Well, I decided to splurge earlier than I had planned and went with the Herpstat. Should be here in a few days. Eighty-five bucks isn't going to amount to the proverbial hill of beans in the long run, and I figure this snake deserves the best. It should be here by the weekend. In the meantime, I'm thinking about sticking a small ReptiTherm pad under one end, without a thermostat. I figure I'll leave it on for an hour or so, get it to full power, then check it by touch. Can't imagine it would get too hot to burn him, but I don't want to take the chance. The enclosure now is a uniform 80 degrees. Which is the greater sin: A small pad without thermostat or too-cold environs for a few days?
Part of my concern is his recent history. He's spent the last couple months in a ten gallon with another ball while his owner, forced to move in with his non-snake-loving parents, found him a new home. No heater or thermometer or hide or anything else except a towel in the cage. Nonetheless, he appears and acts very healthy. He's six years old, I'm told, and a bit over three feet long. Watched him feed before committing to him--he took a frozen mouse, no problem. He doesn't seem to mind being handled and is very inquisitive. I've had him out for a couple hours this morning because I thought he could use my body heat. He's crawling all over me and my laptop as I write this.
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