Keeping In The Heat

What tools do you use to heat up your cold-blooded friends? We dive into the depths of thermal gradients so you don't have to.

Like light, heat falls onto the Electromagnetic Spectrum in short, medium or long waved Infrared heat. Categorised as Infrared A, B and C. IR is a type of energy. They show as red on the spectrum and can have a "thermal range of several thousand degrees centigrade down to absolute zero" states Herschel infrared heaters on their website.

Sun's Explosive Surface

What does it mean for herpetiles?

Since reptiles and amphibians are ectotherms, they need energy from the sun for a variety of health reasons (not just to be energised so they can move around) and cannot regulate their heat internally. Therefore, it is our duty to get close enough to mimicking the red baron without too many mistakes along the way.

Oriental Garden Lizard Calotes Versicolor basking in the sun

From extensive research, on the science and application through herpetile husbandry, we can identify that heat mats wouldn't be the best choice as a sole source. Heat mats only produce surface heat, which would equate to IRC.

"IRC only heats the surface" says Zen Habitats on their website. It wouldn't heat the whole enclosure. We need ambient or surrounding temperatures at a suitable gradient to fully help herpetiles thrive.

Now, let's say you modified the top of your glass enclosure from a mesh lid to a PVC lid with holes and attached a heat mat to the side. Will that increase the air/surface temperature? Yes it would. I have done this many times for different enclosures. Depending on the size, i had to use more than one mat however.

It sparks a green-house effect and causes a continuous cycle of evaporation and precipitation. Good for humidity spikes. Would this give a deeper heat treatment to a herpetile though? In this case, possibly, because there are convective and conductive heat transfers taking place. Warm air and surface heat is being produced. Can they replace radiant heat as sole heat producers in this case? Loosely, yes.

Greenhouse Interior

You need to have all three in a larger setting: radiant, convective and conductive heat, this writer suggests. This can only be done by the use of a overhead heat source such as a basking-spot-heat-bulb and another heat source for nights if temperatures drop significantly.

Final Word

You might start feeling the push and pull of ideas going through your mind. Especially, since we haven't added UVB lighting to the equation. As with most of our guides, there is no black and white solution to the problem. That is the beauty of herpetile husbandry!

Opportunities Are Endless

Take into account your country's climate, your household temps and vivarium placement as they can determine what heat sources to use or what modifications to make. A range of combinations can be utilised to effectively heat a herpetile. Remember to do your research and keep the health of the scute-thermoregulating-being in mind.