heating issues

[JACK0]

for my carpet python I just have a heat mat underneath the tank, I have the thermostat probe on the hot spot inside the enclosure and the ground heats up to the correct temperature but the ambient temp is pretty cold, the snake does adjust herself and moves on and off the bottom where its warm but sometimes she sits up the top for ages where its pretty cold and she feels really cold to touch when shes up there, I checked her with an infrared thermometer and it read 16 degrees. I know that that is really cold for a snake but she doesn't go down on the heat mat to warm up. should I try and heat the ambient temperature up a bit or is it fine how it is?

 

[Pitttownboy]

She will be fine, if you have a hot spot then if she wants to warm up she will, in nature they spend weeks in hollows or under rock ledges at low temps, if she was at same temp throughout her tank then she couldn't thermo regulate and this would be worse

 

[JACK0]

yeah thats what I figured, I just thought I better check to be on the safe side. I though 16 degrees was way to cold for a snake but I guess if she was to cold she would go warm up

 

[sharky]

What carpet do you have? If it is an arboreal species you'd be better off to create a basking spot higher up on a branch, etc for her. You can do this with a heat lamp.

Most arboreal snakes will spend most of their time above ground and up high rather than dwelling on the enclosure floor.

JMO though. I barely ever see my arboreals on the ground, they are always on a branch or ledge.

 

[JACK0]

shes a coastal carpet about 8 months old, yeah I was aware that they like to climb up high that's why I though that I would need a higher ambient temperature. if I made like a ledge with a basking light on it do you think that would be better off for her so she can still be up high but warm?