# Heat lamp or Heat mat?



## kiwithief (Jan 16, 2011)

hey which is best for snakes for heating a viv (king snakes more so) a heat lamp or heat mat? And if it depends on other stuff, what stuff would that be like type of viv etc.. and do you only need one of them to heat a viv or is it better to have both? like would it be okay just to use a heat mat and no heat lamp in my viv? 

Sorry just been reading alot of care sheets and different info on king snakes and it starts getting a bit confusing when they all say different stuff about heating. So thanks to anyone who can help!


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## leecb0 (Apr 14, 2009)

Its all about opinions. i have kept snakes for years and my personal opinion is that heat lamps in vivariums are the best method for your intended snake. It might be best to keep in a rub on a heatmat when its young then move it into a vivarium when its a bit larger but it depends on how big the snake is you are going to buy.


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## iron-clover (Aug 2, 2010)

Hi,
If you have a warm-ish house, then you should be able to just use a heat mat. Just remember to put it on a thermostat though, to prevent it from overheating. I have found that that cheap mat-stats don't really work that well though, as the viv often cools quite a bit before it turns the mat back on, so I would go for the more expensive pulse proportional stat for a heat mat. One thing I noticed from my care books is how they don't stress the use of thermostats enough, or tell of them at all.

However, if you struggle to get to the right temps if you have a cold house (I had troubles with my corn in the first winter, and the care is pretty much the same as with kings) then you will need some kind of spot lamp.

I prefer the ceramic ones that do not emit light, so I can have them turned on 24/7. However, you do need a lamp holder that is designed for ceramic lights though, as the general bulb ones could well melt. 
On the bright side, you can use a pulse proportional stat on a ceramic bulb, but you can't use one on a light emmitting bulb, which saves the expense of a dimmer bulb.
Also of course you need a bulb guard :whistling2:

As for having them both on at once, if you do get a ceramic bulb, then you should be able to safely remove the heat mat, as once I started using mine, I used it as a back up, but never needed to use it.

Also, you can help yourself by getting digital thermometers with probes if you haven;t already done so, as they give such a better reading than any other thermometer and is great for monitoring the temp under the bulb/ on the heatmat. Exo terra does one that is quite cheap, and has a min/ max function which is really useful.

Good luck,
Hope it helps


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

Just a thought....if you go for a bulb or ceramic, I would advise having it caged. I've found Kings are inquisitive, nosey and will climb: victory:


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## the mighty P (Feb 6, 2010)

i would have a bulb caged on a thermostat


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## The Rook (Mar 17, 2010)

You'd need both.


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## nelly1 (Oct 27, 2009)

The Rook said:


> You'd need both.


.
Why would you neeed a heat lamp and mat.


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