How do I monitor my enclosure temperatures? How do I create a temperature gradient? PDF Print E-mail
Bearded Dragon Care Information - Bearded Dragon Care FAQ's
How do I monitor my enclosure temperatures?  How do I create a temperature gradient?

It is important to regularly and accurately monitor the temperatures of reptile enclosures.  Due to variances in accuracy of temperature reading devices, this is often difficult.  Kricket's Kritters uses digital laser temperature guns and analog thermometers.

  • The laser temperature gun allows monitoring of the hot spot and the ambient temperatures at any time and anywhere in the enclosure

  • The analog (dial) thermometer/humidity gauge is a reference point, and is in the enclosure 24/7.

    • NOTE:  Kricket's Kritters does not recommend relying only on a analog (dial or stick-on) thermometer to monitor temperatures.  They can be 10-30*F off!

 

During the day, it is necessary to create a cooler area (85*F) and a hotter basking area (105-110*F), so the dragons are able to thermo-regulate properly.

The smaller the enclosure the harder it is to create a gradient, you may need to:

  • Put the hot spot on one end of the enclosure or

  • Provide a shady area or

  • Remove/Replace the lid with something that provides more ventilation (Be careful of escape potentials).

 

The larger the enclosure the more space you have to heat, you may need to:

  • Provide more than one hot spot in order to get the ambient and basking temperatures up or

  • Add a lid to your enclosure that doesn’t allow as much heat to escape

  • Add a higher basking area if the basking temp is too low

    • NOTE:  Be careful of contact/burn/fire/fall potential.

 

  • If your house temperature drops below 50*F, you may want to provide a small amount of heat at night using low wattage ceramic heat emitters during very cold spells or if the enclosure is kept in a particularly cold area of the house. 

NOTE:  Under tank heaters/pads and hot rocks should not be used, because they have been known to cause burns and internal organ "cooking."  Reptiles do not thermo-regulate through their bellies, because their heat normally comes from the sun (above).

 
Reptiles do absorb heat from rocks, pavement, and dark surfaces, but that surface cools as the reptile basks, therefore intestinal cooking and burns are avoided, however with electronic heat sources, they don't cool down, they just keep heating, well if the lizard can't tell the temp then the lizard just hangs out there, and then they get burned or end up with intestinal issues.

Instead of a heat pad or heat rock, Kricket's Kritters recommends that you use a dome and a basking bulb for your heat.  Depending on the size of the enclosure will depend on the wattage of basking bulb.  You'll need to use whatever allows you to get the basking and ambient temperatures correct for your kritter.
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