I understand where you are coming from i live in the northern U.S. and even in the hottest summer months i still need heat added to my rack. I also use belly heat. I also have a heat gradient as you were saying. I just wanted to state that there are other breeders and pet owners that utilize other means of heating and belly heat is not required nor in some cases are there a heat gradient and their animals are doing just fine. I do also agree that the OP does need a means to measure temps and humidity and have some type of heating setup to keep things stable, with the OP's temps I don't even want to talk about the need for cooling in case of a heat wave!! Thats all I was getting at. I also now understand you were not meaning to be harsh it was just how it came across. Glad you are doing your research and learning. Hope your new snake friend it doing great. All of mine keep me busy in the evenings after work lol. Happy herping!!![]()