New Spotted Python Owner Temperature Question.

[1000Bees]

Hello all. I recently got my first snake, a fourteen month old SP, and I'm a little confused as to what the correct temperature is supposed to be even with a lot of research . Some caresheets say 34-36 on the hot side but just as many say it should be 31-33.

I've got a ceramic heat emitter and heat mat. The floor temperature with just the heat emitter is usually 30-32 and the thermostat reads the same from where the probe is mounted on the wall. With both heat mat and ceramic it's usually 34-36 on the floor and 30 - 33 on the thermostat. From what I've observed of him he seems to prefer the spot in his hide that's 30-33, and he is usually basking on top of his hide when I get up in the morning (I've been leaving the heat mat off at night). I want my little guy to be healthy and content in his new home so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[pythoninfinite]

Around 32-33 should be fine at the warm spot, but it's not that critical as long as the snake can remove itself from the heated area if it needs to, and the enclosure is big enough for the cool end to be close to room temperature. You should have a hide at the cool end as well, if the hide it's using now is getting some heat from your devices.

Jamie

 

[Wokka]

Watch the snake. if its always at the hot end the temps are too low and its chasing heat. If its always at the cold end temps are too high and its trying to escape the heat. Ideally it should be moving between the hot and cold area over the 24 hours of the day.

 

[1000Bees]

Thanks a lot for the help. I do have a cool hide, he's in there at the moment actually. I'm a little concerned about the temp in the cool side, since the thermometer I had over that side is busted I need to get another one.

- - - Updated - - -

Well the first day I got him he was pretty agitated, roaming a lot, trying to escape etc. I initially thought it was stress from the long journey/new environment plus he was in shed and that day happened to be his feeding day. I had both devices on and the temp was sitting around 34-36 on the floor. I decided to double check heating requirements and found a quite a few websites that said 31-33. So I switched of the heat mat and gave him a little bit of extra cover and he settled down in a few hours, since then I've been using the heat mat to make up those couple of degrees in the early morning's. He's spends most of the time in his hot hide where I've mostly been keepwthe temp at 32-34 I've been monitoring it closely and make sure it doesn't get above 36 and since he doesn't really leave his hot hide just moves to different corners I assumed that was correct. Today is actually seen him stay in his cool hide and the temp has been pretty steady today at 32 on the hot side. It's kinda bizzare and there's a fair amount of conflicting information out there. He shed this morning and he ate the mouse I gave him, both in his cool hide so obviously I'm doing something right, I just wanted some experienced advice.

 

[jsmith]

i just recently got a stimson python. he is around 6 months old i think so probably a lot smaller than your 30cms currently. i have him in a 30cmx30cm viv. with a 5w heat mat and it keeps the temp around 32 degrees. it is on a timer on fof 45 mins off for 15 mins seems to work and the snake is moving from hot side to cool.

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[pythoninfinite]

Thanks a lot for the help. I do have a cool hide, he's in there at the moment actually. I'm a little concerned about the temp in the cool side, since the thermometer I had over that side is busted I need to get another one.

- - - Updated - - -

Well the first day I got him he was pretty agitated, roaming a lot, trying to escape etc. I initially thought it was stress from the long journey/new environment plus he was in shed and that day happened to be his feeding day. I had both devices on and the temp was sitting around 34-36 on the floor. I decided to double check heating requirements and found a quite a few websites that said 31-33. So I switched of the heat mat and gave him a little bit of extra cover and he settled down in a few hours, since then I've been using the heat mat to make up those couple of degrees in the early morning's. He's spends most of the time in his hot hide where I've mostly been keepwthe temp at 32-34 I've been monitoring it closely and make sure it doesn't get above 36 and since he doesn't really leave his hot hide just moves to different corners I assumed that was correct. Today is actually seen him stay in his cool hide and the temp has been pretty steady today at 32 on the hot side. It's kinda bizzare and there's a fair amount of conflicting information out there. He shed this morning and he ate the mouse I gave him, both in his cool hide so obviously I'm doing something right, I just wanted some experienced advice.

You don't need to worry about or manage the cool side - it can be whatever the room temps are at any time of the year. The snake will make the necessary decisions with regard to optimum temps at any time - all you need to do is make sure it has the choice.

Jamie

 

[Wokka]

It is unlikely that a 5 watt mat will provide enough heat when the ambient temperature falls in winter. I am surprised that it keeps the temperature at around 32C, running only 25% of the time. You must be in a warm climate.The best time to take temperatures is an hour before sunup as that is normally when ambient temperatures are lowest.

