To have a heat mat or to not have a heat mat? That is the question

[crazycatlady1987]

Hi guys

I went into our local reptile store yesterday to get advice on correct heating and lighting for our beardie who we rescued 2 days ago. They sold me a heat mat for the nighttime to keep his viv at around low 70sF but I've been told by a couple of people that a heat mat is not necessary and he may burn himself on it.

I'm worried I've been fleeced by the shop and I can't take this mat back now cos we've put holes through it to pin it to the back of his viv

Help!!

[TEENY]

I am not a beardie keeper but i thought they needed a night time drop so most people turn off vivs at night ??? You could pin it to the back of viv instead of floor and run it from a stat so that it only clicks on if the room reaches really cool temps ??

[Hardy87]

Yea heat Matts are a huge no no they can burn the underneath of your beardy as they can't feel the heat when it gets to warm and just stay there.
I honestly Wouldn't worry about night-time temps aslong as it's not absolutely freezing in your house there from the desert and deserts are cold at night time.

[Bradleybradleyc]

Actually some people do use heat mats for a night time heat source, they will usually tape it to a side wall to stop burns to the Beardie, you will of course need a mat stat for it.

I don't use additional heat for any of my beardies as my house I warm enought, as said a night time drop is fine as long as it 70+

[vgorst]

You've been had by that shop keeper commonly happens.

Beardies need a night time temperature drop otherwise they don't 'shut down' and rest properly.

You can try selling it on here... or saving it for another rep

Heat mats are useless on the wall, they don't heat the air. You're just using up electricity and gaining nothing.

A drop below 70F is fine too, it can easily drop into minus numbers where they live and they manage to survive quite well.

[tremerz97]

Originally Posted by Hardy87

Yea heat Matts are a huge no no they can burn the underneath of your beardy as they can't feel the heat when it gets to warm and just stay there.
I honestly Wouldn't worry about night-time temps aslong as it's not absolutely freezing in your house there from the desert and deserts are cold at night time.

not a HUGE no no. but you are best without it. if you are still going to use it put it on a stat.

[Reptgal]

i have all my reptiles on heat mats, including my beardies. i disagree with the comment that they burn, heat rocks should never be used as they do burn the animal because they come into direct contact with it. but you can place your heat matt under an inch or so of substrate. it will not burn them like the rocks, they are also not stupid and do move when they get too hot. they do require a night time drop but i turn off their basking light and UVB light, and keep their mat on. if they cant keep their body temperature up, they will become tired and lose their appetite. remember they cant keep themselves warm like us :/

[Imrahill]

You don't really need a heat mat and they are not the best for beardies but if you are using one on a thermostat then they are perfectly safe for you beardie ( 35-37deg is only slightly higher than the palm of your hand) it is very very rare for any lizard to burn itself on a heat mat if they are properly used with a thermostat ,as long as your night time temps don't get too low you should get away with no heat source.

[vgorst]

Originally Posted by Reptgal

i have all my reptiles on heat mats, including my beardies. i disagree with the comment that they burn, heat rocks should never be used as they do burn the animal because they come into direct contact with it. but you can place your heat matt under an inch or so of substrate. it will not burn them like the rocks, they are also not stupid and do move when they get too hot. they do require a night time drop but i turn off their basking light and UVB light, and keep their mat on. if they cant keep their body temperature up, they will become tired and lose their appetite. remember they cant keep themselves warm like us :/

Problem with it being under an inch or so of substrate, is that most of the heat will be blocked anyway. That's more of a fire/burn risk. If it's loose substrate there's every chance that they will come into contact with it when digging around.

They sense heat from above, not so good at detecting heat from below, hence the risk of burns. Once they realise how hot it is, they may already have caused damage.

Why do we allow them to thermoregulate if they prefer being warm? They only require short periods of being warm before going off and doing their thing in cooler temperatures. They have no need to be warm at night and actually it's detrimental to their health.



Heat mats are unnecessary for beardies.

[diddlydee]

No, you havent been 'had' by the shop keeper. The fact of the matter is that some people just dont like heat mats. Thats their prerogative. Though having said that, most of the 'against arguments' are a bit daft. The one that does stand true is that of 'malfunctioning equipment'. Malfunctioning equipment can burn your reptile, this is true of all the equipment you use hence the most important piece of kit you can buy is a decent thermometer. I cant tell you whether you actually need an additional heat source at night, as I just dont know what the temps in your house where you keep the viv at 4-5.00am, and I doubt anyone else on here can either really! Invest an a max/min and place it overnight to get an idea of whether you need it. Beardies like to drop to 18-22C. Ive certain lived in property's as a younger man- single glazed with no insulation and prehistoric heating- that got much colder than that, so the viv required additional heating. Thankfully these days I'm a grown up (?) so have UPVC windows, a lagged loft and a decent thermostat on my wall too, so dont really need them. The shop did the right thing to sell you one. They didnt know what temps your house gets to. Provided the primary heat source (bulb/ceramic) is on a decent stat- I'd get a dimmer- than having a mat on the wall will be of no detriment to your animal. Hope this helps.