Enclosure heat

[EKS56]

What do ya'll recommend for an enclosure heat source. What ambient air temperature do you recommend. Does this vary between the different varieties of garter?

[guidofatherof5]

My hot spots are between 80-85 degrees. Then they have cool hide. Winter room temps are 70 during the day and 62 at night.

[d_virginiana]

Steve; just to clarify, are the winter temps because you're cooling them down slightly for the winter?

EKS, just get a thermostat for the heat pad and use that. I don't think anyone is going to recommend using a heat pad w/o a thermostat. They just get too hot.

As for differences between species, I don't think there are any real notable differences in the North American species. I believe some species, like blacknecks, may be a bit more sensitive to changes in heat/humidity but that's just my personal opinion, no real evidence to back that up.

[guidofatherof5]

Steve; just to clarify, are the winter temps because you're cooling them down slightly for the winter?

EKS, just get a thermostat for the heat pad and use that. I don't think anyone is going to recommend using a heat pad w/o a thermostat. They just get too hot.

As for differences between species, I don't think there are any real notable differences in the North American species. I believe some species, like blacknecks, may be a bit more sensitive to changes in heat/humidity but that's just my personal opinion, no real evidence to back that up.

Yes.

[EKS56]

Two thermostats in the mail.
I thought the snakes were supposed to regulate their heat by moving from the warm area to the cooler area.
I might add we had an Eastern for 10 years with no external heat and he did fairly well.

[d_virginiana]

He also survived being fed rosy minnows and red wigglers over corn cob bedding. Doesn't mean it's the right way to do it.

They will move away from a heat source but when burrowing would get them somewhere cooler in nature they don't understand why that doesn't work in captivity.

[EKS56]

We never fed him red wigglers.

[d_virginiana]

No, because he wouldn't take them. He wouldn't take the rosy minnows well either. We tried when we first got him. I remember them secreting that yellow stuff.

[Web Bacon]

I know someone that had an Eastern for 14 years in a ten gallon tank and only a florescent bulb. Just kept at room temperatures. I'm not saying this is good, but the snake was healthy up til near the end. I have a small under tank heater at one end of my 29 gal. enclosure plus a day time heating light for the plants.