Is it okay to have a heat lamp instead of an UTH for my cornsnake?

Question

im getting a corn snake in bout 3 hours and some sites i researched say u need a heat lamp, or an UTH only, some say both im confused. i gues ill ask the petstore fer wht they use but wht do u recomend. i have a 15 gallon long tank (2/12ft by 1ft) how much would an UTH cost...

PS i already have a lamp and i no it has to be 75-85 degrees F

plz help corn snake owners only

thx

Answer 1

The reason that the UTH is better suited for a corn snake is because it helps them digest their meals.

Also a heat lamp is more likely to cause the air in the tank to dry out much faster.

That being said I know lots of people who use lamps instead of a UTH and have had no problems.

A UTH will run you about $20 to $25 at most Pet shops. But of course you'll also need a way to regulate the heat as they can easily get way to hot so you'll need a rheostat or a thermostat which will run you another $30 to $100+ depending on what you got.

Overall if you can afford it get the UTH, but if you can't a lamp will work fine.

Last thing - some people use both in order to keep the overall air temperature in the tank at the proper levels. I'll use both during the winter when it gets really cold but other than that I stick with the UTH and keep the room temp around 83 degrees where I keep my snakes.

Answer 2

this would depend on where u live, if u live in a warmer country i would suggest u buy a heat pad and thats it, corn snakes do not need as much humidity as other snakes lie boas or pythons because they are not tropical snakes.  if u live in a colder place i would suggest a heat pad and a night/day lamp that way u will keep him/her warmer in the winter, good luck with ur snake and have fun

Answer 3

Most heat is absorbed through the underside of the snake, an overhead heat lamp would not be as efficient as a UTH at providing necessary heat. Generally an overhead heat lamp is used more for display purposes and proving a light cycle for the snake, it's not really required for a corn snake, though some may choose to use it for additional heating.