Ball Python Temperature Requirements
| Type | Temperature | Ways to Measure | Ways to Adjust |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambient | 75°-80° | Thermometer | Heat Lamp or bedroom unit |
| Basking Spot | 85°-90° | Heat Gun | Heat Lamp |
| Minimum | 69° | Thermometer | Temps should never reach this low add heat source to adjust |
| Belly Heat | 85°-90° | Thermostat | Add a heat pad or mat under the enclosure |
| Cool Side | 75°-80° | Heat Gun | Lower wattage on lamp bulbs. |
Don’t Learn the Hard Way
My first snake I’ve ever had is a corn snake. I was so excited and nervous to have a snake of my own, I had just graduated college, I had a rented room to myself and my first companion, Peaches, on my way to adulthood.
I read all the articles online and blogs about temperatures, husbandry, humidity, tank size, heat mats, heat lamps, THE WORKS.
I ended up using a heat lamp as a heat source with a thermometer and hydrometer combo that you see in all reptile supply stores. Everything was perfect. The humidity was high, the temps exactly right and it was keeping my corn snake so happy that he was moving ALL THE TIME.
Well… it wasn’t until I saw my Peaches hanging out at the top of the cage constantly that I realized
Something was wrong.
Come to find out my temperatures were way too high to be comfortable for him. My corn snake wasn’t active, he was trying to escape the heat!
Man, did I feel guilty.
After that I got a BETTER thermometer, a heat gun, and never trusted a “reptile” thermometer again…sadly, they just don’t work.
Fast forward years later and Peaches has grown to be an adult and thriving, but I need to share this story with you because the same can easily happen with your ball python.
There are many forums that argue what the best temperatures are for a ball python. I have gathered information from multiple reliable sources and here is what I found.
Ball Python Ambient Temperature
The ambient temperature is the temperature of the air in the enclosure, which for a ball python should be 75°-80°. The ambient temperature is important for a ball python to be comfortable and avoid any health problems such as respiratory infections or impaction. It’s ok if the ambient temperature drops to 69° but should never be any less.2
Use a good thermometer to measure the ambient temperature in your ball pythons enclosure. I recommend digital thermometers since they’ve been more accurate for me after my corn snake incident
Ball Python’s Belly Heat
Opposed to ambient heat, belly heat is a heat source at the bottom of your ball python’s enclosure. The belly heat should be between 85°-90° but never more since this could cause burns to your snake.
This heat source will not increase the ambient temperature if it is set correctly, but it will aid in keeping your ball python comfortable and healthy.
Use a digital infrared thermometer to get an accurate reading of a heat mat temperature. Use a thermostat to control the maximum temperature of the belly heat. This will prevent burns or overheating.
Only want one heat source? Click here for the pros and cons of heat lamps and heat pads
How to Increase Ambient Temperature
A heat lamp is the best way to increase ambient heat in a ball python enclosure. The closer the lamp is to the enclosure the higher the ambient temperature will be. You can also adjust the heat emitted from the heat lamp by increasing the wattage on the bulbs.
Please refer to this chart to determine what wattage to use
Conclusion
There are many ways to adjust the temperature of a ball pythons enclosure. Be sure to choose the right one that works for you and your pet. These temperatures are suggestions to create a comfortable environment for your pet, but you can adjust them to fit your ball python’s needs. As long as the ambient temperature is warm enough for your ball python to digest food you are doing something right as a ball python owner.
- http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/savanna.html
- http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/other-pets/ballpython/
