Heating pad unstuck

[Bogertophis]

I'm reconsidering my statement above. I suppose with no thermostat and way too much insulating substrate, all bets are off. With a temp of 89F on top of 4" of coco chip and all that above an air gap, the temps underneath must have been quite high. I'm glad nothing worse happened.

How large was the original enclosure, and what size is the heating pad? I'm curious in part to understand what sort of situation could cause the damage you mention, and also to figure out if maybe a new and larger heat pad would be a good idea (I like to shoot for about a third of the enclosure warm, ideally tapering off to the cool side). After running it at such high temps, it may be a good idea anyway.

For snakes like BPs or large boas that need more warmth, I agree, I'd prefer to heat about a third of the floor too. And also depending on room or home temperatures & local climate. As long as they have at least 1/3 of the floor that's off the heat just for safety.

@ nvmycj- You see, we (Malum Argenteum & I) both have lots of years experience keeping many snakes, & often it still helps to discuss the best methods & answers to problems, because each situation is a little different. Plus it's harder online, since we're not seeing what might otherwise be obvious in person. I'm sure glad nothing worse happened too- safety is the most important thing. Keeping reptiles isn't as simple or obvious as some pet stores make it sound- I think they don't want to scare off sales by making it sound too complex.

Ideally, it's better to completely set-up & test run an enclosure for a week or more with no occupants, & adjust the temperatures when you won't be affecting a resident. Since yours just ate, it's super important that he not be too cool (for digestion) now.