Quote Originally Posted by kitedemon View Post
It is likely a combination. The inexpensive dial gauges with paper face cards are very poor quality and often the paper swells and traps the needle.

Ambient air temps should be measured with out influence of the heater. Most heaters used in reptile keeping are radiant heaters and they effect objects far more than air. The result is if the ambient air temp is measured under/above or in contact with the enclosure it is not a true reading. It is not likely you have air temps exceeding the surface temp. Possible just rare. Lamps vary there are 'heat lamps' that are radiant heat sources and others that are convection.

Judging by the info you have provided it is more likely that your placement is being adversely influenced by the lamp. Try moving the thermometer out of line of sight of the bulb and up off the floor (it doesn't need to stay there just temporality.) usually about ⅓ -½ up from the floor and in the middle or off centre towards the cool side.


RH this to me is a huge indicator that you have a not ambient air temp reading. RH is relative to temperature, and at 35ºC 6-% RH is 23.9 gm/m3 absolute humidity. This is a massive amount, almost unbelievable. If your ambient were this high and your room where the enclosure is were below 78 it would be condensing water. If you had 100% correct numbers and you did drop the ambients down to correct levels the RH would be around 110% so everything would be covered in water. (dew point is over the actual temperature) again possible but not likely.

The accuracy or placement or both is the most likely culpret.
I just want to say a massive thank you to all who responded so quickly on behalf of my snake! I went down to the exotics shop and bought a digital temp and humidity gauge. After setting that up it was reading 78% humidity!!!! Although the temps were just a tad too high . I am absolutely bloody outraged that these dial probes are allowed to be sold, it would have been detrimental to my snake and I am so angry you wouldn't believe it, I could cry literally.
hopefully now she will be much happier.