# Wooden vivarium and heat mats



## tanithvosloo (Sep 14, 2013)

I have built a large wooden vivarium to house corn snakes, now the heat mats I have looked at most of them say they shouldnt be used with wooden vivariums. So what can I use? Are they a fire hazard?


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## marty5588 (Jun 6, 2013)

*Heat mats*

I have been using a heeat mat in a wooden viv for a few months now and have had no problems. I have it under ceramic stone effect tiles, and it is connected to a mat stat. I keep Leopard Geckos in the vivs, so I'm not sure about snakes ie what the substrate should be, if they burrow in it or the like, but i've had no issues with the wood getting too hot. Hope this helps a little.


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## tanithvosloo (Sep 14, 2013)

I was thinking of making a frame, putting the heat mat in it and covering it with lino as someone suggested with air vents in the frame. I have had snakes before but never used a heat mat as they were in glass tanks. Any suggestions would be welcome


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## cjd12345 (Nov 2, 2011)

Most of my vivs are glass. My wooden viv I built myself and fitted it out with background (and foreground). Part of the "background" forms supports for a glass shelf which is 10cm off the bottom of the viv, and the heatmat is mounted to the bottom of the glass shelf. 
This gives the snakes a warm underground hide (under the shelf because the heat radiates in all directions) and on top of the shelf there's substrate and a warm hide that they can use. Nothing like giving the little snakies as much choice of heating levels as possible.


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## bob brown (Mar 15, 2010)

How big is the viv? I have used mats in all my wooden vivs just on the bottom of the inside (with a stat!) and only a thin covering of substrate on them.
But I have to say now I only use ceramics in all but 1 of my wooden vivs, and that's a rather elaborate set up which is to hard to explain! ( =

I prefer ceramics


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## bob brown (Mar 15, 2010)

have a look here http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/habitat/65785-what-do-do-your-heat.html


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## tanithvosloo (Sep 14, 2013)

cjd12345 said:


> Most of my vivs are glass. My wooden viv I built myself and fitted it out with background (and foreground). Part of the "background" forms supports for a glass shelf which is 10cm off the bottom of the viv, and the heatmat is mounted to the bottom of the glass shelf.
> This gives the snakes a warm underground hide (under the shelf because the heat radiates in all directions) and on top of the shelf there's substrate and a warm hide that they can use. Nothing like giving the little snakies as much choice of heating levels as possible.


 This sounds like a good idea but do the brackets that you use to fix the shelf in get too hot thanks


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