Basically:
One heat source at one end connected to a thermostat and aim for a gradient of 32 hot 25 cold (depends on species).
What you use depends on what you want-heat emitter (ceramic lasts longer than glass) or IR bulb arrangement. Also there are radiant heaters (she herpshop) and heat coils and heat matts. Your choice dependant on the effect that you want. If you have a naked (exposed) heat source I also suggest that you have a cage around it as some snakes (diamonds come to mind) like to climb and cuddle heat lamps.
Lights: depends on the effect that you want. Either naked standard bulb of varying wattage (use edison ceramic screw fittings rather than bayonets and you can interchange the bulbs easier with heat emmitters if you wnat to change things). Remember that they also emit heat as well so people tend to keep them at the hot end with their heat source.
Also if you are going to use a light source it is best to have it on a timer to get a day/night cycle as then animal will then act a bit more naturally.
Bulbs may also need a cage to prevent burns to your snake.
Slightly more complicated option is a fluro tube which gives off less heat but more light with less cost (eletricity). You have to make the system snake proof tho as they get into fluoro tubes and hide in the tube holder/wiring or whatever. The other advantage is the ability to add UV tubes to fluoros and therefore allow a certain amount of UV light for dependant animals.
Other options are halogen downlights and specialized UV mercury lights whic require a bit of work to build into a system.
You may also think about a blue or red light source for your system as well for night illumination. This allows you to look at your animals (particularly if they are nocturnal) and also provide backup heat (low wattage bulb) if your primary heat soruce fails.
This can be linked to your day light source via a Night/Day timer (see
www.reptilebarn.com.au) so that you can get more consistent day night cycles.
Hope this helps
Cheers Hawkeye
PS: I suggest that you use a licenced electrician to put the enclosure lighting together as it may invalidate your insurance if their is a fault in the wiring that burns your house down.
