# Cornsnake temperature



## intrepidus6 (Oct 24, 2007)

My cornsnake's cage has a cool end and a hot end.  The hot end is heated by a reptile heat pad on the outside of the side of the tank.  The temperature on the hot end is between 73-75 degrees F.  The cool end is at 71-73 F.  The thermometers I use are made by Zoomed and are round with a hand like a clock.  The tank is twenty gallons. She eats 1-2 fuzzie mice every Thursday or Friday.  She is 1 year, 4 months old, captive breed. 

The problem is, I have read that a tank should around 80 degrees F.  However, she is almost always on the cool end.  The only time I see her on the hot end is for a day or two after she eats.  I thought maybe she preferred the kind of hiding spot I had for her on the cold end, so I switched them but she still stays on the cool end.

Why is this?  Is there something wrong?  Should I increase the temp. even though she stays on the cool end?

-Thanks


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## pitbulllady (Oct 24, 2007)

intrepidus6 said:


> My cornsnake's cage has a cool end and a hot end.  The hot end is heated by a reptile heat pad on the outside of the side of the tank.  The temperature on the hot end is between 73-75 degrees F.  The cool end is at 71-73 F.  The thermometers I use are made by Zoomed and are round with a hand like a clock.  The tank is twenty gallons. She eats 1-2 fuzzie mice every Thursday or Friday.  She is 1 year, 4 months old, captive breed.
> 
> The problem is, I have read that a tank should around 80 degrees F.  However, she is almost always on the cool end.  The only time I see her on the hot end is for a day or two after she eats.  I thought maybe she preferred the kind of hiding spot I had for her on the cold end, so I switched them but she still stays on the cool end.
> 
> ...


I have always kept Corns at room temperature, which varies between 70 and 75, generally.  I've had Corns, and successfully bred Corns, since I was a teenager, and that has been a long time!  I've never put any auxiliary heat source on a Corn Snake, and they've always done just fine.  There is, unfortunately, a lot of misinformation out there, probably written by people who do not actually keep and breed the animals that they're trying to inform others about.  Best advice-ask someone who's had years of experience with that particular animal.

pitbulllady


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## intrepidus6 (Oct 24, 2007)

So should I not even have the heatpad on the side?


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## Cirith Ungol (Oct 24, 2007)

I can only fully agree with PBL, room temp, which in my cold flat is at about 23 degrees C during winter and 26-27C at max in summer during a hot day. I don't even hybernate them, and they're going at making offspring like crazy. She has layed a total of about 40 eggs this year, non of them duds. For one tank I've added a small heat pad, but as in your case, they only care about it for a short while after eating.

So, don't stress.


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## Mushroom Spore (Oct 24, 2007)

pitbulllady said:


> There is, unfortunately, a lot of misinformation out there, probably written by people who do not actually keep and breed the animals that they're trying to inform others about.  Best advice-ask someone who's had years of experience with that particular animal.


I agree with this. http://www.cornsnake.net/care.php3  



intrepidus6 said:


> So should I not even have the heatpad on the side?


It shouldn't be on the side anyway. Side pads are for arboreal animals and burrowing tarantulas/hermit crabs/scorpions. For snakes and lizards, it goes underneath.

Also, those crappy plastic temperature dials are probably inaccurate.

Anyway, you shouldn't expect a snake to use the hot side exactly half the time. Like you said yourself, most of them only use it when they NEED it, which is to help digest their food (and in some animals, like my python, they go over there when it's time to poop).


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## Flagg (Oct 24, 2007)

You need a good digital thermometer with a probe. Put the probe directly on the glass over the center of the heat mat, under any substrate.  The temperature there should be 82-85 degrees.  It is probably higher than that currently.  Your dial type thermometers are worthless, as they only measure ambient room temp and not the temperature on the heat mat where the snake can burrow.

You will need a thermostat or rheostat (lamp dimmer) to regulate the heat mat.  Without one of these it is undoubtedly TOO HOT.  That is why your corn snake avoids it.  You can get a pre made lamp dimmer from WalMart for $9 that works very well.  Avoid ZooMed rheostats as they do not dial down low enough for corn snakes.  If you want a low cost thermostat, the ZooMed 500R thermostat is a good low cost model, 22.99 plus shipping at several online vendors like reptilesupply.com or reptiledirect.com.

A thermostat is preferred as it will turn the mat on and off as needed and will account for changes in room temp.  The rheostat or lamp dimmer just lowers the amount of power going to the mat but doesn;t account for room temp so it will have to be checked often and adjusted as needed.  A thermostat can be set and left alone for the most part.

Sorry, I missed the part about the UTH on the side of the tank.  Under the tank and regulated is the best way, as corns need belly heat for digestion.


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## Lorgakor (Oct 24, 2007)

That's interesting, I had always read that they need to have extra heat and basking areas too. So in the winter if it gets cool in your house would an extra space heater in the room be sufficient?


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## Mushroom Spore (Oct 24, 2007)

Lorgakor said:


> That's interesting, I had always read that they need to have extra heat and basking areas too. So in the winter if it gets cool in your house would an extra space heater in the room be sufficient?


No. Cold-blooded animals need a temperature gradient in their enclosure, so that if they need to be warmer or cooler at any given time, they can do so. A space heater in the room cannot provide this, as it will just heat up everything.


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## Lorgakor (Oct 24, 2007)

So you disagree with what pitbulllady and Cirith Ungol are saying about not needing the extra heat?


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## Jmugleston (Oct 24, 2007)

Watch the animal. If it is growing, feeding and surviving (breeding would be a good indicator too) then it is doing well. Provide a gradient and let the snake decide. Provided it is not trying to hide all the time (stress) if it is always on the heat pad you're too cold. If it is constantly cruising the cage on the cool side trying to get out, it may be too hot. Buy a better themometer. The plastic dial thermometers from pet stores suck. They are hardly accurate. After a meal, most my snakes go and sit under the heat panels or on the heat strips. My lizards also do this. This warms them up and speeds up digestion. 
So: give the snake a gradient and don't worry too much. If they have a choice between temps low 70s or so on the cool side and a warm end (i think my thermostat is turned to 82 degrees F), then you should be fine. Just watch the animal and enjoy.
Joey

Just for fun....One of our 07 hatchlings:


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## Takumaku (Oct 24, 2007)

If you keep your place at around 78 F during the day and night time temps in the upper 60s, lower 70s, then you do not need supplmental heating.  If you want to provide a temp gradient and you only have a few cages, an UTH will work wonders.  If you have alot of cages (like moi), a small heater does the trick.

So basically, I'm agreeing and disagreeing with everyone.


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## Mushroom Spore (Oct 24, 2007)

Lorgakor said:


> So you disagree with what pitbulllady and Cirith Ungol are saying about not needing the extra heat?


That's what my post said, isn't it?


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## intrepidus6 (Oct 24, 2007)

I moved the heatpad to the bottom of the tank, I'll get one of those dimmer things soon.


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## Cirith Ungol (Oct 25, 2007)

The reason why I'm not heating from under the tank is because I provide rather deep substrate (up to four in.).


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