Can I get by with just a Radiant heat panel?

[Craiga 01453]

I have my bp set up in a 30” exo terra. I have a heat mat, set to 90F against the glass, and a RHP set to 80ish (78-82 depending on room temp). My bp does not burrow, and with the substrate, I don’t think he’s getting much belly heat out of the heat mat. I don’t dare turn up the heat in case he does decide to burrow some day.

So! I am wondering if I can get rid of the heat mat altogether, and just heat the cage with the heat panel. Maybe get a piece of slate rock, elevated, to absorb some rhp heat for him to lie on? And if so, what would I set the ambient temperature at?

And also if so, my rhp is almost the same size as the lid, so it’s not providing a huge range from cool side to warm side. I was relying on the heat mat to give him a warm side. Should I get a small one or can I use vertical levels (higher slate rock for warm, half-buried cave for cool)?

Your heat mat should be providing a hot spot to aid in digestion. If you have your heat sources regulated by a thermostat you don't need to worry about your snake burrowing and being burned.

So, if you use the RHP to create an ambient temp of 82ish and your heat mat to create a hot spot of 89-90 then you have a gradient and a hot spot for digestion.

But, it is VERY important to regulate ALL heat sources with a thermostat.