I think you're going to find varied answers to many of your questions. And for various reasons.
We live in a world where anybody can put anything on the internet, and sometimes pure bull plop spreads like wild fire.
Sometimes Jimmy at the local pet store tells a new keeper something and they tell two people and it ends up on social media, etc..etc...etc...
But the bottom line is this: different setups work for different animals in different geographic areas in different enclosures.
I personally only use belly heat in the winter. The rest of the year I run ambient temps. But that's what works for ME and MY animals where I live.
You're never going to get a large crowd to agree, especially when the topic is something people are passionate about.
I started experimenting once I had enough experience to know what I was looking for as far as changes in my animals behavior, eating patterns, etc...
Until then, I started basic, with what has been proven to work.
Unfortunately, when I started out in this hobby in 1999-2000ish there were no forums like this (or at least I didn't know about them) so I read books and did the best I could with what I knew, ugggh. Reptile carpet, heat lamp, HEAT ROCK....This hobby has come a long way, thank goodness!!!
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