You can still use a regular light-emitting bulb during the day, if you wish. The first signs of overheating with your pet might be too subtle for you to notice. You must ensure that there are warm-zones in your pet’s enclosure. In the wild, snakes are adapted to the climate of their natural environment. The cable is coated in iron to prevent biting. The adjustable … Hi, I'm Lou. Having a guard over the ceramic heat emitter is a good idea. The Pecute Reptile Heat Lamp with Guard has some interesting features. The Zoo Med clamp lamp is slightly different from the first two lamps. Heat can be provided by either a basking lamp, heat tape (or Zilla Heat Mat) under the tank or both. When they need to warm up, they move to a warm area, and vice versa. The fact that the cables are coated in iron to prevent biting is also a nice touch. Here we compare the pros and cons of using heat lamps vs mats for our snakes. That’s why I set up snakesforpets.com – to answer every question that you could ever have about snakes as pets (and how they survive in the wild.) Make sure that they get plenty of water and are well hydrated. They need cool areas like hiding places and substrata (like this) where they can burrow into to cool down. Garter snakes need a basking area between 90-95 degrees for proper digestion. Snakes do need a source of light during the day, so light bulbs are vital if the vivarium doesn’t get any sun. Pet Educate strives to be the definitive online resource to help you learn everything that you need to know. A good solution to this problem is opting for a reptile/serpent heating pad and ditching the light. Depending on what species of snake you own, you might need to provide UV lighting, heat lamps or both. A hot and bothered snake will spend extended periods at the cooler end of their enclosure. Warm-zones are ideal as your snake can decide how much heat they needs. For a heating pad, the iPower pad and thermostat combo from Amazon is ideal. The cord that it comes with is quite short. When you see your snake being unable to move in any specific direction or stay upright, this is a clear indication of neurological damage. Using heat lamp … If you are considering getting a snake as a pet, understandably, you will have some questions about their environment. When we keep them in captivity, it’s our responsibility to make sure their tank temperature is optimal. If you are keeping a snake as a pet however, you must take on this responsibility on their behalf. These include the following: Snakes, such as ball pythons and boa constrictors, would not usually bask as they are nocturnal. If their temperature drops too low or rises too high, some bodily functions cease to operate in the way they should, like digestion. Your email address will not be published. We don’t. This will help you to regulate the bulb’s temperature without having to get a dimmer separately. They have two parts: For snakes that would naturally bask under the sun in the wild, heat lamps are a good choice. It is suitable for bulbs up to 150 watts. Provide your snake with heat-zones from where they can bask and derive their energy. Here is our guide to the best heat pads for snakes. Snakes don't need it because the common ancestor to snakes was fossorial, so it had to adapt to producing vitamin D without UV. It comes with a 6-foot power cord and a spring clip to hold the lamp in place. You can use a regular incandescent light bulb inside a heat lamp, providing that it’s compatible. Whether this be extreme heats or colder climates; finding and retaining heat is something that a snake has had to develop. Fixing the lamp outside of the vivarium does solve the problem, but also renders the guard useless. The lamp has a guard that screws over the bulb to prevent reptiles from touching it. When conditions become too hot, snakes will respond by retreating to a cooler place and environment. Lizards, however, still need it or they will have a vitamin D defficiency, get metabolic bone disease, and die in a few months. The Zilla dome is a popular choice among snake owners. Snakes as a species live on every continent apart from Antarctica. If you suspect your snake is getting too hot/too cold, respond quickly. The cord is 6 feet long, which is handy if your vivarium isn’t close to a power socket. The fully adjustable, bendy arm allows you to position your light wherever you’d like, inside or outside of your snake’s enclosure. It’s acceptable for the temperature to drop by one or two degrees, but that’s it. Many snake owners use under tank heating pads to keep the tank warm, but it can be difficult to maintain and monitor proper temperatures with heating pads alone. In the case of a power outage, your pet snake might be without heat for some time. Your snake will start to move faster, and it will become very aggressive, looking like it’s about to mock-strike or bite. You should still keep it away from your pet snake, outside the vivarium if possible. Longer or wider bulbs may not fit. Do not buy a heat rock they can get to hot and burn the snake. Hot rocks are never suitable for any pet as they provide a localised source of heat that is too hot. Snakes need heat lamps if you keep them in captivity. Though the dome is quite wide, it’s not very deep. Radiant heat lamp. so a light is not necessary. This helps to focus the heat and light on one spot, rather than flooding the entire vivarium. ultraviolet light they require to build strong bones and keep a healthy You need to monitor and stay on top of this as drastic changes in temperature (either way) can have fatal consequences for your pet. Fluker’s Sun Dome. However, bear in mind that snakes need heat 24 hours per day. Yes, snakes require a heat lamp or even under-cage heating pads, to offer warm zones where they can bask and get energy. Hoke isn’t a well-known brand. Keep in mind that a cold snake is an unhealthy snake. We are pet enthusiasts and love sharing everything that we learn about them! When a snake becomes too hot, they can move off to a colder area of the enclosure. Reptiles are ectothermic (cold-blooded), and rely on their environment to regulate their temperature. Some The inside of the dome is painted white. All of these are attempts to cool down and reduce the heat. They need a source of heat, but it doesn't have to be in the form of a heat lamp. The built-in clamp affixes the lamp to the tank’s wall or ceiling. They offer a 40, 60 and 100-watt bulb which are all blue. Using a regular light bulb at night will confuse your snake, as it will disrupt your snake’s day-night cycle. Natural rocks like slate are perfect for this, so are heavy artificial ornaments. While this does reflect light, it doesn’t work as well as a mirrored or metallic coating would. The reflector dome is designed for bulbs that emit light as well as heat. This is why you need to be proactive, and purchase the right heating equipment ahead of time. Snakes require heat; it doesn’t always need to come from sunlight – however, sunlight is the best source of heat for snakes. It’s better suited to a smaller vivarium because of this. Which method you use is a secondary concern. Getting the heat they need when they need it, and cooler spots when they do not. Overall, we’re very happy with the Fluker’s Sun Dome Reptile Lamp. This allows you to easily affix the lamp to the side or roof of the vivarium. The guard is narrow and short. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. 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