Hi. I just got a king snake. she is a mature 5 year old, fully grown. She came with a 20 gallon tank, which she has lived in her whole life, and she is pretty healthy. However, I have two heat sources - a lamp, and and under tank heating pad. The people I got her from didn't use a heating source at all (GASP, I know). I have just been using the heating lamp, and it is hooked up to a rheostat. The problem is, the 'cool end' of her cage is not cool at all. It's supposed to be around 70-75 degrees, it is 79 degrees. The warm end is about 84 degrees. She is in a glass terrarium. Any ideas?

The easiest thing to do would be buy her a new home (pref a wooden viv) as you say she is fully grown im guessing she is around the 4/5ft mark? if so the 20gal tank she is in now is too small, in general the viv should be the lengh by the width = the lengh of the snake, (eg, lets say she's 5ft the viv will need to be 3ft long and 2 ft wide =5ft or 4ft wide and 1ft width =5ft (you get the picture) then get some good ventalation in there (hard to acheive in a glass viv) the best way to acheive this is to have ventalation holes at the bottom one end and at the top the other this way you will create an air cycle, cool air coming in from the bottom warming as it goes around the viv and exiting through the top ventalation holes, also make sure she has hide spots both in the cool and warm end of the viv or you may cause her just to sit either in the cool or warm end, if you can get the viv stable with just the heat lamp then there is no real need for the heat mat but could be placed under the viv and turned on after feeding to help her digest the meal more easily. hope this helps a little.

That tank is not big enough! By any means! A 55 would be only ok for a 5'er. And you don't need that much heat. One heating "PAD" (rocks are bad) and a light source, and a good thermostat!

Vinny

hot rock cause burns and king snakes are not a basking snake breed unlike some snakes which take heat both ways kings only absorb warmth through there bellys use a heat mat wwith a stat and more important pls get a tank big enough for your new snake

snakes oooh must be mad so scary.x

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Snakes are as scary as kittens! lol

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