Sounds like you've done your research!
Personally, I will always prefer heat mats. Lamps are a higher fire hazard (especially if you have children or free roaming pets), dry out the environment more (which can make sheds bad), and snakes use belly heat to digest anyway. Placing a probe on a heat mat is not a problem (and should NOT be placed between the mat and the glass). You can attach it directly to the glass inside the enclosure with some hot glue. On a thermostat, a heat mat will not get hot enough to burn your kids or the surface it's on, since corns need an ideal hot spot of only about 87.
If you'll be using a front opening tank, just make sure there is no gap for a baby to squeeze through or get stuck. And with any size tank, make sure there's lots of clutter and hides for a baby - I always love using toilet paper tubes and dollar store fake vines to provide lots of ground cover for a baby.
Welcome!
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