bucks for a normal.

I have to say that at Least most belly burns are caused by malfunctioning equipment. I'll explain my reasoning.

The most common UTH is the stick on one in the red package. If a thermostat was totally necessary for those we would hear WAY more of these belly burns than we do. Because they usually sell one with every Leopard Gecko or snake.

I would say the true problem is with the UTH companies not having good quality controls than owners not buying thermostats.

I had a leopard gecko and several snakes growing up and always used the stick on uth and never once had a burn. The thermostat is a great safe guard and I now have them. I got lucky in that sense I guess. But since I bet most thermostats are made in the same region of the world the UTH is made I would guess that it's just as likely a thermostat would be bad too.

Your original statement is true, most of these reptiles are probably "pet" quality getting burned because most people don't spend several hundred dollars on something and don't protect it with a 40 dollar thermostat. But I don't think this is because of uneducated owners, I would say that they earn an "at a boy" for not getting a heat rock. They are recommended a UTH or read they should use one in a book and do see one that is specifically made for reptiles and say, why would they make this for reptiles and then let it get hot enough for them to burn it alive. This combined with other recommendations to keep snakes on paper towels which allows a snake to come in full contact with a UTH is another issue.

Sorry if this seamed like a ramble but it's New Years and you know I ain't thinking bout grammar.