^^this.. Both our BPs burrow down to the glass in the hides on both the cool and hot side heat mats. We keep the substrate kinda thin over the mats and thicker elsewhere. When we check the temps, we will move the substrate aside to test the glass temp, since they always end up straight on it anyway.Originally Posted by Bogertophis
All that substrate is a really good INSULATOR- meaning, it's preventing the heat (UTH) from rising into the tank. Over the UTH, the substrate needs to be really shallow, otherwise you're just overheating the UTH* & not getting the heat into the tank where you need it.(*& btw, make sure the UTH has a bit of ventilation for safety as specified in the installation instructions).
You DO want to take the temperature inside the tank right over the UTH & ON** the glass, to make sure it's not too hot & a safety hazard for your snake- some just don't seem to realize (maybe because BPs are heavy-bodied?) until they're injured ("burned") after laying there too long. (**In case your snake pushes the substrate aside, which they can easily do.) The substrate can be deeper elsewhere, just not over the UTH, for best results.
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