Quote Originally Posted by bodar
...also is he smart enough to know when he is to hot?
...
No, a snake will often not realize the surface it is sitting on is getting TOO hot. It's critical to have some sort of control on your heat source, especially a heating pad under the tank. Your best bet is a thermostat that will keep the pad at a precise temperature of your choosing...so you KNOW it's neither too hot nor too cool. If you can't immediately afford a thermostat, you can use a lamp-dimmer switch from Home Depot (or similar hardware store) until you're able to save up enough for a good t-stat.

An uncontrolled heat source can very easily cause serious burns.