Do they require belly heat? No.
Is it generally easier in a non-rack setup if the room has an colder ambient temp? Yes.
Heat mats are ok IF you have them regulated with a thermostat or at the very least a dimmer. Your pet store is half correct I suppose, they are a hazard if you don't regulate them, but they are far better than a heat bulb in my opinion.
I use heat mats temporarily right now until my rack system shows up, they are on a herpstat 2 thermostat and they work pretty well.
You may want to consider a ceramic heat emitter if the room you are keeping the snake in is colder, this will help you keep your ambient temps up around 80 and they emit no visible light. This will need to be on a dimmer switch however so you can dial in the ambient temps.
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