I've been using underside heating for the 35 years I've been keeping reptiles... haven't burned one yet.

The heat mats I use on the tortoises outdoors are designed for farm animals. I've been using those for about 10 years now... now problems... work like a charm... allow me to keep the tortoises outdoors for most of the year.

Do these differ from normal heat mats?

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Now days there are many types of heat mats.

This has been around the longest...

Animal health | Kane heatmats, feeders, pet & reptile mats

The flexwatt is pretty much a product of the reptile industry... Those need to be used with caution.

Do you have anything on top of it?

I have never used a heat mat before, but have had many rehomers with burn marks.
How can heat mats be used wrong, in your point of view ed?

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Nothing is placed on top of the heat mat.

With the Flexwatt it's not understood that if heat is trapped it rapidly builds up. That is why it is recommended that a rheostat be used or that there is a layer of air between the mat and the surface above. Then there is no problem or risk of burning. The other thing I just thought of during this conversation is that yall use 220V and we use 110V... that probably has a bearing on the situation.

think we will have a uvb 10 strip light with a ceramic heat bulb and maybe a heat mat on a thermostat incase it gets to cold!

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boa constrictor imperator 0.1.0 normal leopard gecko 1.0.1
Hypo Carrot Tail leopard gecko 1.1.0 Cats 1.1.0
Bearded Dragons 1.1.0
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