Question about Snakes and heat

[Riyeko]

Okay, so ive got two under tank heaters for my cornsnakes.
The UTH are hooked up to a rhetostat (or however you spell it), and lately ive been keeping it just above the OFF button.

My snakes wont sleep in the hides at all, on the warm side of the tank. They usually curl around their water bowls or get underneath the hide on the cold side.

House is usually around 70-72 degrees F, and I thought.. from what Ive been reading for the last six to eight months... Cornsnakes need an 85 degrees F plus temperature.

Why are my snakes staying on the cool side, which ive measured out around 73-75?
Do they like the cold?

Dunno, just perplexing and wanted to hear some of your thoughts.

 

[ARiley144]

I've been told 80-85F is perfect....preferably 83F. Just before mine turned blue he'd sleep on the cold side wrapped around his water dish...

 

[Dakota314]

My snake used to stay on the cold side ALL the time too. Now she goes back and forth, and today she was under the aspen stretched along the whole tank, half on the warm side and half on the cold Just sometimes in the summer they like the cold better because its more humid.

 

[bitsy]

from what Ive been reading for the last six to eight months... Cornsnakes need an 85 degrees F plus temperature.

85 degrees on the warm side I wouldn't go higher, personally), with 70-75 on the cool side. They thermoregulate by moving between the two temp zones as they need to. They don't need be at a constant 85 degrees, they just need to be able to access it at any time if they choose to.

It's perfectly normal for them to spend the majority of their time on the cool side, only venturing over to the warm side as and when they need to. Mine all effectively live on the cool sides of their vivs and they're absolutely fine and healthy.

Just make sure that yours have appropriate hides on both the cool and warm sides, and that the warm side floor really is no hotter than around 85-88 degrees, and all should be well.