Unless you strap it to the top of your tank, a heat mat does not provide heat through blackbody radiation but through conduction, basically creating a warm surface your reptile can use to warm up by lying on it. While the issue with IR-C penetration trough scales is highly relevant when heating from above, it is completely irrelevant when heating from below. Example: Your lamp creates a 35 °C surface on your white substate but heats up your dark-colored snake to say 45 °C, exacerbated by the fact that IR-C does not penetrate well into the snake, turning it into an inverse microwave burito (melting on the outside, frozen on the inside). Example 2: Your heat mat creates a 35 °C surface on your substrate, no matter the color. Your reptile can not get any warmer than that because it can not violate thermodynamics and the heat dispersal throughout the body is limitted only by thermal conductivity of the body. Given that said body is mostly fat and water, this works reasonably well. So any reptile that does not need UV lighting can function perfectly well with a heat mat, while risking being toasted under a pure IR-C emitter.
Thanks for your feedback, that is a very interesting point! When seen from that perspective, I suppose heat mats are less harmful than ceramic heat emitters. I did wonder about how warmth obtained through conduction compares with the warmth obtained from infra-red radiation, but I'm not knowledgable enough to really come to a conclusion here. I guess the final outcome - the animal's body reaches a certain temperature - is the same. However, from a biological perspective, there are additonal non-thermal effects of infra-red. For expample, it has been shown to affect mitochondiral function and metabolic processes. Unfortuately, these additional effects are not well characterized, especially not in reptiles. So while I agree that species that don't need UV can survive on a heat mat, I believe that from a physiological/metabolic standpoint, they would benefit more from a set up that replicates the kind of light, heat and thermal gradients they would encounter in the wild, so one that provides UV-B, IR-A and IR-B. P.S: I love the term inverse microwave burrito!
@@CatharticOutlet Your points on IR - especially on near IR - are absolutely valid. I will switch in the near future from an ceramic heat lamp to something that emits more IR-A based on your video. I was merely comenting on the point where you compared a heat mat IR spectrum to that of a glow bulb. A more closer comparisson would be to compare your body radiation to that of an heat mat - since the actual spectrum is basically just a function of temperature. A 40 °C heat mat will have the same spectrum as a 36°C human, wheras a simple lightbulb glows at way over 900°C, emitting not only IR-C but also IR-A, the visible spectrum and likely a small chunk of UV-A. AFAIK that's also why mercury lamps are so expensive. they work at high temperatures, creating UV-A and UV-B, but also ageing faster than a "colder" lamp.
@@Kosake86 Thanks for the clarification. You raise some interesting points and I will pin your comment (if you don't mind) so people coming across this video can get a better explaination of how heat mats compare to heat lamps and ceramic heat emitters. I only have a vague understanding of the physics of heat, so it's nice to have feeback from people who are more familiar with the subject.👍
This is true, I have a heat probe secured to the botom of my tank with tape that turns off the heating pad at 33c, on top of that I placed slate tiles so there are no hot spots, and I also make my hides from stone, so there's a good 12kg of stone on top of the slate tile that absorb the heat. Basically the entire hide radiates a good 29c to 33c depending on where in the hide you check. I also use a govee hygrometer/thermometer which broadcasts wirelessly to an app so I am not relying solely on the probe (which is also wireless). I have a ceramic heating lamp also set to 33c shining down from the top outside the enclosure to minimize burn risk, the lamp itself is elevated about 1cm above the mesh top. As far as it drying the air out, I live in Florida and my snake is a rosy boa which is a desert dwelling snake, their target humidity is 30-50%. The hot side is dry at about 30% and the cold side 22c with 45-48% humidity. The thing about Rosy Boas is prolonged 50%+ humidity can easily result in respiratory infections, so really the added drying effect of a uv-c bulb is acceptable. Still though, the UV-B and A abilities of the deep heat projector is enticing, my biggest issue is I can't find a reliable dimming thermostat, and definitely not one I can check with an app like my current setup. I really enjoy having my probes be redundant and wireless so I can get notifications, I have them all set at pretty tight intervals as well. If humidity hits 51% I get a notification, if the temperature is above or below the typical constant by 2 degrees I also get a notification.
I'm a new subscriber and I really like how your care comes from science and not tradition. To many care guides were written by breeders whose goals are egg production, not long term, naturalistic care. I think that surviving, not thriving, has been the standard of care in the reptile hobby. I can survive for years in a closet eating cereal everyday, but it would be awful.
Thank you! Glad you like my content! I totally agree. It's quite obvious that a variety of animals (including humans) can survive in the most terrible conditions so it's strange that the reptile hobby treats survival as a benchmark for success...
I changed my snakes to deep heat projectors and I have found the results to be great. I have no problems with digesting or shedding. Because they replicate the sun I do change the heat source at night to just a ceramic as I believe naturally the sun wouldn’t be out at night and not producing the A and B radiation. Thanks for a great video
The need for 24/7 heating is one of the reasons I won’t get a ball python. They live in a very hot area of africa. The NA tropical species almost all experience a temperature drop to 65 to 70 F which means I don’t need heat at night. It is always good to look up the actual yearly climate of where your animal lives, sometimes it may surprise you how wrong care guides can get That said, I don’t let it drop below 70 in my house, so its never too cold for the reptile, and I try to feed long before the night drop.
@@goldenhate6649 If your place doesn't go below 70 (which is like 21 degrees celsius), it should be fine for ball python night time temperatures according to most care guides I read (many of which do take the temperature ranges of the animal's natural habitat into consideration). For example, reptifiles, which I quite like, lists 70-78°F as the night time temperature range. I currently have my night time heat set to 75.2 degrees (24 degrees celsius) but I'm actually thinking of lowering it a bit.
Late late reply, it does get pretty chilly in their areas at night (deployed there, so 1st hand experience), but 70-72 will be good, or do 75. =]@@goldenhate6649
Just wanted to thank you for this science based video. I’m currently building out a 4x2x2 PVC enclosure and heating (as well as thermostat sensor placement) was a huge concern. This video was one of the contributing factors to me choosing a DHP over ceramic or halogen, plus I’m doing a radiant heat panel to maintain overall ambient temp (our house can get chilly). Thank you
Hi there, very happy to hear that you found my video useful :) It's great that you are putting in so much research in advance - good luck with building your set up! Just note that a white halogen lamp is also a great heat IR-A emitting heat source for an enclosure if you have the space to install it properly!
I was watching videos as part of my research before setting up the terrarium for a coralglow which is I’m expecting to adopt next will when I came across this one. Your approach is really in depth and scientific which had me hooked. Thanks to you, no CHE or Heat pad for my pet. Will use a frosted 50w heat source in the summers and get a DHE when the winters arrive. In India the winter is not that extreme however the place where I live does get to 3-4 degree Celsius. Thanks a lot for making this. Will look forward to more videos from you.
Glad that you found the video informative and were able to make a good choice for your snake's heating. Best of luck with the terrarium set up! Is it a coral glow as in the morph? That's a really pretty one in my opinion! Also thanks for the follows on insta and Mastodon!
A lot of people in the hobby are switching to a deep heat projector. It's greatly improved their pet's life quality. I'm currently switching mine over too. They're expensive, but worth it.
If you don't mind me asking. How are you keeping the enclosure warm at night then? I'm building a enclosure. New to the snake world. I'm hardstuck how to heat my tank at night..
@classified0888 right now, most of them have ceramic heat emitters. I have a few with the Arcadia deep heat projector. Since all of those options don't create light, i leave them running 24/7 with a thermostat.
A halogen bulb is actually more natural and beneficial than DHPs! The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength) :)
@@classified0888depending on the species and how cold your house gets at night, many snakes don’t need heat at night. A temperature drop is perfectly natural and even beneficial :)
Im a mean ol nerd so all that light/heat/natural sun info at the start was very interesting and welcomed. Pair that with snake stuff and it was a great video! Thanks
Fantastic video!! Brilliantly explained. Really appreciate the research u did and evidence u provided. Saved to show people in the future :) instant sub !
I drilled the hole for the DHP probe so that the probe measures the air/ambient temperature in the upper third of the hide. As the hide is not too big, I didn't observe much termperature variation between the different corners. I recommend using a heat gun to check the surface temperature in different areas. Personally, I wouldn't attach the probe to the floor of the hide. Ideally, I would try to place it as close to the hide's center as possible.
I would add a note about albino reptiles being a good reason to have one of these. Albinos are sensitive to light and all the light I give me albino hognose comes from the window nearby. Great video though, when I got her they told me all she needs is a heat mat, but after a couple years now she is outgrowing it and I realize it's not the best heat source for her anyway. I am now looking into upgrading to a deep heat projector, but my main concern is thermostat probe placement.
Snakes and the issues we face keeping the various species. I gave up a long time ago and just provide all 3 options for each snake.. The halogen basking lamp of course goes off at night. The heat mat remains the same temp all the time.. and the deep heat has a night drop temp.. Then they all get UVB exposure, plenty of camouflage/some are cryptive baskers/ then there is the matter of correct UVB amount, so a solar meter is another investment. The reason I keep the mat, is after eating some head straight for the hot hide to digest the meal, they want nothing to do with the basking area. After a few days in the hide they return to the basking area, this includes the nocturnal species... From what I have observed over many years of keeping snakes, there is not a nocturnal, diurnal, or crepuscular species, they come out and do whatever all hours of the day or night.. I have seen the so called crepuscular guys stay up half the night, roaming about, and yes the Ball Pythons utilize the UVB , they know more of what they need and want, all we can do is provide it..
