Originally Posted by Toad37
It's definitely not that he's retarded.
But from what I remember there was a thread on here that explained the phenomenon pretty well. The issue is that BP's, as well as many other snakes I assume, use internal core temperature to regulate their basking behavior. So by the time their core reaches the proper temp, they are already burned pretty badly. Same as how we as humans will stay in the sun until we're burnt crispy, but won't feel it until after it's to late.
In nature it isn't really observed because they, being nocturnal, usually come out to warm up after sundown and by then most surfaces are cool enough to not cause damage. On the other hand diurnal snakes that will bask on a hot rock during the day don't burn very often either. As the surface they are laying on will cool as they lay on it, because their body blocks the sunlight from hitting where they are laying.
In captivity even as they absorb the heat, our heaters will continue to pump it out until they get warm and move. (unless it is unregulated, in which case they will burn.)
A good way to test this for your self is to lay on concrete that's in full sun, the temperature of the concrete under you will slowly go down.
Opposite that, turn a heating pad (for humans, like from the pharmacy) on it's lowest setting, then lay on it and wait. The longer you lay on it the warmer it gets because your body isn't able to dissipate the heat as fast as it being produced.
Same concept, but we can feel the heat growing and can remove the heat pad before we burn, snakes don't, it's just the way they are wired.
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