Hi all
I'd like some advice please. My new IR thermometer just arrived in the mail today so I did a reading of my snakes skin temperature. Previously, I'd relied purely on ambient temperature readouts from thermometers in the enclosures. The snakes body temperatures are a lot lower than I had thought. I was under the impression their temperatures were good since they both voluntarily leave their basking spots from time to time. Below are their body temperatures and a bit about their behaviour. I'd appreciate thoughts on whether I should increase the temperature - which I'm inclined to do.
Coastal Carpet/Diamond
Stays under the ceramic heater almost permanently. We never see her venture around the enclosure though she likely goes down for a drink during the night. But she does "shuffle" along her resting area so that sometimes she's directly under the heater; other times, slightly off to one side. Her body temperature is 27°-28°C. The thermostat will allow me to dial up the temperature quite a bit yet. I don't know if her "laziness" is just her breed or that she never really warms up enough to want to venture away from the basking spot.
Spotted
Highly active from mid afternoon on doing the standard search for an escape route. He spends some time on his heat mat which reads out at 32°C. Quite snappy but that may just be his temperament (breed + still quite young). His upper body temperature is about 28°C. I have the heat mat on a thermostat and it's under the glass of his enclosure. I think it will allow me to dial it up a bit. Strangely, he spends so much time not on his heat mat, yet when I touch him, he feels quite cold.
I look forward to some help on this,
Mark.
I'd like some advice please. My new IR thermometer just arrived in the mail today so I did a reading of my snakes skin temperature. Previously, I'd relied purely on ambient temperature readouts from thermometers in the enclosures. The snakes body temperatures are a lot lower than I had thought. I was under the impression their temperatures were good since they both voluntarily leave their basking spots from time to time. Below are their body temperatures and a bit about their behaviour. I'd appreciate thoughts on whether I should increase the temperature - which I'm inclined to do.
Coastal Carpet/Diamond
Stays under the ceramic heater almost permanently. We never see her venture around the enclosure though she likely goes down for a drink during the night. But she does "shuffle" along her resting area so that sometimes she's directly under the heater; other times, slightly off to one side. Her body temperature is 27°-28°C. The thermostat will allow me to dial up the temperature quite a bit yet. I don't know if her "laziness" is just her breed or that she never really warms up enough to want to venture away from the basking spot.
Spotted
Highly active from mid afternoon on doing the standard search for an escape route. He spends some time on his heat mat which reads out at 32°C. Quite snappy but that may just be his temperament (breed + still quite young). His upper body temperature is about 28°C. I have the heat mat on a thermostat and it's under the glass of his enclosure. I think it will allow me to dial it up a bit. Strangely, he spends so much time not on his heat mat, yet when I touch him, he feels quite cold.
I look forward to some help on this,
Mark.