Lighting / Heating questions

[infernalis]

However, in a larger tank could a undertank heater and a low wattage light be used at the same time on one side of the tank? The undertank heater would have a thermostat and be used to keep things stable, the light would be simply for basking pleasure as it wouldn't emit that much heat.

*is setting up a garter terrarium and figured asking here was better than making a new topic*

Unless you live in an igloo, just a basking light is plenty.

It's a lot easier to cook a garter snake than it is to chill one.

[Varanus]

Unless you live in an igloo, just a basking light is plenty.

It's a lot easier to cook a garter snake than it is to chill one.

But the temperature can fall pretty quickly from day to night where I live during the winter. It just seems like having the heat mat there and able to turn on if it suddenly gets too cold when the basking light is off (or if the bulb goes out) would be a good insurance policy. Basically the light wouldn't be there for heating as much as because I read that garters like having a light source.