I beg to differ.Originally Posted by Argentra
Yes they can get really hot and cook a snake... IF they are NOT used with a thermostat or dimmer at least!!
The Thermostat to control the output of heating devices is the MOST important piece of snake keeping equipment there is!
You should always try to go with belly heat (aka under the enclosure heat sources such as UTH pads and Flexwatt heat tape) for most snakes since they naturally get their warmth from surfaces... not from ambient air or sunlight except in very few cases. UTHs are great when used properly with a controller. Your friend obviously never used a thermostat, had a UTH burn out, and swore off them without even trying to control them.
The instructions on most pads are out of date and don't even consider regulation methods.
I use RHPs and they work just like the sun...they heat surfaces which then release heat into the atmosphere. This way, you get overhead AND belly heat. I have a 24" high cage, which with the RHP creates a hot spot of 90F on a shelf and the floor is about 82-84.
My problem with belly heat is that when it's used with loose substrates the amount of substrate can drastically change the temperature; i.e., when substrate is moved an inch above the rest of the substrate the temperature can decrease by many degrees. You don't have this problem with RHPs.
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