Hi all,

I have a small bal python. Right now I have it in an all glass terrarium with a heat mat but I will need something bigger in some time and I'm planning on making a wooden terrarium. Can I use the heat mat with a wood terrarium? If so how? Should I put it inside below the substrate? Or should I make a glass floor?

Thanks.

you can use one but i'd recommend going across to a ceramic heater once you get a new viv.

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i use both a ceramic heater and a heat matt. Heat matt cans go in the viv but I put a section of old carpet over mine so the snake defo cannot reach it. They also work well if you just place them under the wood

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I have a wooden viv (was surprised to find they get & stay hotter than glass ones) and a heat mat.
I put feet on my heat mat (to raise it slightly from viv floor) and then put repti-carpet over the top, sealed to the viv side with gaffer tape. This stops curious critters from getting at the mat.
Doesn't burn the wood or the carpeting.
Keeps one end of the viv nice & high temp for my babies (desert agamids). They tend to kip down at the mat end at night, too.

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1.1.0 Orange spotted Agamas (mine & the boy's)
1.0.0 black cat (Greebo's cousin!)
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (hubby's pet)

i've got heat mats on 24/7 with lights on a timer, the mats are in the viv under a piece of board (bottom of a drawer) to stop the snakes getting into contact with them, have you got a mat stat? you will need to get one, if not

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A ceramic on it's own is the best option in my opinion for a royal.
Even if you use a mat you'll still need another kind of heating as well because a mat won't raise the air temp enough in a full size viv.

A full size false floor is the best thing to use if you really wanted to have a mat in there - then the snake can't get anywhere near the mat and so the risk of burns is vastly reduced, and also no liquids (spilled water bowl, runny poo, etc) can get to the electrics.

Either perspex or 3mm laminated hardboard would be the best materials.

Glass would work but there's a higher risk of breakage, and it may not be easy getting the glass cut to the exact size of the viv floor - it'd be easier to work with hardboard or perspex.