Interesting observations! I think providing your snakes with all options and letting them choose is a great idea. I noticed mine will make use of pretty much everything I give them, so a wider selection probably wouldn't hurt. I am definitely planning to buy a solar meter soon to make sure my UVB levels are correct.
@@CatharticOutlet Yes a Solar Meter is a great investment and will lessen the worry.. When I started there was no UVB bulbs or any special bulbs, or mats.. Knowledge was very limited, and not many people even thought of keeping reptiles.. I used regular 100 watt bulbs for heat, and kept the wooden army footlocker enclosures in a sun/ shade situation when I could. Thankfully reptile husbandry has come a long way, and the internet is around to help us..
This is a wholly unscientific statement, but I believe that as long as the air temperature is correct it doesn't matter what type of IR you're using except in the case of basking species. I say this because, in the wild, ball pythons spend the majority of their time underground where the temperature is very high, around 32C (90F) and 35C (95F) degrees. Obviously IRA is not penetrating the soil several feet deep. It seems to me that ambient air or ground temperature works well enough unless you are trying to cook something from the inside out. I do use a deep heat projector for my leopard gecko since she actively basks, but my 4 ball pythons all have radiant heat panels in their enclosures. I also have 14 Western Hognose snakes that are all on belly heat in a rack system, for now.
Gotta say that this is one of the more interesting arguments I've encountered so far. I would be interested in the source for the information on what kind of burrows ball pythons spend most of their time in, and what the average burrow depth is. However, even if we were to assume that all ball pythons spend most of the day sleeping in burrows multiple feet underground, studies on daily activity patterns on pythons in the wild (throughout the year), show that they are often still active for a bit after sunrise and come out again before sunset, which would give them regular opportunites to bask. Plus, a study on ball pythons in captivitiy demonstrated that they will bask under a heat lamp + UVB if this is provided to them. In fact, the average basking time was over one hour per day. I can send you the links to the studies if you are interested.
@@CatharticOutlet Dave Kaufman did a self produced film about Ball Pythons in the wild where he visited different places around Africa and took temperature measurements of their burrows. I'm not sure if he measured the depth of their burrows but from how far the guides were digging down it looked to be several feet below the surface or more.
This was very helpful, thank you. I just dont fully agree with the comparison to heat mats, as they are heating via conduction, not radiation, but I cans ee there already was a substantial discusion on this topic. Question for you: I am now building 120x60x60cm enclosure (glass) for my subadult Hog Island Boa. I will have heat mat on the warm side (termostat taped to the bottom), DHE 50W and 90cm fluorescent light tube with UVB. Would you suggest 5-6% as you did for your ball python, or rather 2-3% which are marketed for snakes and frogs? Cant seem to find any good data on this. Definitelly want UVB, just dont want to over-do it. Thanks!
Hi there, tanks for your comment! Looking back at my video with my current knowledge, I wished I would have explained the heat mat better but it is what it is for now… Regarding UVB, you can check what Ferguson zone your snake’s natural habitat would be, in case of a Hog Island Boa it seems to be in zone two. This is a range of UVI 0.7 - 1.0 (Maximum UVI: 1.1 - 3.0 in basking zone), which is the same category as a ball python. What UVB tube strength to use also depends on where you put it in the terrarium and how far it is from the basking spot. UVB tubes come with guidelines that tell you what the uV index/Ferguson zone is at what distance from the tube, so it’s safest to just calculate it yourself based on your set up. That said, if you plan to attach it to the ceiling of your terrarium, 60 cm above “ground level” a 5-6% tube should be fine (that’s what I used and my terrarium has similar dimensions). It’s also good to provide shaded areas in the terrarium so the snake can escape the UVB completely if it wants. Hope this helps!
Hi there! It was the inside of the hide. I would recommend setting the temperature using a probe fixed to the inside of the warm hide and then using a temp gun to see what the temperature distrubtion in the different corners of the hide looks like, as it may differ slightly from the temperature recorded by the probe. You might have to adjust the thermostat temperature up or down slightly to get your ideal warm hide temperature.
great video! I learned a lot and will be switching my boa's heating to DHPs when I have the money. One thing that I do feel like defending is at 8:30 when they say that "little science & research are taken into consideration when setting up husbandry standards". I think that it's more a matter of the plethora of misinformation that gets broadcasted into the hobby by keepers who also were misinformed. I for one have been using CHEs for a good while after being told over and over again by other keepers and websites that they're one of the best forms of heating that you can provide for your reptile. I'm taking this a little bit as a personal jab-- it makes me laugh because this is youtube after all-- because I've done hours upon hours of research for my animals. I hope this video gets way more views so keepers can adjust their own husbandry and encourage others to do the same :) edit: i have more thoughts and if i don't say them they'll bounce around in my head for the rest of the night-- I feel like SO MANY people forget that there are multiple correct ways to care for an animal. Like, for instance, some people have MASSIVE enclosures and need multiple kinds of heat sources like heat mats or lamps inside the enclosure, some people have small enclosures that only need a single heat source, others will keep their animals outdoors (depending on where they live), etc etc. As long as the animal is healthy and can participate in their natural behaviors happily (like providing a hognose or tegu with substrate to burrow in), I think that however you care for them is okay.
Hi! Thank you for your feedback! I can see where you're coming from and agree I should have made it more clear that I am not blaming or referring to individual keepers when I say no scientific information is taken into consideration when establishing husbandry standards. I was like you, I did some research and - based on most of the popular sources of information - came to the conclusion that CHEs are a good heat source. It was only when other people started commenting on one of my videos and I went on a bit of a research deep-dive was I able to learn that they are, in fact, quite bad. I agree that there is "no right way to keep an animal". As long as all of the animal's needs are met and it can participate in its full range of natural behaviors, it doesn’t matter if it is kept outside, or in a PVC enclosure or a bioactive set up etc. Unfortunately, I most often see this argument being used by keepers to justify minimalistic rack set ups with no space or enrichment, and in that case, I have no problem disagreeing with them.
Would you recommend I set the ceramic heater temp to inside the hide? So it reaches a good temp while he’s chilling? I don’t want to risk him climbing up to chill one day only to realize that it’s way too hot because I set it to a good temperature from within his hide. I know you showed how you have it done but mine will be sitting on a mesh top to heat up a bioactive Viv with climbing space to the top
Firstly, I would not recommend using a ceramic heat emitter and instead use a deep heat projector or a heat lamp (with a mesh top a lamp could be best). Apart from that, I wouldn't worry too much about the gradient, in my experience, there is only a small area directly under then heat source that gets too hot for snakes (like right under the mesh). They seem to have a good sense of temperature and will spend most of their time in the areas they are comforable in, so as long as you have enough space for different temperature zones they should be fine. Even it it's a bit warm during the day, the snake might like climbing there at night. You can check your temp gradients with a heat gun. For my ball python, when I set my inside hide temp to 30.5 degrees celsius (86.9 F), a small area on top of the hide will be around 35 (95 F), which is the maximum basking temperature. She sometimes basks there but never for more than an hour. With my corn snake, I use a lamp and put the probe on the surface of the warm hide and set it to 32 C, while the inside is 29 C. The most important thing for me is that I place the probes in a way that my snakes can't move them so the temps stay accurate.
@@CatharticOutletyep that was my bad I meant deep heat projector 😭 I’ve ordered it already along with the thermostat. I e also got my hand on a therm. Gun I use it for my bearded dragons heat lamp which I’m also going to be switching to deep heat. Thank you so much for the reply you put my mind more at ease that I’d accidentally burn the little guy if he got a little too close. I’ll probably still rearrange any high hanging sticks to be extra safe. Thanks again!!!
A heat mat under a confined hide is absolutely effective if the snake can coil up to conserve heat in a limited volume of space. That is what they do in the wild much of the time (exception - garter snakes, water snakes - they bask outright quite a bit, but they live in wet environs so water loss is not a problem.) Your ball python setup with the DHP heating the hide does the same thing inside the hide. But now your ball python has a choice - it can warm up outside the hide because the heat energy is effective from above. But in the end, the internal body temp is what matters to the snake. So 5 hours over a heat mat or 20 minutes under a DHP - the end result can still be achieved. The snake does not mind spending 5 hours in a hide. That is what they do. But all that said, maybe it is best to offer both methods - maybe DHP during the day and heat mat at night? That would be exactly like the earth's surface. Absorbs heat from above during the day (your DHP) and releases heat at dusk/night (the heat pad.) We also have to consider that snakes dehydrate quickly under heat lamps. Most snake species are just not built to bask under IR A for extended periods. DHPs are better in that regard.
