New owner, understanding temperatures

[worx0]

Hi, ive posted recently regarding my snake aggressive nature. ( Spotted python )

I need to know for sure about temperatures. My enclosure is a plastic tub with drilled holes, see the picture. The only source of heating i have is a decent size heat pad.
I cant control temperature of it. If i buy a thermostat could i increase the temp? Also are heat pads enough to keep the enclosure warm?

At the moment, my temps are 28-30, doesnt really get above 30. I have 2 thermometers in the tank, and they seem to show the same temp through out the whole enclosure, not much gradient going on there. Hot side 28 and cold side 28. My snake is very active when its awake, at night he doesnt stop. He climbs ALL night. As if he is searching for something, then during the day he sleeps on the mat side. I have observed my temps go to as low as 24'c. In the mornings when i wake up its usually 25'c while his a sleep and crawled up in a ball.

My main question is what are some dangerous temperatures for them? Should i invest in lamp heating? And if so how would i make it work with a plastic tub? Im kind of worried because i read from some sources that spotted pythons need 32-33 on hot side and 28 on cold. Well mine is 28ish on all sides.

Also how fragile are they? For example what if temps drop to 20-23c for few days? Do they get sick straight away? What are some signs of them being too cold or too hot? My understanding is if they are too cold they crawl up and dont move much. If someone could explain to me the dangerous of temperatures that would be great.

 

[cement]

get yourself an infra red gun type of thrmometer that takes the temperature of surfaces. What I think is going on in your tub is that the air temp is the same throughout(which is ok) but the base of the tub directly above the heat mat will be the right temp. This is really all it needs, just check the temp of the substrate above the heat mat and that will be your warm spot. If you used just paper towel as a substrate the snake might have easier access to the heat, but maybe it just buries down in the substrate and basks that way. Another way of retaining heat on the warm side is to use a small ceramic flower pot as a hide.

With the gun type of thermometer you can check the actual temp of the snake... which is really the only important temperature

 

[AdhamhRuadh]

I agree with cement. The heat mat will not change air temps much at all, the surface temp is really what you should be monitoring, either with a gun-type thermometer as mentioned, or a good quality probe.
Also the substrate looks a little thick, so may prevent him from getting the required heat unless he actually digs down to the bottom. I'd go with paper towel/newspaper/butchers paper, etc. or at least a thinner layer of your current bedding.

Adam

 

[worx0]

Thanks guys, ive purchased IR gun so thatll help alot and yes i am starting to think its a little thick in there. Ill remove some. But as far the the temps what is dangerous range for too cold and too hot? I just want to get an idea? What have you guys experienced in winter or on a very hot day?

 

[cement]

Sorry mate forgot that bit.
General rule of thumb - every degree over 40 will probably do damage at long periods of exposure.
Likewise they'll handle short periods of below 10degrees. Maybe they can tolerate down to about 4-5 for very short periods, but put it this way things freeze at 0.
They like to keep their body temp (as measured with an IR thermometer) at about 27-32
and should feed constantly if nights don't drop lower than 20. If the floor of the tub is 30 it may lie there all day, if its 35 it will probably start thermoregulating and moving on and off. Doesn't matter if the basking site is higher, as long as it can get away from the heat.

 

[worx0]

Thanks alot cement, i appreciate your help. I want the little angry guy to be healthy

 

[Burgo89]

I wouldn't think you would get much of a gradient in temps in a tub that size, what might help is a smaller heat mat? Or instead of heating half the tub sit it just under one corner?

 

[Wokka]

Hi Worx, I don't know where you are, but my concern is if you are achieving 28-30C now what will temperatures be in a heat wave? Heating raises the temperature above ambient (natural) temperature. A 10 watt mat will generally raise the temperature about 8C above ambient so if the ambient gets to say 35C, which is not uncommon in Australia, then you enclosure may get too hot. The snake will normally give you an indication of the heat. If it is chasing heat, by staying on the mat then the cage is too cold. if it stays away from the mat ( trying to find cooler areas) then you cage is too hot. As cement said an infrared thermometer is the way to go as you can take the temperature of the snake as well as various parts of the enclosure. remember there are 24 hours in a day and the lowest temperature is normally just before sunup, and the hottest about midday, so check the temperatures then.

 

[worx0]

Thank you Wokka, ive purchased that gun itll be here in few days. I get up for work @ 6 am and this morning i checked the temp and it was 25'c which was a cold morning. I saw the snake crawled up in a ball, it hasnt moved in the past 16 hours. I then removed some of the flooring, dug a little trench so it would be closer to the mat. Then had breakfast and came back to check, the snake crawled into the pit i made. So i do think he is too cold. I live in Victoria which has 4 seasons in one day. Next weeks some days are 35+ and im working all day. So my guess is ill turn off the mat for that day? Do thermostats cool down the enclosure if its too hot?

Thanks.

 

[Wokka]

You could put something on top of the heatmat to act as a heat bank. A ceramic tile works well. No, thermostats wont cool. they are only switch things on and off so it will turn off the matt when it is hot enough and turn back on when it is cold. The thermostat probe should be on the matt.