Heating for grey banded kingsnake

Chris 170273 · 02-03-21, 01:15 PM

We have an 18 month old grey banded kingsnake arriving Inna couple of weeks and we are assembling the vivarium and other equipment. It is my son's snake, and his, our, first snake. So a learning curve.

We have gone the the maxi Viv exotic vivarium (3.5 foot in length) bit the shop we are picking the snake up from has advised a heat lamp only. I have since read different advice. A heat may and a ceramic heat lamp, just a heat mat, etc.

As they are nocturnal I can see it isn't just a case of adding a heater and presumably a combination of lamp and may will give a more natural setting?

Any help appreciated

Chris

Chris 170273 · 02-06-21, 02:29 PM

of course i meant heat mat, not may. Although an update, we are now thinking that a tungsten lamp with a dimming thermostat, some rocks under the lamp, and a ceramic night time heat lamp may be the best thing to do? Want to avoid a heat mat...

toddnbecka · 02-06-21, 10:24 PM

A heat mat would be the best option, much easier to regulate the temp than a heat lamp. The ceramic heat lamps are more suitable to basking species, rather than nocturnal snakes like kings and milks. As long as there's a warm area (about 1/4-1/3 of the bottom area on one end) with hides on both the warm and cooler ends the snake can regulate its body temp to suit its needs. IME most of their time is spent on the cool end, even after eating.
Do invest in a good quality thermostat to regulate the temperature on the warm end. The only heat mats I use are ultratherm brand. Even w/out a thermostat they won't ever get hot enough to cook your critter or damage the enclosure, or anything below it. Looking at the viv you listed, I'd recommend using some aluminum foil tape to attach the heat mat under one end. Place the temp probe from the thermostat between the mat and the viv. Once the mat warms up, check the temperature inside the viv, and adjust the temp accordingly. The actual temp inside the viv will almost certainly be a bit lower than the thermostat indicates, just subtract the difference to get it where you need it.

Chris 170273 · 02-07-21, 09:37 AM

Thanks for the reply,

So the heat mat goes under the wooden base of the vivarium? With the weight of the vivarium on top of it?

Chris

toddnbecka · 02-07-21, 11:17 PM

Ya, never put the mat inside the viv. You may want to put something under the viv to allow some air circulation between the heat mat on the bottom and the top surface of the table, or whatever the viv is set on. Not much space is needed, but a little is a good idea. My stacked enclosures have thin wooden strips running front-to-back on the ends, with another in the center to help support/distribute the weight more evenly.
Looks something like this from above: [____]____] (Top to bottom = front to back of the viv).