If you just look at heating from the perspective of whether a snake it able to warm its body to a certain temperature, then yes, there isn’t really much difference between a heat mat or a DHP. But there is a difference between providing a snake with the means to survive and providing it with an environment that allows it to engage in as much of its natural behaviors as possible. Studies on ball pythons in the wild as well as in captivity show that they occasionally come out during the day and that they will bask under a heat lamp + UVB if it is provided to them. Even if the snake only basks outside for one hour every day, it’s still part of its natural behavior so it should have the option to do so. I‘d be interested to know where you have the information on snakes dehydrating faster under IRA from. I’ve never heard of that before. My snake doesn’t show any signs of dehydration - I keep the humidity in her terrarium high and she always has a full water dish, though it’s true that the terrarium needs to be sprayed down more often to keep the humidity up than if I just used a heat mat…
@@CatharticOutlet Re dehydration - from kingsnakes and mountain kingsnakes in the wild. They conserve moisture by basking under or in sun-warmed locations. Only in a very brief period in Spring when the sun exposure (UV index) is low and the air has some humidity will you find one basking in sunlight. Been observing this for 20 years. But kingsnakes are not ball pythons. Snakes in most regions rarely get to drink from standing water, yet they do just fine. Your ball python, if kept in a sub-tropical humidity and fed rodents can go a year easily without drinking. On the flip side, if you kept your BP in say 30% humidity but had a full water bowl at all times, you would see signs of dehydration fairly rapidly. I won't argue against IRA being available, I will agree that a little might be appreciated. By a little I mean a limited duration of time. I guess if you can mist as needed then fine, but keep in mind that the enclosure is a very limited system with limited volume, so even a 50watt halogen can evaporate ambient humidity quickly. Certainly BPs can survive periods of dry conditions, but just not extended for weeks. BTW, where I live, rattlesnakes have adapted to using the areas under or around concrete water drain channels to thermoregulate while being only partially exposed to sun, or even not exposed and just pressed up between the dirt and concrete. The concrete structures are not natural, they were not there when rattlers came to live in our area. Snakes use whatever they can to safely thermoregulate. The kingsnakes in our area (before they were extirpated due to development and ground water pumping) would use pieces of plywood we laid out. Otherwise we could never see any kings because they were so secretive. They loved to thermoregulate under plywood that had a dirt seal around the edges. With IRA hitting the plywood top but not the snake below. The dirt seal helped maintain a moderate local humidity.
@@CatharticOutlet BTW, I really do like your pictures and diagrams in your video - it is very well done, I could not do that. And I appreciate your discussion on this stuff. I should have added that below. Keep doing what you do. Discussion is good.
@@6strings735 thanks, glad you think so. Yes, discussion is very important so I like when people engage with my content in such a genuine manner, it’s always interesting to hear what others have to say.
Hey Cathy, thank you so much for making this video. It’s been really helpful and I’ve switched from CHE to DHP because of it. I did have a question for you and was wondering if you could help. Would it be beneficial to have my hot side with a DHP and my cool side on a basking bulb with a dimmer? I’ve been struggling with keeping my cool side above 73 unless I turn up the heat in my apartment. Thank you for your time
A halogen flood bulb would be more natural and beneficial than a DHP. The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial heat wavelength).
Reason why the snake didn't last longer under the ceramic emitter is because it gotten warm faster. It had to staid underneath the projector longer because it took longer to warm the snake up. I've place both in my snake enclosure far apart from each other and my snake rather to be underneath the ceramic instead of the projector.
Deep heat projectors actually heat them more effectively than ceramic bulbs. The sun produces infrared A and B. These wavelengths (especially IRA) penetrate deep into the skin tissue and heat them far more effectively. Halogen bulbs are the most natural and beneficial option since the levels of IRA and IRB they produce most closely mimic the sun. Deep heat projectors produce IRB and a little bit of IRA. Ceramic bulbs, on the other hand, only produce infrared C, which only heats the surface of their skin. Therefore CHEs are better used for nighttime/supplementary heat and not as the primary heat source.
Hi! i'm about to build a terrarium with osb wood. I'm going crazy about heating system. I'm pretty worried about fire risk. I was thinkin about ceramic heater (that's how I found u) but now I see this... is deep heat projector safer?
A halogen flood bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary heat source. I don’t know too much about using/building wooden enclosures, but make sure the bulb is hooked up to a dimmer or dimming thermostat to regulate it, and put a lamp cage/guard around it so it isn’t exposed.
Halogens are more natural and beneficial than DHPs anyway; the levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial heat wavelength).
I went googly eyed for deep heat projectors when I first started getting into keeping. Arcadia does a good job of marketing these bulbs that you can buy elsewhere unbranded. They have a place as do ceramic emitters. But they are not the miracle bulb especially for novice keepers almost opposite.
I agree that they are not a miracle bulb, but they are better than heat mats or CHEs, especially as a primary heat source - though overall I prefer heat lamps! I didn't mind buying the arcadia product because it wasn't super expensive for a "one-time" purchase imo (unlike heat lamp bulbs and UVB tubes, it doesn't require regular replacement), but it might be interesting to look at other brands - though I would make sure that their emission specturm is similar to (or better than) that of the arcadia version.
Hi! Im also considering a swap to DHP! My enclsoure is only about 18 inches tall! Leaving only a about 4 inches between bulb and my snakes hide ! I notice yours is the same ! Have you had any issues with this set up?
A halogen bulb would actually be more natural and beneficial than a DHP! The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength). Perhaps you could upgrade to an enclosure with more height? What species is this for? You could also elevate the bulb or lower the basking spot if possible.
You ever worried about your snake burning itself on the cage of your heating element? I imagine the cage gets hot too being in such close proximity to the heat source.
@@Kae5K luckily, the cage does its job and doesn’t heat up that much. You can still touch it with your hand without danger, so I’m not worried about the snake coming into contact with it. But the cage is absolutely necessary for this type of heat source
My 80w Arcadia takes out humidity quick in my ball python tank, where as my 75w Che before maintained it well. I put it over the water bowl on the hot side. Is there something wrong there? I have a 40 gallon tank
A halogen flood bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary daytime heat source. To maintain humidity: use a deep layer of a humidity retaining substrate such as cypress mulch, coconut husk, or a soil mix. Pour water directly into the substrate and mix it in, just make sure the surface isn’t too wet. If the tank has a mesh top, cover most of the mesh with foil tape. Humidity should be at least 60%, ideally 70-80%. Keep in mind that adults need a 4x2x2’ enclosure or larger.
I would probably switch but I'm not sure how i feel about the emitted visible light. I would need to get a bulb and a way to vary the output vs what i have now that's just on or off via a relay, also my device has wifi so i can check the orobe temps on my phone which i really like. I can be wt work and adjust things as ive included multiple wifi hygrometer thermometers and probes for redundancy to ensure a constant setup. My snake is a rosy boa, a native species to the usa where i am from, and i find they dont really bask ever, typically just hide in a spot thats about 29c. Maybe this would change with one of these lamps, but considering i have 18kg of stones made into a hide over her hewting pad the rock itslef emits a pretty steady 33c heat at the hottest point. Nice video, definitely some food for thought. I agree about lack of science, its amazing how much bad and incorrect informstion is out there about reptiles, also amazing the lack of quality equipment. Ive purchased, for example, many name brand heating bulbs that fail within days, as well as shorted out lamps, failed probes, the lidt goes on. Even relatively expensive tools for the hobby seem to be what i would consider minimally spec'd most if the time.
Thanks for your comment! I would say the visible light emitted by a DHP is not really an issue, I think you would only ever get a slight glow if it runs at full power, which shouldn’t be the case in most set ups, especially not at night. I never saw any light emitted from mine. But you should definitely use a dimming thermostat for it. I also found heating bulbs to be a bit of a gamble, regardless of the brand, either they last like two weeks or 1 year… the DHP on the other hand is still going strong without any issues.
I strongly recommend switching to a halogen flood bulb as the primary heat source, they’re the most natural and beneficial option. They produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial heat wavelength). Whereas heat mats only produce IRC, which only heats the surface of their skin. Rosy boas will certainly bask when given the opportunity, either basking in the open or doing what’s called cryptic basking (only exposing part of their body while staying hidden).
I use a UVB and UVA combined Arcadia strip bulb. A ceramic emitter on the warm end, and a heat cable on the cool end. The ceramic and heat cable keep things balanced at night, and the Arcadia bulb provides the necessary light properties needed for good health. A DHP in general will still require an alteenate night time source of heat. A cermaic can run day and night and be backed up by a UVA/UVB arcadia bulb. Seems a bit false to claim a ceramic heater is inferior because it only emits IRC, when ir's conclusive that night time lighting of any kind leads to long term stress for reptiles. How else do you provide heat at night without lighting? You have ceramic bulbs/panels, or heat mats/heat cables. Anything that emits light at night is bad for reptiles period. So you still need a ceramic at night given that they are generally better at holding correct temps over mats and cables. IMO it's best to use the UVA/UVB bulb on a timer, use the ceramic and heat cable also, and position the viv where natural daylight cycles still reach it. Everyone will argue one way or another, and tout one sciebtific fact or another but then miss the overall best hollistic solution.
Many reptiles don’t need heat at night. Depending on the species, a temperature drop at night is often perfectly natural, beneficial even. A halogen bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary daytime heat source since they produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively.
