Is It Absolutely 100% Necessary to Have a Heat Mat/Pad?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

It's not about how you provide heat it's about providing proper temperatures, some people do not used UTH or lamp at all they just keep their room warmer when they have a dedicated snake room and a lot of animals.

Sp what is the difference? Some heat methods are more efficient than others (obviously heat goes up)

Your goal if you provide a temp gradient is to have a hot spot of at least 86/88 if not your BP may stop feeding and get stressed.

[ladywhipple02]

What they said above...

I would only caution that lights will suck the humidity right out of an enclosure, which is why folks will use a heat padand/or other heating elements more often than not. As long as you're staying on top of that and providing the correct heat gradients, no worries!