My partner passed away and im looking after his snake...Need help and advice urgently

[Skyrivers]

Hi all,

My partner who's account this is sadly passed away suddenly and unexpectedly 6 months ago. I have been looking after his royal ball python the best i can since then.
He is 6 years old and I recently 2 weeks ago moved him into a new bigger vivarium (4ft).

My partner had a heat lamp with guard fitted into the old vivarium but i couldn't transfer it over to the new one so i am having to buy a new one. It was an I internal light fitting (not the big lamps) so that you could screw the bulb in and the gridded guard protected it. I am having to buy a new fitting, bulb and guard now, can someone point me in the right direction with best ones and websites please. I wasn't the keenest on the snake and didn't know all about him so I've been having to teach myself and remember the odd things my partner said.

I went to the reptile shop this morning to buy a new heat mat as the current one the snake has is 6 years old and wanted to replace it. The lady serving me said it was a fire hazard to have the heat mat sitting on a wooden vivarium and the wood/beech chipping ontop and I am lucky to have gotten away with it. (The heat mat has always been on a thermostat). She recommended an adhesive heat Mat to place on the side of the vivarium to radiate some gentle heat from the side rather than the bottom under the beech chippings. She also said to urgently fit the light fitting and bulb in and to mainly use the light as the source of heat for the snake...is this correct?
From what I gather my partner didn't leave the light on in the vivarium all day long (deffinatley not at night) so it wasn't on a dimming thermostat just a switch and would only be on for a short while for some basking every now and then.

She wants me to buy a light dimming thermostat that has a day and night setting too so that the light dims to adjust with the heat and told me at night just turn the temperature down on the thermostat and back up again in the day. Shall i do this or what should I stick to?

I currently have the thermostat set to 23-25c at night time and a few degrees higher in the day. Is this right or can you recommend night and day temps for the thermostat/heat mat for me please!

Is it ok to have the heat mat on the same time as the light I wonder or Is this too much heat? One or the other or both?

He is feeding well always has done. With his size he is having weaner rats sometimes small rats and manages fine and eats every 2 weeks. Following what my partner did. Is this ok?

Please let me know about the heating situation with light and heat mat please. Want to urgently sort this out.

Thank you
Jess

Sorry for your loss.

Let me see if I can clear some things up for you.

I went to the reptile shop this morning to buy a new heat mat as the current one the snake has is 6 years old and wanted to replace it. The lady serving me said it was a fire hazard to have the heat mat sitting on a wooden vivarium and the wood/beech chipping ontop and I am lucky to have gotten away with it. (The heat mat has always been on a thermostat). She recommended an adhesive heat Mat to place on the side of the vivarium to radiate some gentle heat from the side rather than the bottom under the beech chippings. She also said to urgently fit the light fitting and bulb in and to mainly use the light as the source of heat for the snake...is this correct?
From what I gather my partner didn't leave the light on in the vivarium all day long (deffinatley not at night) so it wasn't on a dimming thermostat just a switch and would only be on for a short while for some basking every now and then.Jess

Placing the heat mat in the enclosure under the substrate on a thermostat is not a fire hazard at all. "Most types of wood will start combusting at about 300 degrees Celsius." If you are keeping it at 23-25c then the likely hood of a fire from it is low. Can electronics fail? Anything is possible. Heat pads and heat panels are used in wooden enclosures all the time without fires. The snake lays on the heat pad for belly heat. If it is on the side will not provide belly heat, only ambient heat and that would be IMO not enough heat. Ceramic heat emitters can be used safely if inside a guard.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ZSUT9VPR&psc=1 plus.... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075KFFVVM...1-2d3cf013dad7 Is an ok way to go if you have https://www.amazon.com/Heater-Guard-...ords=CHE+guard

That way you have heat and control over the heat and there is no way the snake can get to the heat source. Your hot spot should be 31C (89F) if my conversion is correct.

Also Ball Pythons do not require light cycle but is ok to provide it if you like. They prefer to hide over being seen so darkness all time should have no bad effect on the animal is my understanding. The light is for our benefit to see them not theirs.

I am sure others will chime in with better or more advice but welcome and best wishes.