@@nightinggale6470 that highly depends where you live and how cold it can get during night time. if you live in a warmer climate you likely wont need any heat during night time but if you live somewhere where it can get up to -25c during the winter, its kinda necessary.
That depends on the wattage of the projector, the required temperature, the type of terrarium and the ambient temperature of the room. For example, if you have a 4x2x2 wood or plastic terrarium for a ball python in a normally heated room, than a 100 watt projector should be more then enough
The digital thermostat is called the Microclimate Evo Lite, you can find it on Amazon, the official Microclimate website and a number of other reptile sites.
I recommend using a halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer or dimming thermostat during the day, they’re more natural and beneficial than DHPs! The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength)
Pretty much, they just cover a broader area. Neither are a good primary heat source. A halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer/dimming thermostat is the most natural and beneficial option, Arcadia’s deep heat projector is the second best option. They produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively. Whereas heat panels and CHEs only produce IRC, which only heats the surface of their skin.
Ball pythons are nocturnal and do not bask in the sun. They come out 2hrs in the late evening and again 2hrs early morning. But normally they don't venture outside their den or burrows. They wait for their prey to come to them most times. They live in a few countries in west Africa which the Temps under ground are around 88-95 degrees Fahrenheit with around 70-90% humidity. So the best heat source would be a heat mat to replicate under ground Temps. An over head heat panel or ceramic heat emitter can be used to keep the ambient Temps around 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit
I'm curious to know where this claim that ball pythons do not bask comes from. Based on my observations, the observations of other keepers who provide top down heating and UVB as well as scientific studies, they absolutely do. While they do not sit out in the open for extened periods of time like a bearded dragon would, like most nocturnal reptiles they will engage in cryptic basking, where they will expose certain parts of their body to heat/UVB while the rest remains hidden. Mine often sleeps with her head or a coil sticking out of the hide for hours. Only rarely will she retreat all the way into the hide where no part of her is visible. While ball pythons can spend a long time in the same burrow, they are not exclusively ambush predators and will come out to roam around and hunt. This has been observed in the wild, where they have even been seen climbing in trees hunting birds, and I occasionally see it in my own snake. Also, while the temperature underground may be warm, the heat that warms the ground still comes from the sun (the top of the burrow will be warmer than the lower parts), so using a top down heat source to heat a hide will still be the most natural way. Not to mention a heat mat only provides infrared C, which does not allow the snake to warm its muscles and inner organs very efficiently, so any heat source that emits infrared A and/or B is better. Regarding humidity, I provide a humid hide so the snake has access to a high humidity environment if she chooses but I keep the ambinent humidity around 50-60%, which I can maintain by spraying down my terrarium once a week.
@@richardstewart7263 Interesting, I haven't seen the documentary yet so I cannot judge the accuracy of this claim. Yet even if these wild pythons never leave their burrows or bask, the primary heat they get will still be in form of top-down solar radiation, consisting of IR-A and IR-B, which again, a heat mat does not provide...
Like many nocturnal/crepuscular reptiles, ball pythons absolutely do bask; they’ve been documented basking both in the wild and in captivity. Unfortunately I can’t link it for some reason, but there’s a study debunking ball python myths that mentions this. You can look it up yourself, it’s titled ‘dispelling python regius myths’. A halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer/dimming thermostat is the most natural and beneficial option during the day, Arcadia’s deep heat projector is the second best option. They produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively than heat mats/CHEs/heat panels. Whereas heat mats/CHEs/heat panels only produce IRC, which only heats the surface of their skin. These heat sources are good for nighttime, though. Here’s a good video comparing heat sources ua-cam.com/video/dUJZ04sqhxk/v-deo.html
I can't speak from my own experience as I've only had the thing for a few months, but according to the internet they should last for a few years at least. Similar to the life expectancy of a ceramic heat emitter.
Just letting you know that halogen flood bulbs are more natural and beneficial than DHPs! The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength).
My first comment regarding your video is that a CHE does not in any way interrupt a snakes circadian rhythm. Why did you put that in your video? DHP are very expensive, so that's why most hobbyists use CHE's. CHE's provide a very good source of heat for reptiles. It was your choice to change to a DHP, but I'm not in agreement with the science you are discussing to support it.
Where in my video did I mention that a CHE disrupts a snake's circadian rhythm? In fact, I don't think a CHE is more "disruptive" than a DHP in that regard. All I said was that solar radiation helps regulate animals' circadian cycles, which is why we should aim to replicate it in captivity. The problem with CHEs is that they only emit infra-red C, which is blocked by keratin in the skin and therefore does not allow reptiles to warm their bodies efficiently. Also, when it comes to keeping animals, something being cheaper than something else alone is not a good argument for its usage. Keepers should prioritize the wellbeing of their pets as opposed to cutting costs.
Would you say that your ball pythons natural activity level throughout the 7 to 10 day period while she is waiting to be fed has increased and if so by how much for example did she go from only coming out of her hide once per feeding cycle looking for food after bowel movement to comming out of her hide multiple times per week just to explore as it seems that she's pretty active from what you have mentioned in your other videos.... I often wish that my male ball python would come out more often more than the once per feeding cycle the only way I might get to see him out at night more would be to wait another day after his bowel movement for him to hunt for a second night and then fed the next day after that but I choose not to let him be hungry for long
I think there can be many factors that influence a snake’s activity levels. My python doesn’t seem to care that much about food, and her activity doesn’t seem to correlate much with her feeding schedule (I feed her every three weeks because of her age and size). Though she is very active at the moment, there was actually a 4-month period where she was acting like a pet rock and barely left her hide, so they can have different phases. In general, I noticed the warmer my apartment gets in the summer, the more active the snakes are - thus increasing the area of the warm spot in the terrarium could promote activity. I also noticed both my snakes became more visible after installing UVB. They would stick their heads out of their hides more often and come out to bask during the day. Another thing you can do to promote activity is increase the size of the enclosure and/or add some new items for enrichment - like add a new hide or branch and the snake will likely come out to explore it. Lastly, a reason you may not see your snake out much if it is shy and possibly scared of you. My corn snake used to be like that, so I started leaving her alone as much as possible and only handled her if she decided to come out of her terrarium. That way she gradually became braver and now regularly wants to leave her enclosure to explore the apartment. In general, I find that patience is key when working with snakes.
@Cathy Outlet wouldn't think the snake would be afraid of me but who knows I mean I take him out regularly and yeah I do need to put some other things in the terrarium it's already 40 gallon witch for a male should be fine its 36"x18x18 and he's only 2.5ft so more than enough room at the moment but who knows I love the hek out of him just wish he would explore more often
@Cathy Outlet I am rather curious on weather it should be pitch black at night as there is a bit of light on from like a bug zapper that I use 24/7 to keep the flying insects to I minimum that is in the room I do cover it so that it will block most of the light from it basically trying to mimic moonlight amounts for nighttime or would that be considered to much he does come out with it on but only when he's hungry so I'm wondering if he might be more active if it was darker than what the moon would be doing in an absolutely natural environment type of setting
@@hurlrules1 I wouldn’t worry too much about the bit of light from the bug zapper, my snakes become active at night even though they are in my living room where I keep the room light on until late at night when I am working. I think the fact that they have light in their terrariums which turns off in the evening along with the heating helps stimulate their day and night cycle (I think even ambient daylight can have the same effect). If you’re interested in building a closer relationship with your snake I can recommend trying out target training - along with choice-based handling as it has helped make my snakes more calm and tolerant of me. There’s a UA-cam channel that goes over the basics, I can link it to you if you’re interested!
@CatharticOutlet I have seen the lady that you have mentioned b4 in your videos about target training and I actually take my ball python out usually 2 times a week sometimes more for exercise and social time he is very tolerant with me not head shy as long as I dont move to fast from behind his head he's such a good boy honestly
Unless you strap it to the top of your tank, a heat mat does not provide heat through blackbody radiation but through conduction, basically creating a warm surface your reptile can use to warm up by lying on it. While the issue with IR-C penetration trough scales is highly relevant when heating from above, it is completely irrelevant when heating from below.
Example: Your lamp creates a 35 °C surface on your white substate but heats up your dark-colored snake to say 45 °C, exacerbated by the fact that IR-C does not penetrate well into the snake, turning it into an inverse microwave burito (melting on the outside, frozen on the inside).
Example 2: Your heat mat creates a 35 °C surface on your substrate, no matter the color. Your reptile can not get any warmer than that because it can not violate thermodynamics and the heat dispersal throughout the body is limitted only by thermal conductivity of the body. Given that said body is mostly fat and water, this works reasonably well. So any reptile that does not need UV lighting can function perfectly well with a heat mat, while risking being toasted under a pure IR-C emitter.
Thanks for your feedback, that is a very interesting point! When seen from that perspective, I suppose heat mats are less harmful than ceramic heat emitters. I did wonder about how warmth obtained through conduction compares with the warmth obtained from infra-red radiation, but I'm not knowledgable enough to really come to a conclusion here. I guess the final outcome - the animal's body reaches a certain temperature - is the same.
