# Corn snake lighting/heating.



## Dexter612

Right now I have a young corn snake, approaching a year old, it's just a little over 2 feet in length.
At the moment I keep it in a 1.5 ft (18") glass terrarium, I'm using a heat mat for heat and a weak-ish pygmy bulb just for those colder days.

I'm ready to move him into a 3 ft (36") wooden vivarium any time now, just have to drill a hole in the top to feed the probe through. Young corns are easy enough to care for as the heat mat is good enough to keep them warm, but I've been doing my research on wooden vivariums and heat methods, I've asked in shops, read multiple care sheets, and it seems the more I read, the more conflicting information I pick up.

I got my setup from a place in Leeds called Tyrannosaurus Pets (used to be Snakes n' Adders) and for heating, the owner told me that I don't need to use a heat mat for an older snake as they're mostly used for hatchlings/youngsters in their first tub/terrarium, and that once you move it into a viv you will use a bulb with a stat controlling it, and over night the bulb can be turned off, now leaving it with no source of heat until morning when I turn it back on.

Other places have said you can continue using a heat mat with no need for any bulb, but since the heat would obviously not pass through wood very well, it would have to be kept inside the viv under substrate and controlled by a thermostat.

My question is, which is most recommended? With so many conflicting claims, how does a first timer decide which is right for him? Right now the equipment I have waiting to use in the wooden vivarium is a Crompton Reflector Lamp (60w) with a bulb guard so the snake can't get to it, and MICROclimate International Temperature Control Systems thermostat, both included in the complete setup, and the owner assured me that this equipment is fine.

He also drew me a diagram of the positioning of the light and probe, explaining that with the stat set to about 25/26 degrees, the warm end of the viv should heat up to 28-30 degrees with the cooler end being 22-23 degrees, and the probe would be against the back wall of the vivarium in line with the bulb.

I apologize for the length of the post, hopefully it's not too much to wade through, but any comments, suggestions, advice or corrections would be most appreciated.


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## bladeblaster

My personal preference is a ceramic heat bulb, these produce no light so can be left on 24/7.


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## Ssthisto

The advice provided by Matt sounds fine to me - corns do well with a drop to ambient at night - it simulates a true day-night cycle for them.

For a big corn snake I wouldn't really want to use a heat mat inside the viv, because they CAN pee like a racehorse and you run the risk of flooding the mat unless you are going to seal down ceramic tiles or similar to ensure the heat mat is never in contact with liquids.


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## reptile_care

Just a quick question. Aren't heat mats covered in a plastic? wouldnt this make them waterproof?? I'm not trying to be awkward, I would just like to know as I know lots of people who keep corn snakes with heat mats.


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## bladeblaster

they are supposed to be water proof, but I have had coats that are supposed to be water proof, its not really a risk worth taking.


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## Ssthisto

reptile_care said:


> Just a quick question. Aren't heat mats covered in a plastic? wouldnt this make them waterproof??


They are... except around the terminal block where the cables HAVE to pierce through the plastic to the electrics beneath.

That's what you want to avoid having flooded - not the mat itself, but the terminal block.


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## reptile_care

thanks for the information. I guess when I move my corn snake into it's new 4ft viv, the heat mat will become redundant. I guess I could use it for something else (maybe keeping my locusts warm lol)


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## jimmus

reptile_care said:


> thanks for the information. I guess when I move my corn snake into it's new 4ft viv, the heat mat will become redundant. I guess I could use it for something else (maybe keeping my locusts warm lol)


No no no, another corn snake silly!!

If you used the mat inside the viv you could add a small shelf only a couple of mills above the floor of the viv to slide the mat underneath or even get the type that have a sticky underside, then seal the terminal with some sort of silicon?


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## reptile_care

Don't think my other half will let me have another snake. I had to moan like a b for this one. However who knows what the future holds.


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## Dexter612

Ssthisto said:


> The advice provided by Matt sounds fine to me - corns do well with a drop to ambient at night - it simulates a true day-night cycle for them.
> 
> For a big corn snake I wouldn't really want to use a heat mat inside the viv, because they CAN pee like a racehorse and you run the risk of flooding the mat unless you are going to seal down ceramic tiles or similar to ensure the heat mat is never in contact with liquids.


