How do you keep the enclosure at a safe temp?

[Bedual]

(I do not own a reptile, I'm just researching before I do own one)

So, two things

Apparently, you shouldn't use a heat lamp to try and maintain a certain temperature because it dries everything out along with a couple of other things. Heating mats are a must, and I don't want to get one that's too hot because I don't want the snake to burn itself by accident. I'm worried that just a heat mat alone won't be enough to maintain a good temperature for a snake.

The other thing is, I get pretty hot at anything above 50°F (10°C), so I usually keep my room at a pretty cool temp. But I'm worried that the enclosure will be too cool because of this. (Take note that my room is the safest room to keep the snake since I have huge dogs and curious cats in every other room but my own.)

How do I keep the enclosure at a safe temp while not getting heat exhaustion myself from adjusting the temp of my room?


(Extra question, would the snake get too cold in my if I took it out of its enclosure for a while with my current preferred room temp? Or is it fine because it's only for a little while?)

[Bogertophis]

I would advise you NOT to get a ball python or other reptile that needs higher temperatures...it's not impossible but will be much harder for you to keep them
successfully, and yes, it would NOT be good to handle them at anything near 50* either.

FYI, snakes brumate at 50* so even snakes that are more tolerant of cool temperatures may give you trouble unless you choose carefully (some Asian snakes
totally require cool temperatures, for example) or unless you really modify the kind of enclosure you use. The best way is a cage within a wood cabinet: wood
is great insulation...you could convert some sort of furniture/cabinet/wardrobe/etc but it would then be awkward to get into for you. As far as safely heating a
snake's cage, the best way is to use a reliable (& not the cheapest!) thermostat to control each heating device (UTH, light, CHE, RHP).

Good for you, doing your research ahead of time. I'm not sure a snake is the best pet for you, given the cold room you yourself need. Even a short time at such
chilly temperatures while handling would make many snakes think it's time to brumate & they might then refuse food. You want to look for species that exist in
the wild at cool temperatures...often they are mountain species...but you then have to make sure you can meet all their requirements as to food etc. Hopefully
we can think of some kinds that might work for you with a little group 'brainstorming" here.

[Neal]

(I do not own a reptile, I'm just researching before I do own one)

So, two things

Apparently, you shouldn't use a heat lamp to try and maintain a certain temperature because it dries everything out along with a couple of other things. Heating mats are a must, and I don't want to get one that's too hot because I don't want the snake to burn itself by accident. I'm worried that just a heat mat alone won't be enough to maintain a good temperature for a snake.

The other thing is, I get pretty hot at anything above 50°F (10°C), so I usually keep my room at a pretty cool temp. But I'm worried that the enclosure will be too cool because of this. (Take note that my room is the safest room to keep the snake since I have huge dogs and curious cats in every other room but my own.)

How do I keep the enclosure at a safe temp while not getting heat exhaustion myself from adjusting the temp of my room?


(Extra question, would the snake get too cold in my if I took it out of its enclosure for a while with my current preferred room temp? Or is it fine because it's only for a little while?)

If you keep your room that low, I honestly wouldn't get a snake, because even some species that can tolerate cooler temps, those are too low, and you may very well run into issues trying to give them proper temps.

[Toad37]

All I can think of is a grass snake and maybe a rubber boa. Good luck finding them CBB

[Neal]

All I can think of is a grass snake and maybe a rubber boa. Good luck finding them CBB

He's still around a minimum of 15 degrees for the rubber boa, and that's minimum, and to get 15 degrees in that kind of temp would be terrible with humidity, and I don't know the exact requirements as I don't know much about them, but to do that 15 minimum degree swing I'd say the humidity would be under 20%. Also you'd have to do that for the whole tank, not just the warm side. Just not feasible to be honest and not worth killing the animal.

The grass snake requirements would be higher than the rubber boa so it's still a bad choice.

[Toad37]

I'm no expert so I have no clue about their temperature requirements I just know they live in colder regions. Thanks for the info. A snake is just simply not a good choice for u. Sorry!

[SquirmyPug]

With your low temperature it could be difficult to keep a snake warm. If I was going to keep my room that cold I would do a few things... get a PVC cage like from Animal Plastics. Then I would put foam insulation on all sides but the front.

I would use a radiant heat panel on a thermostat to maintain ambient temperature in the low 80s. And use an under tank heater on a thermostat to maintain the hot spot.

[Bogertophis]

With your low temperature it could be difficult to keep a snake warm. If I was going to keep my room that cold I would do a few things... get a PVC cage like from Animal Plastics. Then I would put foam insulation on all sides but the front.

I would use a radiant heat panel on a thermostat to maintain ambient temperature in the low 80s. And use an under tank heater on a thermostat to maintain the hot spot.

That would be great only if you never opened up the cage......so that doesn't really make for a good "pet" experience. I think even the front "window" would require
insulation to maintain warmth, so I gotta recommend against trying to keep any snake in such a room. You'd waste a lot of money trying to set it up, just to fail & likely
harm the reptile for no good reason.

[SquirmyPug]

That would be great only if you never opened up the cage......so that doesn't really make for a good "pet" experience. I think even the front "window" would require
insulation to maintain warmth, so I gotta recommend against trying to keep any snake in such a room. You'd waste a lot of money trying to set it up, just to fail & likely
harm the reptile for no good reason.

I think it would work without covering the front window. Of course nobody knows until someone tries though.

[Bogertophis]

I think it would work without covering the front window. Of course nobody knows until someone tries though.

Either way, you'd still have to open the cage now & then to clean, change water, feed, handle...how miserable would that be for the snake, with such a fluctuation
of temperatures. I think the OP should stick to warm blooded animals with fur...there's a reason there aren't snakes in Alaska & very few in Minnesota.