However, from a biological perspective, there are additonal non-thermal effects of infra-red. For expample, it has been shown to affect mitochondiral function and metabolic processes. Unfortuately, these additional effects are not well characterized, especially not in reptiles.
So while I agree that species that don't need UV can survive on a heat mat, I believe that from a physiological/metabolic standpoint, they would benefit more from a set up that replicates the kind of light, heat and thermal gradients they would encounter in the wild, so one that provides UV-B, IR-A and IR-B.
P.S: I love the term inverse microwave burrito!
@@CatharticOutlet Your points on IR - especially on near IR - are absolutely valid. I will switch in the near future from an ceramic heat lamp to something that emits more IR-A based on your video. I was merely comenting on the point where you compared a heat mat IR spectrum to that of a glow bulb. A more closer comparisson would be to compare your body radiation to that of an heat mat - since the actual spectrum is basically just a function of temperature. A 40 °C heat mat will have the same spectrum as a 36°C human, wheras a simple lightbulb glows at way over 900°C, emitting not only IR-C but also IR-A, the visible spectrum and likely a small chunk of UV-A. AFAIK that's also why mercury lamps are so expensive. they work at high temperatures, creating UV-A and UV-B, but also ageing faster than a "colder" lamp.
@@Kosake86 Thanks for the clarification. You raise some interesting points and I will pin your comment (if you don't mind) so people coming across this video can get a better explaination of how heat mats compare to heat lamps and ceramic heat emitters. I only have a vague understanding of the physics of heat, so it's nice to have feeback from people who are more familiar with the subject.👍
Thanks what I was thinking I love this productive conversation y’all had😭
This is true, I have a heat probe secured to the botom of my tank with tape that turns off the heating pad at 33c, on top of that I placed slate tiles so there are no hot spots, and I also make my hides from stone, so there's a good 12kg of stone on top of the slate tile that absorb the heat. Basically the entire hide radiates a good 29c to 33c depending on where in the hide you check. I also use a govee hygrometer/thermometer which broadcasts wirelessly to an app so I am not relying solely on the probe (which is also wireless). I have a ceramic heating lamp also set to 33c shining down from the top outside the enclosure to minimize burn risk, the lamp itself is elevated about 1cm above the mesh top. As far as it drying the air out, I live in Florida and my snake is a rosy boa which is a desert dwelling snake, their target humidity is 30-50%. The hot side is dry at about 30% and the cold side 22c with 45-48% humidity. The thing about Rosy Boas is prolonged 50%+ humidity can easily result in respiratory infections, so really the added drying effect of a uv-c bulb is acceptable.
Still though, the UV-B and A abilities of the deep heat projector is enticing, my biggest issue is I can't find a reliable dimming thermostat, and definitely not one I can check with an app like my current setup. I really enjoy having my probes be redundant and wireless so I can get notifications, I have them all set at pretty tight intervals as well. If humidity hits 51% I get a notification, if the temperature is above or below the typical constant by 2 degrees I also get a notification.
I'm a new subscriber and I really like how your care comes from science and not tradition. To many care guides were written by breeders whose goals are egg production, not long term, naturalistic care. I think that surviving, not thriving, has been the standard of care in the reptile hobby. I can survive for years in a closet eating cereal everyday, but it would be awful.
Thank you! Glad you like my content! I totally agree. It's quite obvious that a variety of animals (including humans) can survive in the most terrible conditions so it's strange that the reptile hobby treats survival as a benchmark for success...
Great explanation! I love to know why, not just cuz someone said so. Thanks!
I changed my snakes to deep heat projectors and I have found the results to be great. I have no problems with digesting or shedding. Because they replicate the sun I do change the heat source at night to just a ceramic as I believe naturally the sun wouldn’t be out at night and not producing the A and B radiation. Thanks for a great video
The need for 24/7 heating is one of the reasons I won’t get a ball python. They live in a very hot area of africa. The NA tropical species almost all experience a temperature drop to 65 to 70 F which means I don’t need heat at night.
It is always good to look up the actual yearly climate of where your animal lives, sometimes it may surprise you how wrong care guides can get
That said, I don’t let it drop below 70 in my house, so its never too cold for the reptile, and I try to feed long before the night drop.
@@goldenhate6649 If your place doesn't go below 70 (which is like 21 degrees celsius), it should be fine for ball python night time temperatures according to most care guides I read (many of which do take the temperature ranges of the animal's natural habitat into consideration). For example, reptifiles, which I quite like, lists 70-78°F as the night time temperature range. I currently have my night time heat set to 75.2 degrees (24 degrees celsius) but I'm actually thinking of lowering it a bit.
Late late reply, it does get pretty chilly in their areas at night (deployed there, so 1st hand experience), but 70-72 will be good, or do 75. =]@@goldenhate6649
Just wanted to thank you for this science based video. I’m currently building out a 4x2x2 PVC enclosure and heating (as well as thermostat sensor placement) was a huge concern. This video was one of the contributing factors to me choosing a DHP over ceramic or halogen, plus I’m doing a radiant heat panel to maintain overall ambient temp (our house can get chilly). Thank you
Hi there, very happy to hear that you found my video useful :) It's great that you are putting in so much research in advance - good luck with building your set up! Just note that a white halogen lamp is also a great heat IR-A emitting heat source for an enclosure if you have the space to install it properly!
I was watching videos as part of my research before setting up the terrarium for a coralglow which is I’m expecting to adopt next will when I came across this one. Your approach is really in depth and scientific which had me hooked.
Thanks to you, no CHE or Heat pad for my pet. Will use a frosted 50w heat source in the summers and get a DHE when the winters arrive.
In India the winter is not that extreme however the place where I live does get to 3-4 degree Celsius.
Thanks a lot for making this. Will look forward to more videos from you.
Glad that you found the video informative and were able to make a good choice for your snake's heating. Best of luck with the terrarium set up! Is it a coral glow as in the morph? That's a really pretty one in my opinion!
Also thanks for the follows on insta and Mastodon!
@@CatharticOutlet sure. Will follow. Nd yes Coralglow is the morph I’m getting.
Hi Cathy, thank you for these excellent videos. They explain the science, and the issues so well 👍👍❤
Thank you! Glad you like my content 😄
Another banger of a video! Great info here on heating specifics that I was unaware of
Aw, thank you! Glad you found it informative :)
A lot of people in the hobby are switching to a deep heat projector. It's greatly improved their pet's life quality. I'm currently switching mine over too. They're expensive, but worth it.
If you don't mind me asking. How are you keeping the enclosure warm at night then? I'm building a enclosure. New to the snake world. I'm hardstuck how to heat my tank at night..
@classified0888 right now, most of them have ceramic heat emitters. I have a few with the Arcadia deep heat projector. Since all of those options don't create light, i leave them running 24/7 with a thermostat.
A halogen bulb is actually more natural and beneficial than DHPs! The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength) :)
@@classified0888depending on the species and how cold your house gets at night, many snakes don’t need heat at night. A temperature drop is perfectly natural and even beneficial :)
@@shadowpumpkin8019where do you place the probe for your DHP? I’m trying to figure this out.😢
Im a mean ol nerd so all that light/heat/natural sun info at the start was very interesting and welcomed. Pair that with snake stuff and it was a great video! Thanks
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed this style of content :)
Fantastic video!! Brilliantly explained. Really appreciate the research u did and evidence u provided. Saved to show people in the future :) instant sub !
Where did you place the probe for your DHP? Should it be close to the lamp or closer to the floor on the hot side?
I drilled the hole for the DHP probe so that the probe measures the air/ambient temperature in the upper third of the hide. As the hide is not too big, I didn't observe much termperature variation between the different corners. I recommend using a heat gun to check the surface temperature in different areas. Personally, I wouldn't attach the probe to the floor of the hide. Ideally, I would try to place it as close to the hide's center as possible.
I would add a note about albino reptiles being a good reason to have one of these. Albinos are sensitive to light and all the light I give me albino hognose comes from the window nearby. Great video though, when I got her they told me all she needs is a heat mat, but after a couple years now she is outgrowing it and I realize it's not the best heat source for her anyway. I am now looking into upgrading to a deep heat projector, but my main concern is thermostat probe placement.
Snakes and the issues we face keeping the various species. I gave up a long time ago and just provide all 3 options for each snake.. The halogen basking lamp of course goes off at night. The heat mat remains the same temp all the time.. and the deep heat has a night drop temp.. Then they all get UVB exposure, plenty of camouflage/some are cryptive baskers/ then there is the matter of correct UVB amount, so a solar meter is another investment. The reason I keep the mat, is after eating some head straight for the hot hide to digest the meal, they want nothing to do with the basking area. After a few days in the hide they return to the basking area, this includes the nocturnal species... From what I have observed over many years of keeping snakes, there is not a nocturnal, diurnal, or crepuscular species, they come out and do whatever all hours of the day or night.. I have seen the so called crepuscular guys stay up half the night, roaming about, and yes the Ball Pythons utilize the UVB , they know more of what they need and want, all we can do is provide it..
Interesting observations! I think providing your snakes with all options and letting them choose is a great idea. I noticed mine will make use of pretty much everything I give them, so a wider selection probably wouldn't hurt. I am definitely planning to buy a solar meter soon to make sure my UVB levels are correct.
