Heat lamps for snakes; good or bad? V 1.0

[mpgt]

This is version 1 of the debate "Heat lamps for snakes; good or bad?". This thread is not a place to come and insult, mock, degrade or put down members for their views. Engage the debate in the spirit in which it is meant to be debated.

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[RioBravoReptiles]

Good or bad for what?
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There are obviously good ways to use to use these and not-so-good uses as well. The question should be much more specific "in my opinion"
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Be safe.

[mpgt]

Sorry, I was thinking "for snakes". I'll change the thread title. Thanks, Gus.

Well I was thinking if they were generally considered a good thing, we should seek to incorporate them into our cages. If they were "bad", we should try to do without them.

[RioBravoReptiles]

Originally Posted by mpgt

....I'll change the thread title......

.
Handy trick, that.

[jbt123]

It depends on the snake. Most are fine with belly heat, while others like to climb and might need a basking spot. I dont use them, because none of mine are aboreal.

[razeraze]

I only use heat lamps or CHE. The surface areas provide the belly heat. It really is a silly question, any heating element in the wrong keeper's hands is dangerous. I knew a guy who used several heat rocks in an enclosure with no control or dial to change the heat they put out. How ever this was a room sized enclosure with multiple heat rocks that span the belly length of his anacondas (11 and 13 feet). This way the whole snake was heated and not a small area which is usually the problem with heat rocks.

[spix14]

I use heat lights on all my snakes except the boas and the BP. The carpets like to stay up in their branches, so they wouldn't get any use out of a heating pad. I tried one on my Jungle/Diamond and he never used it once in three months, so I finally gave up on it. The emerald has one as well. I do plan on switching to radiant heat panels when my cage is finished, though. I don't really care for heat lights, but as I'm using glass tanks right now, and half my snakes refuse to go to the bottom of the cage, I don't really have a choice. I will be glad to never see another bulb, though. I've had a few of them burn out after a week or two, and a couple have even burst when I bumped the lamp wrong.

I think they have their uses, but overall the cons outweigh the pros for me.

[TKR Reptiles]

i use both for my bp. she has the uth and a low wattage bulb to keep the temps right. she only uses the uth every so ofter. most of the time she hangs out in the cool side on a branch. my boa only has a full spectrum light. he loves it. he basks in it all the time, and if he isnt basking he is in his hide. when i have just a regular bulb he never really basks. i like lights b/c they are a more natural heating source that a uth.