Quote Originally Posted by Snakeman
lately i've been seeing that people use heating techniques like heat pads and heat tape but dont say much about heat lamps.so my question is...is it important for a snake to have a light or is the proper temperature more important? if the light isnt too important, then i can remove it and just heat my snakes using their heat pad.
Remember, your lamp is probably adding some heat to the cage, so if your temps are spot on now with the lamp, you ambient temps will probably decrease if you were to remove it.

Most people don't use heat lamps because they dry out the air in the cage. Also, I know a lot of people here keep their snakes in racks or tubs, and heat lamps are obviously not appropriate for these setups.

To answer your question, temperature is the first priority, and being that they are nocturnal, a light cycle is probably down the list behind temps, humidity, hides, etc. However, if you plan to breed, a light cycle can be an important part of a snake's routine and a valuable 'change' trigger for breeding behavior.