So there won't be any problems with the lack of heat at night?


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## Ssthisto

Unless your house drops below a comfortable level for you to be in it, no there shouldn't be. 

Keep in mind that escapee cornsnakes have been found months or years later healthy and having grown - they haven't necessarily had 24-7 heating! 

If you're particularly worried about the temperatures in winter overnight, you could always swap to a red light bulb and put the heating on 24 hours a day in winter - but that will confuse the poor little fellow if it's warmer in winter than in summer.


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## Dexter612

Thanks for the feedback then. I'll stick with the bulb during daylight hours and maybe invest in a red bulb nearer autumn/winter time. I recently got the heating fixed in my room so it should be okay I guess.

Over summer, do you guys just leave the lamps/heat mats off? I got lucky with my snake last year as many of this forum's fellow Brits will know, it wasn't that warm over here. I'm a bit worried about it overheating this year though. That is of course assuming our summer isn't abnormally cool like '08.


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## Grond

Dexter612 said:


> Thanks for the feedback then. I'll stick with the bulb during daylight hours and maybe invest in a red bulb nearer autumn/winter time. I recently got the heating fixed in my room so it should be okay I guess.
> 
> Over summer, do you guys just leave the lamps/heat mats off? I got lucky with my snake last year as many of this forum's fellow Brits will know, it wasn't that warm over here. I'm a bit worried about it overheating this year though. That is of course assuming our summer isn't abnormally cool like '08.


I have my heat mats on for most of the year as I like to provide the corns with a temperature gradient. I do adjust the temperature of the mat(with a stat) and the background temperature of the room to provide warmer weather in summer, and cooler in winter.

Any snakes I'm planning to breed, do get their mats turned off for a month in January, but at this point I don't feed them either so the temperature gradient isn't so important. I still keep the background temperature of the room at about 16-18 degrees centigrade for this period.


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## jimmus

Grond said:


> I have my heat mats on for most of the year as I like to provide the corns with a temperature gradient. I do adjust the temperature of the mat(with a stat) and the background temperature of the room to provide warmer weather in summer, and cooler in winter.
> 
> Any snakes I'm planning to breed, do get their mats turned off for a month in January, but at this point I don't feed them either so the temperature gradient isn't so important. I still keep the background temperature of the room at about 16-18 degrees centigrade for this period.


Pretty much what I do. Its easier to just use a heat mat and regulate it with a thermostat IMO. I dont bother turning the mats off at night, the cool end of the viv is going to drop to the same level as the cooler room so unless the snake is sitting over the mat 24/7 then it will experience temparatures ranging from 18-23 degrees cool end.

If you have time to adjust temps at night then do it i suppose. You have to remember though that in their natural habitat hugh rocks would be warmed during the day to probably 30 degrees or so maybe hotter then hold alot of that temp overnight which is when the corn would be hunting, so i dont see a problem keeping the heat mat at a constant temp!

Another point to note is that corns abosorb heat through their belly!

OK OK i will shut up about heat mats, and know i dont work for habistat lol :bash:


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## Dexter612

Ahh, more conflicting reports.


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## reptile_care

You will get different answers from different people. Each person will have their own opinions on what is best. Even if you google the subject there is never 1 correct answer. I guess it's just a case of listening to each opinion and then making your own mind up what is best for your lizard and you.


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## jimmus

reptile_care said:


> You will get different answers from different people. Each person will have their own opinions on what is best. Even if you google the subject there is never 1 correct answer. I guess it's just a case of listening to each opinion and then making your own mind up what is best for your lizard and you.


hear hear


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## Dexter612

Yeah, I know it's a case of taking the best from them. I was just hoping maybe the majority had a single opinion even if there were odd differences here and there. I'll just give it a go with what I've got and hope for the best.


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## Ssthisto

Just remember that the members of a forum are by no means the "majority" of reptile keepers - it's amazing how many folks I talk to in various shops are not members of any reptile forums 

As I said in PM, there are as many ways to keep as there are keepers - there are "bad" ways (which people generally agree on) - and there are "better" ways - but the better ways that work for one person might not work for others.


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## Dexter612

Yep. When I said majority, I just meant around here. My apologies for being vague.


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