Greetings

With regards to Aster, it really depends on what your ambient temperature is where you keep the snakes. As you probably are aware, the ambient temperature should be around 85 degrees or so. The UTH is used primarily to provide them with a temperature gradient so they can regulate their temperature easier. So if the general room temp is in the 80s, you can get by with or without the UTH (Still recommended that you get one though).

Snakes poop when they're ready to...too bad Archimedes isn't here (she's the snake poop expert). I've had my BP go 6 weeks between dumps.