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The Importance of Heat Pads in Your Snake Cage

Below are the reasons why using a heat pad is important when keeping snakes.

Provides Heat

Snakes are cold blooded ( ectothermic) and cannot generate their own body heat. If your snakes cage is 15 degrees Celsius your snakes body temperature will be 15 degrees Celsius. Most snakes preferred body temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius. A heat pad will give an area for your snake to increase its body temperature. I have a thermometer on my boas heat pad and it creates a hot spot that measures a constant 35 degrees Celsius.

Provides a Thermal Gradient

Placing the heat pad on one side of my Boa cage allows my Boa to warm himself up on the heat pad and cool himself down by hiding behind one of his logs on the opposite side of the cage. Never heat the entire cage.

Low Wattage & Constant Heat

Heat pads are low wattage and give off a constant heat. You can leave a heat pad on without worrying about your snake overheating. I recommend  the silver foil pads which are available on this website.

Digestion

Heat pads are perfect for snakes that have eaten a big meal and need to digest. A heat pad can mean the difference between your new hatchling Corn Snake digesting its pinkie and you having to remove a half digested pinkies from your hatchling Corn Snakes cage. A heat pad is extremely important with snakes that have just eaten a large meal e.g. Burmese Python that just consumed 6 rabbits.

Gravid Boas & Vipers

Heat Pads provides the belly heat that a Gravid Boa or Viper needs to produce healthy young.

Long Lasting

Heat pads do not blow like light bulbs and a flat heat pad should not need to be replaced.

Burrowing Snakes

Burrowing snakes such as Kenyan Sand Boas and Western Hog Nose Snakes prefer a cage that is heated using a heat pad rather than a basking lamp.

 

Timothy Zedi

Tim Zedi is a seasoned reptile enthusiast with over 25 years of experience in keeping and breeding a wide variety of reptiles. Tim was the former chairman of the West Rand Herpetological Association and volunteered at the Transvaal Snake Park.Tim has been instrumental in creating knowledge in the reptile community. He is a regular contributor to Practical Reptile Keeping magazine, where he shares his expertise and insights. Through his work, Tim has become a respected figure in the herpetology field, dedicated to educating others and promoting responsible reptile care.