heat lamp bulb

[anaconda]

ok thanks ill look into getting a spot light or heat pad

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I prefer belly heat.... such as a thermostat regulated under-tank heater.

[Garter_Gertie]

Garters do need some kind of heat - for digestive purposes. I agree with Shannon and have an under tank, very small, heater. Now, granted, my garters don't sit on the rock as they burp their meal... But they do have a thermal gradient that allows *them* to find what they need for digestion.

I have no AC, so in the summer I usually don't use my under-tank heater. Not necessary with temps in the house upwards of 80 degrees.

I also have a white light to give additional heat at one end - the "hot spot" - during colder times. And I have a red light (60 or 40 watt plain red bulb - NOT A SPOT LIGHT!) - for colder nights that get down to 50 or 60 degrees and I don't want to close the windows yet.

[anaconda]

I prefer belly heat.... such as a thermostat regulated under-tank heater.

k thanks ill look into that

[anaconda]

Garters do need some kind of heat - for digestive purposes. I agree with Shannon and have an under tank, very small, heater. Now, granted, my garters don't sit on the rock as they burp their meal... But they do have a thermal gradient that allows *them* to find what they need for digestion.

I have no AC, so in the summer I usually don't use my under-tank heater. Not necessary with temps in the house upwards of 80 degrees.

I also have a white light to give additional heat at one end - the "hot spot" - during colder times. And I have a red light (60 or 40 watt plain red bulb - NOT A SPOT LIGHT!) - for colder nights that get down to 50 or 60 degrees and I don't want to close the windows yet.

ok thanks ill see about a red light

[Garter_Gertie]

Do you have a thermometer? You really should.

I put mine in the hot end since the cooler end will still be warmer than room temp due to the contained heat, but I know it will be cooler than what's shown on the 'hot spot.' So, I just regulate my hot end and don't worry about the cool end.

This can get a bit tricky since the thermometer is *on* the heater with the red light shinning on it. So judgement's needed since the light and bottom radient heat are raising the temp on the thermometer somewhat.

A note about your heat pad... Even though on the bottom of your tank, that area needs to be covered so your snake does not get a burn. Going from bottom up I have my heat pad, then the glass of the tank bottom, then a rock or some type of level, shallow dish, then substrait. This allows my snakes to burrow if they wish down towards the heat source, but does not allow them to come in direct contact with the hot glass and heat pad - the rock/shallow dish absorbing the heat from the pad and keeping the snakes from direct contact with heat pad but still allowing them plenty of warmth.

[reptile3]

regular house hold light bulb, 60Watt is that ok for the heat during the day?

or a CHE ?

[Garter_Gertie]

During the day, yeah. But at nite you want a red as they can't see it and it keeps them on their day/nite cycle.

But if your house/flat/apartment is heated sufficiently you won't need more than your under-tank heater during the day in winter. I do recommend this. Again, like Shannon said. Garters aren't baskers in the way boas are. Garters, in the wild, will bask in the AM on like asphalt/rocks in the fall/spring when the temps are goofy and all over the place. But they just don't bask for the sake of basking like tropicals do. They seek their temps, using sunlight and burrowing to give them what they need.

While snakes[garters] just need overall warmth to digest, I just feel better with belly heat for them to choose.

During the summer I never used my red heat light at nite. Didn't need to. Now needing it as the nites get cooler for the kids than they do for me. Doubt I'll use it this winter... Unless it gets too hot in here for me (and it did last year; I live in a flat and the thermostat control is in the lower flat; not to mention I live on the upper level and heat rises...) and I have to open windows that will affect the temp the kids are xposed to.

Actually, this past summer I used no additional heat whatsoever due to the temp up here.

It all depends on - for me - the temp the kids are xposed to where their tanks are located.

What's a CHE?

[reptile3]

What's a CHE?

CHE, is a Ceramic Heat Emitter
http://z.about.com/d/exoticpets/1/5/...100Ceramic.jpg

I guess I will get a UTH( under tank heater*pad*) It's rather warm in the dinningroom... that is where I have the garter, since my reptile room/ computer room is already heated enough. The garter is near the fish tank!!

Thank you for answering my question... will get a heating pad tomorrow.

[Loren]

I've had some garters at room temp in the reptile room (80-84 day, 70's at night, and some with additional belly heat. They all seem to do ok. I do prefer to have a small patch of belly heat under all snakes, and am heading in that direction. they can use it if they want.
My corn snakes, hondurans, gophers, and a couple kings dont have anything over ambient, and eat and grow like pigs. But again, I am working on getting them all belly heat anyhow, especially those that might breed someday. Then I might drop ambient another degree or 2 to give more temp gradient.

I use 4" flexwatt primarily. When using bulbs, I use regular incandesants for snakes, 40 -60 watt usually is enough. Check the temps with thermometer, both ends of the cage, and make sure the cool end is staying fairly cool.

So in my opinion,(and in my reptile room) many snakes can be kept at a slightly warm room temp just fine, but a temp gradient from mid 70's to high eighties or low 90's is probably the best, generally speaking of coarse.