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Too Hot for my Corn?

niblips

niblips

New member
:flames:
My girlfriend and I have recently become the proud owners of a Corn Snake. Zea Mays, hatched Apr 21/04
She is kept in a 20gal viv with 2 inches of Aspen chips. UTH on one side and basking lamp (40watt bulb) kept on same side with driftwood perch about 3 inches below the lamp. She has a hide in the corner of the viv with the UTH and Lamp at substrate level and a large piece of cork bark at cool side of viv. Also keep water bowl on cool side of viv
Initial temps with this set up are:
- 102+ degrees at floor directly above UTH.
- 95-98 degrees at substrate level directly above UTH
- 98 degrees at perch level directly below lamp
- 85 degrees at substrate level (measured with side mounted thermometer on warm side of viv)
- 87-91 degrees inside hide at warm side of viv
- 72 degrees under cork bark (where she spent most of her time during the day)
- 70-72 room temp in bsmt apt (Toronto, Ontario)

She was kept at these temps for about 2 weeks before I stumbled onto this site. She was active in the evening, would spend time on the perch under the lamp when digesting. She spent most of her time under the cork bark on the cool side of the viv (unless she was looking for an escape route out the bottom of the tank)

After coming across this site and reading a lot of posts on viv temps I started to get worried that she was to hot so I bought a rheostat to bring the temp a substrate level above the UTH to 85-87 degrees, and it has been this way for about a week now. However, I haven't seen Zea active since then. And she has been sleeping under the substrate close to the UTH.

Now I'm wondering if I needed the rheostat in the first place.($23.00 Canadian)

please comment as I'm not sure what to do now.........
Are the initial temps really too high as all other posts I have read state?
Is it dangerous to have these initial temps and what are the consequences?
 
I have a similar scenario with my snake, but he is a bit older. He is not quite one year old (32 inches) and I have about the same temps as you without a Rheostat. I noticed that when my room temp drops down the snake stays in a hide in the middle of his tank and I hardly see him. I have seen folks measure the temp either on top of the substrate, within the hide on the warm side or directly above the glass above the UTH, so I am not sure which is the right way to go by.

When the temps in my viv are on the warmer side as yours, he is out more. However, my main concern is making sure he cannot burn himself on the glass above the UTH. So based on a suggestion from other folks, I tape a few pieces of paper towel on the bottom glass (inside the tank) so he cannot burn himself if he burrows down there. I am considering buying some reptile carpet instead.

I am looking to buy either a rheostat or a thermostat from Big Apple Herps to help regulate the heat mat, but I must say I wonder if I really do need it? My snake seems to digest much better at the higher temps. I am sorry if I am not much help, just sharing my experience. But hopefully some of the more experienced folks may read this and give some pointers.
 
Your snake seems to have a wide range of temps, and seems to prefer the warmer temps. Mine likes cooler. Even when digesting she likes to be mostly on the cool side where the temps sit around 74 degrees. Optimum for digestion is around 82-86 I hear from most people. My warm side stays around that. I don't use a heat lamp except in the winter when my house temps stay around the low 60's at night. Yours seems to like to bask in a warm spot, and obviously seems happy, so I wouldn't change anything too much. I would make sure that your snake can't burrow onto the UTH as temps in the 100'a will definitely burn it.
 
In my viv the temp is around 78-83 degrees. I also have their clutch in there with them. Ive always had them have a good shed, and they are not always hiding. Most of the time they are out and about. All I use is a heat mat, and a light juring the day. :wavey: :sidestep:
 
Thanx to babbaloo99, MegF and newt for your replies. It seems there is quite a difference in temps btwn everyone.

I have checked Zea last night and she is going into shed, so maybe that's why she's not active. This is her first shed with us so we're watching carefully.
But, I'm still wondering about the temps... should I take the rheostat back and recover my money? $23.00 is half the cost of an incubator (for eggs in the future or silkworm for my geckos). Any advice???

Does anyone else out there keep their viv at high temps?
Also, has anyone actually had their snake get burnt form an UTH, or is this just a story that gets passed around. A first-hand account with some follow-up information as to how the snake survived and what was done to help it heal would be great!
 
niblips, yes take it back and get your money back. Snakes are very easy to take care of all you really need is a heat pad under the tank and a light juring the day. You sure dont need anything else to produce heat. I live in canada and juring the winter it gets cold. All I use is a heat pad and a light and my snakes dont even feel the cold. They dont even seem to hybornate, their active all year.
 
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