Well, you first should think of getting 2 thermometers. One to measure the temp. on the warm and the cool side. I'm assuming you have the stick-on thermometers and if I'm right, I would think about changing to a digital one. I recently picked up a thermometer/hygrometer and it is very accurate. I can make sure it doesn't get too hot or too cold. And as far as the placement of the thermometers, you want to stick them in the substrate, because that is where the snake spends most of its time.