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Is it better for the viv to be cold or too hot?

I

isambarding

New member
My heat mat is currently at a worrying 90f+, and I'm about to go away for 2 days and it isn't an option to bring the snake with me. My hatchling corn hasn't left the cold side of the viv since I got it on thursday, so I'm assuming its too hot. It's christmas and everywhere's closed so I can't get a thermostat right now.

For most of today I've managed to keep the temp down by turning the mat on and off when necessary, but I can't do that when I'm away.

Is it better to have the mat too hot and risk burns, or turn it off completely and let it get too cold? Is there some other way to stop it overheating?
 
you can temporarily stack some folded newspapers on top of the mat. You'll have to experiment with the thickness using an infrared thermometer, until you get the temperature on top of the newspapers to be about 84 to 88 degrees. Then put your Substrate or Bedding down on top of the newspapers.

Those heat pads without a thermostat can easily reach 115 degrees. I have 2 of them and they both hit around 113 if I just plug them in and let them go. that is way too hot for a corn snake. It's too hot for any snake really.

To answer your question is too hot or too cold better? My opinion, neither. Let's spend a few minutes to get it right, that's what Id rather do. And although I do have the proper regulators now and the proper temperatures, there was a time when I did the "Folded Newspaper" trick for about a week until I got my Rheostats in the mail.
 
If it hasn't eaten in the last 2 days, you might be ok to just leave the mat off and keep your furnace running at a comfortable temp (for humans). Otherwise I personally would move it so it's only partially under the cage to reduce the overall heat some still providing a gradient where your hatchling can find a cozy temp in between.

(e) Better yet, I like Karl's suggestion. It wasn't there when I started posting lol.
 
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