Heating for Childrens (i live in the NT and i ust also need some pointers)

[Oenpelli-Girl]

Hi Im Annie,

I need to know if i need a heat mat for a childrens? I live in the top end and thats where pythons live. But they absorb a lot of the heat from the roads so do i need a heat mat or the cage facing the sun be good enough. I've never owned a snake so if you have any pointers about childrens (eg, feeding, temperment, and please can someone tell how big a nice sized cage would be).

Bye from Oenpelli

 

[hornet]

i keep my coastals down here in qld with no heat but if you do wannt give them something a low wattage wouldnt be fine, you dont want to put too much heating on it as you live in a very hot climate.

 

[sherbs]

Heating for Childrens

Having lived in the NT for 16 years I doubt you would need any heating, unless its kept in airconditioning. Be very carefull of using the sun to warm the cage as it can make things too hot and your Childrens would have no where to get away from the heat. Many a reptile has died in this manner. Ensure you have a temperature gradient thru your cage to allow your Childrens to move to an area or temp that suits.
I miss the NT wildlife...a top place.

 

[Oenpelli-Girl]

The sun will most likly be on the cage at all times so do u think it would work if i had a piece pf cardboard/wood covering half the glass?

 

[Hsut77]

If the sun is on the cage at all times I think being in the NT you will cook your little fella. You may want to reconsider the location of the enclosure.

 

[Oenpelli-Girl]

Thats easliy done but do you think the cardboard idea would work?

 

[jessb]

Yeah I agree that having the sun on the cage is a bad idea. The glass front works like an oven, trapping the heat inside - I learnt this the hard way when I was about 10 and cooked all my pet mice in one go... I don't think the cardboard shade would work well enough, because the area that gets the sun will absorb it and heat the whole interior...

For a children's you ideally want a warm spot (low 30s) plus a cooler area (mid 20s) so your snake can choose where he wants to go.

 

[Oenpelli-Girl]

ok. btw the tank is not all glass its got wood-back-left side-right and perspetcs at the front or how eva u spell it.

 

[Fiona74]

Yeah i wouldn't just use cardboard (or anything) to shade it as even though it may not be directly in the sun the tank can still heat up too much. Same as jessb said.
You know how hot it can still get in the shade sometimes.

 

[Hsut77]

Just think how hot a car gets when it is in the sun, the enclousure could get to over 70 deg in a matter of half an hour. Best to put it somewhere with shade or better still inside.

 

[herptrader]

I would not expect your cardboard idea will work.

Lash out and purchase a thermometer. What you are aiming for is an enclosure with a hot end that gets to about the mid 30's and a cool end that never gets much above 25c.

In the wild on a hot day they can seek refuge under rocks or similar cover that takes a long time to heat.

Too hot will kill a reptile much faster than too cool.