Kamis, 30 Juli 2009
how to tell if a snake is to hot?
Answers:
The snake's cage should have a gradient of temperatures (warmer and cooler spots in the cage) so that it can choose where it wants to be. This is usually accomplished with a heated rock, maybe a spotlight at one end, and leaving one end of the cage unheated.
feel it
U need 2 go 2 a Pet Shop and ask what is the best temp for it.
For an old snake, anything above 40 Fahrenheit. A new snake start to worry around 12 Centigrade. Do not use an anal thermometer on snakes.
go up to the snake and say "hey hunni your hot, i'd like to date you"
wait that dont answer your question does it.
oh.
dont know sorry, best bet to ask at the pet shop.
If a snake is too hot, it will usually try to find shade, or relief. For example: immersing itself in its water bowl. So I would watch for these signs. I would also look for signs of infection like a wound, pus, or exudative mucus from the mouth or nostrils. This could cause fever. If that is the case, take it to an exotic vet for treatment.
Like the person above me commented, they need a temperature gradient. For example, corn snakes need a hot end of about 85 degrees F, and a cool side of no colder than 70 degrees F. Depending on what kind of snake you have, the gradient will change. If they are too hot, sometimes, they DONT move. There have been snakes who lay on an unregulated hot rock for so long that they burn the skin right off of themselves. I've seen pictures of a corn that wrapped itself around its heat lamp and it was completely burned all along its body. Not a pretty sight, trust me.
there should be a temp gradient depending on the species,that way if the snake gets to hot it can move to a cooler area,they will sometimes lay in there water bowl but a shy snake will suffer in its hide rather than lay exposed.
Buy a thermometer to check the temp(in the viv, not the snake).
One sure way is that the snake will regurgitate it's meals %26 then after a while, a snake that used to feed well, will refuse to eat.
You can actually purchase a temperature laser from a pet store. You just point it at the snake and push the trigger and it will tell you what temp. the snake is.
check what the thermometer in the enclosure says
there should be care sheets online for whatever kind o snake you have.
most of the time they need a temperature gradient (one side of the cage slightly cooler that the other) so that they can adjust their body temp since they are cold-blooded. this temperature gradient varies depending on the type of snake you have. in your snakes enclosure you should have a heating element (light, or under tank pad, NOT heat rock) on one side of the tank and a thermometer on both sides of the tank to monitor temps. the heating lement on one side allows you to have the gradient that the snake needs. you should have a thermostat to control the temperature of the cage to be sure the gradient is kept constant.
for a care sheet just go to google.com and type in whatever kind of snake you have and then "care sheet." for example if you had a ball python search "ball python care sheet" that will give you the info you need to know about the temperature at which your enclosure should be kept.