@@CatharticOutlet Yes a Solar Meter is a great investment and will lessen the worry.. When I started there was no UVB bulbs or any special bulbs, or mats.. Knowledge was very limited, and not many people even thought of keeping reptiles.. I used regular 100 watt bulbs for heat, and kept the wooden army footlocker enclosures in a sun/ shade situation when I could. Thankfully reptile husbandry has come a long way, and the internet is around to help us..
Thank you very much very helpful as I've just got a ball python and use this source of heat for my corn already
This is a wholly unscientific statement, but I believe that as long as the air temperature is correct it doesn't matter what type of IR you're using except in the case of basking species.
I say this because, in the wild, ball pythons spend the majority of their time underground where the temperature is very high, around 32C (90F) and 35C (95F) degrees. Obviously IRA is not penetrating the soil several feet deep. It seems to me that ambient air or ground temperature works well enough unless you are trying to cook something from the inside out.
I do use a deep heat projector for my leopard gecko since she actively basks, but my 4 ball pythons all have radiant heat panels in their enclosures. I also have 14 Western Hognose snakes that are all on belly heat in a rack system, for now.
Gotta say that this is one of the more interesting arguments I've encountered so far. I would be interested in the source for the information on what kind of burrows ball pythons spend most of their time in, and what the average burrow depth is.
However, even if we were to assume that all ball pythons spend most of the day sleeping in burrows multiple feet underground, studies on daily activity patterns on pythons in the wild (throughout the year), show that they are often still active for a bit after sunrise and come out again before sunset, which would give them regular opportunites to bask.
Plus, a study on ball pythons in captivitiy demonstrated that they will bask under a heat lamp + UVB if this is provided to them. In fact, the average basking time was over one hour per day.
I can send you the links to the studies if you are interested.
@@CatharticOutlet Dave Kaufman did a self produced film about Ball Pythons in the wild where he visited different places around Africa and took temperature measurements of their burrows.
I'm not sure if he measured the depth of their burrows but from how far the guides were digging down it looked to be several feet below the surface or more.
Thank you so much for your explanation!!!
This was very helpful, thank you. I just dont fully agree with the comparison to heat mats, as they are heating via conduction, not radiation, but I cans ee there already was a substantial discusion on this topic.
Question for you:
I am now building 120x60x60cm enclosure (glass) for my subadult Hog Island Boa. I will have heat mat on the warm side (termostat taped to the bottom), DHE 50W and 90cm fluorescent light tube with UVB. Would you suggest 5-6% as you did for your ball python, or rather 2-3% which are marketed for snakes and frogs? Cant seem to find any good data on this. Definitelly want UVB, just dont want to over-do it. Thanks!
Hi there, tanks for your comment! Looking back at my video with my current knowledge, I wished I would have explained the heat mat better but it is what it is for now…
Regarding UVB, you can check what Ferguson zone your snake’s natural habitat would be, in case of a Hog Island Boa it seems to be in zone two. This is a range of UVI 0.7 - 1.0 (Maximum UVI: 1.1 - 3.0 in basking zone), which is the same category as a ball python. What UVB tube strength to use also depends on where you put it in the terrarium and how far it is from the basking spot. UVB tubes come with guidelines that tell you what the uV index/Ferguson zone is at what distance from the tube, so it’s safest to just calculate it yourself based on your set up. That said, if you plan to attach it to the ceiling of your terrarium, 60 cm above “ground level” a 5-6% tube should be fine (that’s what I used and my terrarium has similar dimensions). It’s also good to provide shaded areas in the terrarium so the snake can escape the UVB completely if it wants. Hope this helps!
Hi there when you set the heat to be 30.5 degrees inside the warm hide, what was the surface temp of the hide on the top? Just setting mine up now!
Hi there! It was the inside of the hide. I would recommend setting the temperature using a probe fixed to the inside of the warm hide and then using a temp gun to see what the temperature distrubtion in the different corners of the hide looks like, as it may differ slightly from the temperature recorded by the probe. You might have to adjust the thermostat temperature up or down slightly to get your ideal warm hide temperature.
great video! I learned a lot and will be switching my boa's heating to DHPs when I have the money. One thing that I do feel like defending is at 8:30 when they say that "little science & research are taken into consideration when setting up husbandry standards". I think that it's more a matter of the plethora of misinformation that gets broadcasted into the hobby by keepers who also were misinformed. I for one have been using CHEs for a good while after being told over and over again by other keepers and websites that they're one of the best forms of heating that you can provide for your reptile. I'm taking this a little bit as a personal jab-- it makes me laugh because this is youtube after all-- because I've done hours upon hours of research for my animals. I hope this video gets way more views so keepers can adjust their own husbandry and encourage others to do the same :)
edit: i have more thoughts and if i don't say them they'll bounce around in my head for the rest of the night--
I feel like SO MANY people forget that there are multiple correct ways to care for an animal. Like, for instance, some people have MASSIVE enclosures and need multiple kinds of heat sources like heat mats or lamps inside the enclosure, some people have small enclosures that only need a single heat source, others will keep their animals outdoors (depending on where they live), etc etc. As long as the animal is healthy and can participate in their natural behaviors happily (like providing a hognose or tegu with substrate to burrow in), I think that however you care for them is okay.
Hi! Thank you for your feedback! I can see where you're coming from and agree I should have made it more clear that I am not blaming or referring to individual keepers when I say no scientific information is taken into consideration when establishing husbandry standards. I was like you, I did some research and - based on most of the popular sources of information - came to the conclusion that CHEs are a good heat source. It was only when other people started commenting on one of my videos and I went on a bit of a research deep-dive was I able to learn that they are, in fact, quite bad.
I agree that there is "no right way to keep an animal". As long as all of the animal's needs are met and it can participate in its full range of natural behaviors, it doesn’t matter if it is kept outside, or in a PVC enclosure or a bioactive set up etc. Unfortunately, I most often see this argument being used by keepers to justify minimalistic rack set ups with no space or enrichment, and in that case, I have no problem disagreeing with them.
Would you recommend I set the ceramic heater temp to inside the hide? So it reaches a good temp while he’s chilling? I don’t want to risk him climbing up to chill one day only to realize that it’s way too hot because I set it to a good temperature from within his hide. I know you showed how you have it done but mine will be sitting on a mesh top to heat up a bioactive Viv with climbing space to the top
Firstly, I would not recommend using a ceramic heat emitter and instead use a deep heat projector or a heat lamp (with a mesh top a lamp could be best). Apart from that, I wouldn't worry too much about the gradient, in my experience, there is only a small area directly under then heat source that gets too hot for snakes (like right under the mesh). They seem to have a good sense of temperature and will spend most of their time in the areas they are comforable in, so as long as you have enough space for different temperature zones they should be fine. Even it it's a bit warm during the day, the snake might like climbing there at night. You can check your temp gradients with a heat gun.
For my ball python, when I set my inside hide temp to 30.5 degrees celsius (86.9 F), a small area on top of the hide will be around 35 (95 F), which is the maximum basking temperature. She sometimes basks there but never for more than an hour. With my corn snake, I use a lamp and put the probe on the surface of the warm hide and set it to 32 C, while the inside is 29 C. The most important thing for me is that I place the probes in a way that my snakes can't move them so the temps stay accurate.
@@CatharticOutletyep that was my bad I meant deep heat projector 😭 I’ve ordered it already along with the thermostat. I e also got my hand on a therm. Gun I use it for my bearded dragons heat lamp which I’m also going to be switching to deep heat. Thank you so much for the reply you put my mind more at ease that I’d accidentally burn the little guy if he got a little too close. I’ll probably still rearrange any high hanging sticks to be extra safe. Thanks again!!!
@@cringesh1t427 no problem! good luck with your new set ups!
A heat mat under a confined hide is absolutely effective if the snake can coil up to conserve heat in a limited volume of space. That is what they do in the wild much of the time (exception - garter snakes, water snakes - they bask outright quite a bit, but they live in wet environs so water loss is not a problem.) Your ball python setup with the DHP heating the hide does the same thing inside the hide. But now your ball python has a choice - it can warm up outside the hide because the heat energy is effective from above. But in the end, the internal body temp is what matters to the snake. So 5 hours over a heat mat or 20 minutes under a DHP - the end result can still be achieved. The snake does not mind spending 5 hours in a hide. That is what they do.
But all that said, maybe it is best to offer both methods - maybe DHP during the day and heat mat at night? That would be exactly like the earth's surface. Absorbs heat from above during the day (your DHP) and releases heat at dusk/night (the heat pad.)
We also have to consider that snakes dehydrate quickly under heat lamps. Most snake species are just not built to bask under IR A for extended periods. DHPs are better in that regard.
