Quote Originally Posted by Stings
I got my first snake yesterday from a reptile show in Taylor MI. nice place and very nice ppl. the guy i got it from was more then helpful. the only problem i have now is My temps. I have a Heat Wave UTH with a repti temp 500r thermostat. my sterilite is a 40qt model 1986. 26 1/8"L x 18 1/4"W x 6 3/8"H my digital thermometer is about 3" from the bottom. my thermostat probe is sitting on top of an area that my UTH is. i have newspaper in the bottom of the cage. i have the UTH taped to the sterilite. i have reflective mat under the cage and the feet to raise the cage up are about 1/2 inch from the mat. my temps read 78 to 81 on the warm side and 75 on the cooler side. i have the thermostat almost all the way up. i can turn it up a little more but will it burn the snake when it goes on the warm side?. my humidity is at 55%
1.) Is your BP a baby/hatchling? A 40qt might be a bit large for him/her. Make sure to put a hide in both the cool side and warm side of the cage and maybe some balled up newspaper so it's a little more cluttered in the cage.

2.) The temp on the thermostat may have to be higher than the desired temp inside the cage. Keep tweeking the thermostat temp until you get the desired side on the warm side (92-94) More holes in the cool side will allow for room air to circulate into the tub to get the desired temp gradient.

3.) From what I've read/heard, your snake will not cook itself. If you turn up your thermostat to get the desired temps, your snake will use the warm and the cool spots to thermoregulate properly. Just make sure there are multiple secure spots in your cage in different temps so that he can move from warm to cool independently.