The Importance of Heaters

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The Importance of Heaters

Whether your reptile is a native of a tropical region, a desert or some other environment, you need to simulate his natural habitat. A habitat closely modeled on your pet's natural environment will help him have a long and healthy life. Providing your reptile with the heating he requires is essential.

Heating is not just a luxury for your reptile - it's a necessity. Reptiles require heat to digest their food, fight disease and optimize circulation. Reptiles are cold-blooded animals (ectothermic), incapable of generating their own body heat. They depend on the temperature of the environment for their biological functions.

Without the benefit of exposure to a heat source, reptiles cannot sustain their immune system and become susceptible to infections and diseases. Worse, if they can't heat up their bodies enough, the food they eat remains undigested and prone to decay inside their bodies.

Your reptile will instinctively seek out a warm place to bask in order to digest his food. When he feels he has been warmed enough to assimilate his meal, he will move to a cooler area to adjust to a more comfortable and relaxing temperature. This instinctive reptilian urge to seek the proper environmental temperature is called "thermoregulation."

Thermal Gradient

Because your reptile needs to thermoregulate, his enclosure should offer a thermal gradient, meaning one end should be warmer than the other.

First, create an air, or ambient, temperature that is the average daytime warmth of your reptile's enclosure. Then, at one end of the tank, provide a heat source (not necessarily a light source) where your pet can lounge or bask whenever he needs additional heat for digesting and fighting off disease. With some pets, like the spiny tailed lizard, the required temperature gradient (difference between lowest and highest temperature) of 15 to 25 degrees F requires careful planning. The cage must be large and well ventilated, or ambient temperatures will reach dangerous, triple-digit levels.

Finally, depending on your reptile's species, make sure that he gets the nighttime temperature he needs to sleep comfortably. Also be aware of his temperature preference if he goes into periodic hibernation.

Different temperature levels are specific to particular species, so make sure you are knowledgeable about your reptile's unique requirements. Remember to monitor the temperature in your setup accurately (various thermometers are available). Your reptile's health depends on it.

Heating Implements

A number of products are commercially available to help you establish an ambient, as well as a basking, temperature in your reptile's enclosure:

Heat Pad: Under-tank heating pads or mats are recommended for maintaining a stable atmospheric temperature. Most pads are installed under the tank, but some new models, made with polyurethane - waterproof plastic - can be placed inside the enclosure, under the substrate.
Heat Panel: Infrared panels, installed above the reptile cage, are an alternative to heating mats. They provide a controllable ambient temperature throughout the enclosure.
Heat Strip: These adhesive strips can adhere to the bottom or sides of your reptile cage to maintain the required ambient warmth.
Ceramic Bulb: Infrared, heat-emitting, ceramic bulbs are also available for a more concentrated or focused hot area. These create ideal basking spots for your reptile.
Incandescent Bulb: Ordinary incandescent bulbs can also be used to provide the heat required for ambient or basking temperatures. The amount of heat depends on the bulb wattage. These should not be used during night hours due to the need for photoperiods. (?)
Hot Rock: There is some controversy over the use of hot rocks for reptile care. Most herpetologists discourage their use because the heat emission can be too confined, resulting in burns to a basking reptile.

A Reminder

Heat is a primary requirement for all reptiles; they depend on it for health and survival. Along with your decision to become a reptile owner and caretaker comes the responsibility to provide the ideal habitat for your pet. He deserves no less.