If you just look at heating from the perspective of whether a snake it able to warm its body to a certain temperature, then yes, there isn’t really much difference between a heat mat or a DHP. But there is a difference between providing a snake with the means to survive and providing it with an environment that allows it to engage in as much of its natural behaviors as possible. Studies on ball pythons in the wild as well as in captivity show that they occasionally come out during the day and that they will bask under a heat lamp + UVB if it is provided to them. Even if the snake only basks outside for one hour every day, it’s still part of its natural behavior so it should have the option to do so. I‘d be interested to know where you have the information on snakes dehydrating faster under IRA from. I’ve never heard of that before. My snake doesn’t show any signs of dehydration - I keep the humidity in her terrarium high and she always has a full water dish, though it’s true that the terrarium needs to be sprayed down more often to keep the humidity up than if I just used a heat mat…
@@CatharticOutlet Re dehydration - from kingsnakes and mountain kingsnakes in the wild. They conserve moisture by basking under or in sun-warmed locations. Only in a very brief period in Spring when the sun exposure (UV index) is low and the air has some humidity will you find one basking in sunlight. Been observing this for 20 years. But kingsnakes are not ball pythons.
Snakes in most regions rarely get to drink from standing water, yet they do just fine. Your ball python, if kept in a sub-tropical humidity and fed rodents can go a year easily without drinking. On the flip side, if you kept your BP in say 30% humidity but had a full water bowl at all times, you would see signs of dehydration fairly rapidly.
I won't argue against IRA being available, I will agree that a little might be appreciated. By a little I mean a limited duration of time. I guess if you can mist as needed then fine, but keep in mind that the enclosure is a very limited system with limited volume, so even a 50watt halogen can evaporate ambient humidity quickly. Certainly BPs can survive periods of dry conditions, but just not extended for weeks.
BTW, where I live, rattlesnakes have adapted to using the areas under or around concrete water drain channels to thermoregulate while being only partially exposed to sun, or even not exposed and just pressed up between the dirt and concrete. The concrete structures are not natural, they were not there when rattlers came to live in our area. Snakes use whatever they can to safely thermoregulate. The kingsnakes in our area (before they were extirpated due to development and ground water pumping) would use pieces of plywood we laid out. Otherwise we could never see any kings because they were so secretive. They loved to thermoregulate under plywood that had a dirt seal around the edges. With IRA hitting the plywood top but not the snake below. The dirt seal helped maintain a moderate local humidity.
@@CatharticOutlet BTW, I really do like your pictures and diagrams in your video - it is very well done, I could not do that. And I appreciate your discussion on this stuff. I should have added that below. Keep doing what you do. Discussion is good.
@@6strings735 thanks, glad you think so. Yes, discussion is very important so I like when people engage with my content in such a genuine manner, it’s always interesting to hear what others have to say.
Hey Cathy, thank you so much for making this video. It’s been really helpful and I’ve switched from CHE to DHP because of it. I did have a question for you and was wondering if you could help. Would it be beneficial to have my hot side with a DHP and my cool side on a basking bulb with a dimmer? I’ve been struggling with keeping my cool side above 73 unless I turn up the heat in my apartment. Thank you for your time
A halogen flood bulb would be more natural and beneficial than a DHP. The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial heat wavelength).
Reason why the snake didn't last longer under the ceramic emitter is because it gotten warm faster. It had to staid underneath the projector longer because it took longer to warm the snake up. I've place both in my snake enclosure far apart from each other and my snake rather to be underneath the ceramic instead of the projector.
Deep heat projectors actually heat them more effectively than ceramic bulbs. The sun produces infrared A and B. These wavelengths (especially IRA) penetrate deep into the skin tissue and heat them far more effectively. Halogen bulbs are the most natural and beneficial option since the levels of IRA and IRB they produce most closely mimic the sun. Deep heat projectors produce IRB and a little bit of IRA. Ceramic bulbs, on the other hand, only produce infrared C, which only heats the surface of their skin. Therefore CHEs are better used for nighttime/supplementary heat and not as the primary heat source.
Hi! i'm about to build a terrarium with osb wood. I'm going crazy about heating system. I'm pretty worried about fire risk. I was thinkin about ceramic heater (that's how I found u) but now I see this... is deep heat projector safer?
A halogen flood bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary heat source. I don’t know too much about using/building wooden enclosures, but make sure the bulb is hooked up to a dimmer or dimming thermostat to regulate it, and put a lamp cage/guard around it so it isn’t exposed.
Beaches Scaly Beasts did an interesting segment in a recent video about why he switched back to halogen instead of dhp's. Makes sense
I believe the tldr was the dhp was making his lizards dehydrated
Halogens are more natural and beneficial than DHPs anyway; the levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial heat wavelength).
Thank you, very good information 👍.
thanks! I'm glad you think so :)
i wonder how all of those snakes in racks live lol
Snakes in racks are surviving, not thriving.
@@nightinggale6470 according to who
I went googly eyed for deep heat projectors when I first started getting into keeping. Arcadia does a good job of marketing these bulbs that you can buy elsewhere unbranded. They have a place as do ceramic emitters. But they are not the miracle bulb especially for novice keepers almost opposite.
I agree that they are not a miracle bulb, but they are better than heat mats or CHEs, especially as a primary heat source - though overall I prefer heat lamps! I didn't mind buying the arcadia product because it wasn't super expensive for a "one-time" purchase imo (unlike heat lamp bulbs and UVB tubes, it doesn't require regular replacement), but it might be interesting to look at other brands - though I would make sure that their emission specturm is similar to (or better than) that of the arcadia version.
Hi! Im also considering a swap to DHP! My enclsoure is only about 18 inches tall! Leaving only a about 4 inches between bulb and my snakes hide ! I notice yours is the same ! Have you had any issues with this set up?
A halogen bulb would actually be more natural and beneficial than a DHP! The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength). Perhaps you could upgrade to an enclosure with more height? What species is this for? You could also elevate the bulb or lower the basking spot if possible.
You ever worried about your snake burning itself on the cage of your heating element? I imagine the cage gets hot too being in such close proximity to the heat source.
@@Kae5K luckily, the cage does its job and doesn’t heat up that much. You can still touch it with your hand without danger, so I’m not worried about the snake coming into contact with it. But the cage is absolutely necessary for this type of heat source
My 80w Arcadia takes out humidity quick in my ball python tank, where as my 75w Che before maintained it well. I put it over the water bowl on the hot side. Is there something wrong there? I have a 40 gallon tank
A halogen flood bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary daytime heat source. To maintain humidity: use a deep layer of a humidity retaining substrate such as cypress mulch, coconut husk, or a soil mix. Pour water directly into the substrate and mix it in, just make sure the surface isn’t too wet. If the tank has a mesh top, cover most of the mesh with foil tape. Humidity should be at least 60%, ideally 70-80%. Keep in mind that adults need a 4x2x2’ enclosure or larger.
I would probably switch but I'm not sure how i feel about the emitted visible light. I would need to get a bulb and a way to vary the output vs what i have now that's just on or off via a relay, also my device has wifi so i can check the orobe temps on my phone which i really like. I can be wt work and adjust things as ive included multiple wifi hygrometer thermometers and probes for redundancy to ensure a constant setup.
My snake is a rosy boa, a native species to the usa where i am from, and i find they dont really bask ever, typically just hide in a spot thats about 29c. Maybe this would change with one of these lamps, but considering i have 18kg of stones made into a hide over her hewting pad the rock itslef emits a pretty steady 33c heat at the hottest point. Nice video, definitely some food for thought.
I agree about lack of science, its amazing how much bad and incorrect informstion is out there about reptiles, also amazing the lack of quality equipment. Ive purchased, for example, many name brand heating bulbs that fail within days, as well as shorted out lamps, failed probes, the lidt goes on. Even relatively expensive tools for the hobby seem to be what i would consider minimally spec'd most if the time.
Thanks for your comment! I would say the visible light emitted by a DHP is not really an issue, I think you would only ever get a slight glow if it runs at full power, which shouldn’t be the case in most set ups, especially not at night. I never saw any light emitted from mine. But you should definitely use a dimming thermostat for it.
I also found heating bulbs to be a bit of a gamble, regardless of the brand, either they last like two weeks or 1 year… the DHP on the other hand is still going strong without any issues.
I strongly recommend switching to a halogen flood bulb as the primary heat source, they’re the most natural and beneficial option. They produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial heat wavelength). Whereas heat mats only produce IRC, which only heats the surface of their skin. Rosy boas will certainly bask when given the opportunity, either basking in the open or doing what’s called cryptic basking (only exposing part of their body while staying hidden).
I use a UVB and UVA combined Arcadia strip bulb. A ceramic emitter on the warm end, and a heat cable on the cool end.
The ceramic and heat cable keep things balanced at night, and the Arcadia bulb provides the necessary light properties needed for good health.
A DHP in general will still require an alteenate night time source of heat. A cermaic can run day and night and be backed up by a UVA/UVB arcadia bulb.
Seems a bit false to claim a ceramic heater is inferior because it only emits IRC, when ir's conclusive that night time lighting of any kind leads to long term stress for reptiles.
How else do you provide heat at night without lighting? You have ceramic bulbs/panels, or heat mats/heat cables.
Anything that emits light at night is bad for reptiles period. So you still need a ceramic at night given that they are generally better at holding correct temps over mats and cables.
IMO it's best to use the UVA/UVB bulb on a timer, use the ceramic and heat cable also, and position the viv where natural daylight cycles still reach it.
Everyone will argue one way or another, and tout one sciebtific fact or another but then miss the overall best hollistic solution.