 

[jsmith]

It is unlikely that a 5 watt mat will provide enough heat when the ambient temperature falls in winter. I am surprised that it keeps the temperature at around 32C, running only 25% of the time. You must be in a warm climate.The best time to take temperatures is an hour before sunup as that is normally when ambient temperatures are lowest.

on for 45 mins off for 25 min. so it is on 75% for the time. im monitoring it atm in winter over night i will probably have it on 100% of the time. worst case senario i bump up the wattage also get a ceramic heat lamp

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[Vipercat]

OMG
I nearly fell off my chair when i first read the post title quickly
I read "New Spotted Python OVEN Temperature Question.
Didn't realize APS was also running a cooking forum

 

[Wokka]

on for 45 mins off for 25 min. so it is on 75% for the time. im monitoring it atm in winter over night i will probably have it on 100% of the time. worst case senario i bump up the wattage also get a ceramic heat lamp

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My mistake but still surprised. I ran 13 watt 24/7 at 20c ambient to achieve required temps.

 

[jsmith]

My mistake but still surprised. I ran 13 watt 24/7 at 20c ambient to achieve required temps.

ahhh how small was your viv. mine is only a small 30cm. floor temp stays around the mark. was your glass or wood

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[Wokka]

Mine were timber with the mat inside the cage under a ceramic tile, to act as a heat bank. Glass is a poor insulator, relative to timber, and so provides little benefit in maintaining temperature!

 

[1000Bees]

Mine's glass but I actually haven't had too much trouble maintaining temps. Might be a different story in winter though, I was thinking of getting one of those rock backgrounds if that would help with insulation and it'd give him something extra to climb on.

 

[Wokka]

Mine's glass but I actually haven't had too much trouble maintaining temps. Might be a different story in winter though, I was thinking of getting one of those rock backgrounds if that would help with insulation and it'd give him something extra to climb on.

It appears you are using relatively high watages of heating so you need glass to allow the heat to escape. What wattage mat and CHE are you using?

 

[jsmith]

Mine's glass but I actually haven't had too much trouble maintaining temps. Might be a different story in winter though, I was thinking of getting one of those rock backgrounds if that would help with insulation and it'd give him something extra to climb on.

its always interesting to see how different people do things. my enclosure is glass i will move up to wooden one once he is starting to get too big. by the breeder i purchased mine from he said when they are small they only need a heat mat and the temp should be take off close to the floor heat. as this is how the breed of snake i have likes to gather its heat.
now myself being a newbie with snakes it is interesting and im appriciative of the advice and just seeing how other people keep their animals

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[1000Bees]

It appears you are using relatively high watages of heating so you need glass to allow the heat to escape. What wattage mat and CHE are you using?

My heat mat is 5 watt I think or 7 it's not very high, my CHE is 100 watt I decided to get a higher wattage as I live in an area that gets fairly cold in winter. Thus far both have done an excellent job.

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah I originally just had the heat mat because Spotties are ground dwellers I knew floor temps would be important, but when I did a test run it ended up being insufficient. I got a CHE and it works extremely well. I don't think I'll need the heat mat through the hotter months but it'll be good to have through winter.

I might end up getting a wooden one in the future if my terrarium gives me too many headaches. When I was looking the only wooden ones avaliable where waaaaaay to big for my little buddy. Ehich I found strange, so far my glass one is working out well although I might try insulating the sides and back without blocking the vents.

 

[jsmith]

what size viv do you have if you dont mind me asking and the size of your spotted

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[Wokka]

CHEs are not terribly efficient at providing heat, as the heat is lost as it travels through the air. You are using about 10 times the wattage I use and about 20 times a 5 watt matt. Whilst it mightn't matter too much with one snake there are probably over 100,000 snakes in captivity in Aus so the difference between efficient heating and not, adds up. In dollar terms 100 watts for say 12 hours a day probably costs about $0.4 per day whereas 13 watts might be about 5c or nationally say $40,000 per day for inefficient power usage vs $5000 for efficient heating. You can see I don't own shares in a power company but i do have grand kids who want to live on this earth, so if we can use power efficiently there is more chance of survival of the planet!

 

[jsmith]

CHEs are not terribly efficient at providing heat, as the heat is lost as it travels through the air. You are using about 10 times the wattage I use and about 20 times a 5 watt matt. Whilst it mightn't matter too much with one snake there are probably over 100,000 snakes in captivity in Aus so the difference between efficient heating and not, adds up. In dollar terms 100 watts for say 12 hours a day probably costs about $0.4 per day whereas 13 watts might be about 5c or nationally say $40,000 per day for inefficient power usage vs $5000 for efficient heating. You can see I don't own shares in a power company but i do have grand kids who want to live on this earth, so if we can use power efficiently there is more chance of survival of the planet!

wokka what would you suggest as an ideal set up.

with have more land dwelling snakes i should be more inclinded to use heat mats?



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[1000Bees]

My enclosure is 65cm L x 65cm H x 70cm W and my snake is 35 40 ish cm. I haven't mesured him.