Reddit mentions of Fluke RAYMT4U MiniTemp Non-Contact Thermometer

this has a permanent place in my galley though it often wanders off, very handy.

Edit: adding that it is fooled by aluminum and some polished surfaces. Here is an Amazon link.

No worries. I figured you were just busy for the weekend. Like I said - you have your life to deal with. I'm not going to take it personally if you're MIA for a few days, haha. :)

I had a good weekend - I didn't do anything productive, whatsoever. Just took some time to relax and take care of myself.

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Getting to meet that milk snake is super exciting! I just did a bit of reading about them, and it sounds like young milks are usually somewhat hyperactive, but that they calm down with age.

From my reading, here's what you will need to purchase:

1. Vivarium - usually you want 1ft^2 of floor space per 1' the snake will be, full grown.
   
   From my reading, milk snakes can get between 2' and 6' full grown. If possible, find out the subspecies so we can narrow that range down. Most likely, it's a Pueblan or Honduran milk snake (two of the most common subspecies). Honduran milks can get up to 5', so a safe cage size would be 3' x 2' (length x width). Pueblans only get between 3' and 4', so we don't really need to worry about those.
   
   If you can't find out the subspecies, you could either just get a 3' x 2' viv, or get something smaller and increase the size as necessary.
   
   
2. Heating element and thermostat. A heat pad would be ideal, considering that milk snakes sometimes burrow. Here's an example of a thermostat and heat pad. You attach the heat pad to the bottom of the cage, making sure not to have the viv resting on top of the heat pad or wires (or else you run the risk of short circuits and fires).
   
   After you set up the heat pad, run the thermostat probe to the inside of your viv, usually placing it inside of the hide on the warm side. Alternatively, as milks sometimes burrow, you may want to put the thermostat temperature probe closer underneath your substrate, at the bottom of the viv. This will insure that you know what the hottest temperature that your milk can be exposed to by burrowing.
   
   My reading suggests that you want to keep the warm side ~85f - 90f. Not sure what that is in C.
   
   
3. Digital thermometer/hygrometer like this one. You want one that has probes, so you can check specific points around your viv.
   
   At first, you will want to keep your thermometer probe at the same location as your thermostat probe, just to make sure that's reading correctly. After you've verified that, you can move the thermometer probe to the cool side, so you can keep an eye on both sides.
   
   Alternatively, some people get laser temperature sensors so they can quickly and easily check the temperature of any part of the viv. You'd still need to get a hygrometer (humidity sensor) if you went that route.
   
   
4. Substrate. Looks like Aspen or Cypress are both excellent substrates for milks. You can also use paper towels or newspaper as temporary, sanitary solutions in case of any injury/illness.
   
   You'll probably want 6"+ of substrate over the entire floor of the viv, as milks do sometimes burrow. Giving them enough substrate to allow that is advised.
   
   
5. Hides, terrain, water dish, etc. Hides should be snug-ish, and terrain should look cool. Water dish you probably want to be big enough for the snake to soak in if he wants, but that's about all.
   
   Milks need like 40% - 60% humidity, so you probably don't need to worry about that in the slightest. Getting a little spray bottle might be a good choice, though.
   
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   Yeah, it's definitely something that I take for granted until someone (such as yourself) reminds me how different things are elsewhere.
   
   I've never taken Puppy to the vet. She's never had any injuries or health problems. Speaking of taking things for granted, if I ever needed a vet, I'd find one at that point. Might be a good idea to just get an idea of whether there are nearby vets for you, though.
   
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   I'd have been shocked if you'd thought about snake body language before - not many people have. Even most other reptile owners don't seem to have paid as much attention to it as I have.
   
   I can think of one particular time that I've seen Puppy "happy". It was this spring, the first time I took her outside this year. And in that case, it was more an example of "extremely relaxed" than it was "happy/excited" like you see in dogs.
   
   I'm glad you like Puppy. :)
   
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   Yeah, I understand where you're coming from. You've got to temper your desires with the realities of your situation, and a milk snake is an excellent compromise.
   
   Honestly, I have never interacted with a Woma, although I'd like to someday. From what the OP of that other thread was saying, it sounds like he was quite intent on eating their arm, and it took 5 minutes to get him off.

thanks, I was looking at those (http://www.amazon.com/Raytek-MT4-Non-Contact-Thermometer-Sighting/dp/B0002198GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368468281&sr=8-1&keywords=temp+laser+gun)

So all I would have to do is aim the laser on the tablet and hold? I found models that will be +/- 1 degree C which will be good for me. But do you think the laser will be small enough to target the 12mm x 8mm area?