Belly v overhead Heat Source

[starmom]

Can anyone give me any scholarly sources regarding belly heat for balls?

Specifically, I'm wondering where this belly heat school of thought comes from.

It seems logical to me that heat comes down from the sun and heats things on the ground. So it would seem that a RHP would be a logical choice for heating and yet everyone is invested in belly heat.

I'm curious as to where this got started and how this came to be the Holy Grail of heating....

[dsirkle]

Well, you can spend $3.50 on flexwatt and use 3 or 4 watts of electricity or you can spend a minimum of $60 with shipping and operate at 40 to 60 watts to heat the same enclosure with a panel. You can buy a Kia or a BMW to drive to work in. They will both get you there. One costs $11,000 the other costs $55,000. Same principle.

[starmom]

So, what I hear you saying is that belly heat is for the convenience of the keeper and not the health of the snake?

[dsirkle]

Simply economics. For terrestrial it works just as well to use belly heat. For an arboreal species it would probably be better to have the panel. That is my unscholarly opinion. Others may not agree with me.

[starmom]

Hmmm. Yeah, we all have opinions. I guess I was looking more for research....

[dsirkle]

Hmmm. Yeah, we all have opinions. I guess I was looking more for research....

Sorry. I'm a gentleman but not a scholar. I do have both methods in use and read what I could find out about it. The only real difference that I was able to find is that the panels will work well in a colder room than flexwatt will.

[TooManyToys]

If your looking for research, check out what all of the large successul breeders are using. If I'm not mistaken, they all use some form of rack system with a belly or side heating system utilizing heat tape or something similar. Their success should speak for itself.

[Gloryhound]

Belly heat has been used for a long time with good results. People have also used back heat and some swear by that as well. Generally as a reptile keeper you find what works and go with it.

I have been seriously looking into the radiant heat panels and the possible benifits that could be gained by the person keeping a couple ball pythons as pets. (Way to expensive for your average breeder to consider using on all their snakes) I have made the blueprints for a display type enclosure that I want to build two of and use a radiant heat panel in one and UTH type belly heat in the other. See how the actual enclosures balance out with heat gradiants and monitor both for a while to make sure they are both safe for the snakes. Then I plan on using two normal babies of the same sex from one of our clutches that are approximately the same weight. I will try to keep everything else the same and see if either set up gives the snake any advantage over the first year or so and repeat a couple times. If I produce any repeatable results it may be worth further investigation. I may even try it with breeders at some point, see if it increases locks, egg count, egg size, or changes feeding habits or anything for that matter, but when you have limited budgets you have to start some place and the babies seem like a good enough place. All and all it still has to wait as I have a couple more racks for the snake room to build, couple more racks for the rodent room that need built and plumbed, need to actually start having snakes ovy and lay eggs, and we are currently looking at buying a bigger house.

[starmom]

Sorry. I'm a gentleman but not a scholar. I do have both methods in use and read what I could find out about it. The only real difference that I was able to find is that the panels will work well in a colder room than flexwatt will.

Absolutely right about a hobbyist keeping snakes in a room that is not heated to 80F all the time!! This is exactly why I am switching over for my snakes not in my sons room.
Earen's room is the warmest in the house and Earen likes it hot!! His room stays at about 75-78F all the time!!! The balls are in there and they are doing well with flex watt heating their tubs and cages.
My boas are in a different part of the house and the rest of my house is kept chilly, coupled with the reality that we live in a chilly place! Even in the summer the nighttime temps go into the 40's Flex watt is just not cutting it.
I've ordered some RHP's from Rich at Reptile Basics and am going to give them a shot.
While I was mulling over this change, it occurred to me that snakes always get overhead heat from the sun and that sun heats the ground (what we call belly heat). It is my thought that somehow, and at some point in time, flex watt became the holy grail. Good advertising? Less money? Don't know. All I know is that my boas and balls will be getting some RHP lovin'!!
As far as breeders go, I would think that economics plays a big part since their goal is to sell their stock and not hang on to most of it. Also, perhaps they, too, have fallen into the flex watt reality and have not given thought as to why or where this comes from....
Hmmm......

[starmom]

Belly heat has been used for a long time with good results. People have also used back heat and some swear by that as well. Generally as a reptile keeper you find what works and go with it.

I have been seriously looking into the radiant heat panels and the possible benifits that could be gained by the person keeping a couple ball pythons as pets. (Way to expensive for your average breeder to consider using on all their snakes) I have made the blueprints for a display type enclosure that I want to build two of and use a radiant heat panel in one and UTH type belly heat in the other. See how the actual enclosures balance out with heat gradiants and monitor both for a while to make sure they are both safe for the snakes. Then I plan on using two normal babies of the same sex from one of our clutches that are approximately the same weight. I will try to keep everything else the same and see if either set up gives the snake any advantage over the first year or so and repeat a couple times. If I produce any repeatable results it may be worth further investigation. I may even try it with breeders at some point, see if it increases locks, egg count, egg size, or changes feeding habits or anything for that matter, but when you have limited budgets you have to start some place and the babies seem like a good enough place. All and all it still has to wait as I have a couple more racks for the snake room to build, couple more racks for the rodent room that need built and plumbed, need to actually start having snakes ovy and lay eggs, and we are currently looking at buying a bigger house.

I would love to be informed of your hypothesis, experiment design, variables and outcomes. I think this is a very worthy experiment and have my own hunch. It is cool that you are willing to do this over time.