Many reptiles don’t need heat at night. Depending on the species, a temperature drop at night is often perfectly natural, beneficial even. A halogen bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary daytime heat source since they produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively.
@@nightinggale6470 that highly depends where you live and how cold it can get during night time. if you live in a warmer climate you likely wont need any heat during night time but if you live somewhere where it can get up to -25c during the winter, its kinda necessary.
@@getmotherd613 agreed.
Will a deep heat projector be enough to heat up my 4x2x2 ?
That depends on the wattage of the projector, the required temperature, the type of terrarium and the ambient temperature of the room. For example, if you have a 4x2x2 wood or plastic terrarium for a ball python in a normally heated room, than a 100 watt projector should be more then enough
Where is your thermostat from
The digital thermostat is called the Microclimate Evo Lite, you can find it on Amazon, the official Microclimate website and a number of other reptile sites.
My Thermostat Turms off after 3 min what can I do
Do you also use a heat mat underneath your enclosure besides the deep heat projector?
Nope, the deep heat projector is sufficient.
@@CatharticOutlet Thank you so much!!
I recommend using a halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer or dimming thermostat during the day, they’re more natural and beneficial than DHPs! The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength)
What about radiant heat panels??? Are they same as ceramic heat emitters?????
Pretty much, they just cover a broader area. Neither are a good primary heat source. A halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer/dimming thermostat is the most natural and beneficial option, Arcadia’s deep heat projector is the second best option. They produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively. Whereas heat panels and CHEs only produce IRC, which only heats the surface of their skin.
As far as I understand, radiant heat panels also only emit infrared C, so yeah, not much better than a ceramic heat emitter...
Ball pythons are nocturnal and do not bask in the sun. They come out 2hrs in the late evening and again 2hrs early morning. But normally they don't venture outside their den or burrows. They wait for their prey to come to them most times. They live in a few countries in west Africa which the Temps under ground are around 88-95 degrees Fahrenheit with around 70-90% humidity.
So the best heat source would be a heat mat to replicate under ground Temps. An over head heat panel or ceramic heat emitter can be used to keep the ambient Temps around 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit
I'm curious to know where this claim that ball pythons do not bask comes from. Based on my observations, the observations of other keepers who provide top down heating and UVB as well as scientific studies, they absolutely do. While they do not sit out in the open for extened periods of time like a bearded dragon would, like most nocturnal reptiles they will engage in cryptic basking, where they will expose certain parts of their body to heat/UVB while the rest remains hidden. Mine often sleeps with her head or a coil sticking out of the hide for hours. Only rarely will she retreat all the way into the hide where no part of her is visible.
While ball pythons can spend a long time in the same burrow, they are not exclusively ambush predators and will come out to roam around and hunt. This has been observed in the wild, where they have even been seen climbing in trees hunting birds, and I occasionally see it in my own snake.
Also, while the temperature underground may be warm, the heat that warms the ground still comes from the sun (the top of the burrow will be warmer than the lower parts), so using a top down heat source to heat a hide will still be the most natural way. Not to mention a heat mat only provides infrared C, which does not allow the snake to warm its muscles and inner organs very efficiently, so any heat source that emits infrared A and/or B is better. Regarding humidity, I provide a humid hide so the snake has access to a high humidity environment if she chooses but I keep the ambinent humidity around 50-60%, which I can maintain by spraying down my terrarium once a week.
@@CatharticOutlet new documentary on ball pythons in the wild. Traveling through 3 countries and talking with multiple natives and on hand experience
@@CatharticOutlet this video was documented by a well known ball python keeper.
ua-cam.com/video/iwHbJ2nibYs/v-deo.html
@@richardstewart7263 Interesting, I haven't seen the documentary yet so I cannot judge the accuracy of this claim. Yet even if these wild pythons never leave their burrows or bask, the primary heat they get will still be in form of top-down solar radiation, consisting of IR-A and IR-B, which again, a heat mat does not provide...
Like many nocturnal/crepuscular reptiles, ball pythons absolutely do bask; they’ve been documented basking both in the wild and in captivity. Unfortunately I can’t link it for some reason, but there’s a study debunking ball python myths that mentions this. You can look it up yourself, it’s titled ‘dispelling python regius myths’.
A halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer/dimming thermostat is the most natural and beneficial option during the day, Arcadia’s deep heat projector is the second best option. They produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively than heat mats/CHEs/heat panels. Whereas heat mats/CHEs/heat panels only produce IRC, which only heats the surface of their skin. These heat sources are good for nighttime, though.
Here’s a good video comparing heat sources ua-cam.com/video/dUJZ04sqhxk/v-deo.html
How long do they last? :)
I can't speak from my own experience as I've only had the thing for a few months, but according to the internet they should last for a few years at least. Similar to the life expectancy of a ceramic heat emitter.
Just letting you know that halogen flood bulbs are more natural and beneficial than DHPs! The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength).
@House Of Reptilez Good to know, thanks for sharing!
🤘🍻🤘
My first comment regarding your video is that a CHE does not in any way interrupt a snakes circadian rhythm. Why did you put that in your video? DHP are very expensive, so that's why most hobbyists use CHE's. CHE's provide a very good source of heat for reptiles. It was your choice to change to a DHP, but I'm not in agreement with the science you are discussing to support it.
Where in my video did I mention that a CHE disrupts a snake's circadian rhythm? In fact, I don't think a CHE is more "disruptive" than a DHP in that regard. All I said was that solar radiation helps regulate animals' circadian cycles, which is why we should aim to replicate it in captivity.
The problem with CHEs is that they only emit infra-red C, which is blocked by keratin in the skin and therefore does not allow reptiles to warm their bodies efficiently.
Also, when it comes to keeping animals, something being cheaper than something else alone is not a good argument for its usage. Keepers should prioritize the wellbeing of their pets as opposed to cutting costs.
Is a halogen a deep heat projector?
A halogen lamp is a type of heat lamp, comparable to a tungsten filament bulb, it emits visible light and infra red A and B.
Would you say that your ball pythons natural activity level throughout the 7 to 10 day period while she is waiting to be fed has increased and if so by how much for example did she go from only coming out of her hide once per feeding cycle looking for food after bowel movement to comming out of her hide multiple times per week just to explore as it seems that she's pretty active from what you have mentioned in your other videos.... I often wish that my male ball python would come out more often more than the once per feeding cycle the only way I might get to see him out at night more would be to wait another day after his bowel movement for him to hunt for a second night and then fed the next day after that but I choose not to let him be hungry for long
I think there can be many factors that influence a snake’s activity levels. My python doesn’t seem to care that much about food, and her activity doesn’t seem to correlate much with her feeding schedule (I feed her every three weeks because of her age and size). Though she is very active at the moment, there was actually a 4-month period where she was acting like a pet rock and barely left her hide, so they can have different phases. In general, I noticed the warmer my apartment gets in the summer, the more active the snakes are - thus increasing the area of the warm spot in the terrarium could promote activity. I also noticed both my snakes became more visible after installing UVB. They would stick their heads out of their hides more often and come out to bask during the day. Another thing you can do to promote activity is increase the size of the enclosure and/or add some new items for enrichment - like add a new hide or branch and the snake will likely come out to explore it. Lastly, a reason you may not see your snake out much if it is shy and possibly scared of you. My corn snake used to be like that, so I started leaving her alone as much as possible and only handled her if she decided to come out of her terrarium. That way she gradually became braver and now regularly wants to leave her enclosure to explore the apartment. In general, I find that patience is key when working with snakes.
@Cathy Outlet wouldn't think the snake would be afraid of me but who knows I mean I take him out regularly and yeah I do need to put some other things in the terrarium it's already 40 gallon witch for a male should be fine its 36"x18x18 and he's only 2.5ft so more than enough room at the moment but who knows I love the hek out of him just wish he would explore more often
@Cathy Outlet I am rather curious on weather it should be pitch black at night as there is a bit of light on from like a bug zapper that I use 24/7 to keep the flying insects to I minimum that is in the room I do cover it so that it will block most of the light from it basically trying to mimic moonlight amounts for nighttime or would that be considered to much he does come out with it on but only when he's hungry so I'm wondering if he might be more active if it was darker than what the moon would be doing in an absolutely natural environment type of setting
@@hurlrules1 I wouldn’t worry too much about the bit of light from the bug zapper, my snakes become active at night even though they are in my living room where I keep the room light on until late at night when I am working. I think the fact that they have light in their terrariums which turns off in the evening along with the heating helps stimulate their day and night cycle (I think even ambient daylight can have the same effect). If you’re interested in building a closer relationship with your snake I can recommend trying out target training - along with choice-based handling as it has helped make my snakes more calm and tolerant of me. There’s a UA-cam channel that goes over the basics, I can link it to you if you’re interested!
@CatharticOutlet I have seen the lady that you have mentioned b4 in your videos about target training and I actually take my ball python out usually 2 times a week sometimes more for exercise and social time he is very tolerant with me not head shy as long as I dont move to fast from behind his head he's such a good boy honestly
Your explaining IRC made me sad... that means my gecko cannot enjoy a warmth of my hand. 🥲
I thought the same thing