Heat for me Lizards

[jcb]

Hi All. We are going to be housing a Iguana & a Panther Chameleon.
So my thought is, Any one using a portable heater to for thier enclouser? I am trying to come up w/a alterative to using a heat lamp. W/two lizards I will need two heat lamps and was hoping there was a way to heat w/out buying two lamps and two builbs.
I hope this makes sense.

 

[carol5208]

this may sound like a dumb question, but you don't mean you are housing them in the SAME enclosure right? What are your house temps gonna be? Panthers can take temps down into the 50's. Not so sure about Iguanas though. You have to have a basking bulb for your chameleon. I owned an iguana many years ago and I remember having a large heat rock which he layed on. Maybe they are doing things differently now?

 

[Emcee101]

I'm new here with little knowledge, but that little is getting me far so let me share. YOU NEED LIGHT SOURCE! Lol, if kept inside definitely. UVB 5.0 Repsun or glo, and as for heat, I've seen heat pads and rocks, but no matter what id still keep him bright and cheery with a heat lamp of some sort. I commented on this because I was wondering the same thing, but safe is better my friend.

 

[carol5208]

yes, of course you need UVB,(The preferred bulb is a tube light Reptisun 5.0) I was just thinking he was inquiring about the heat. No heat rocks for chameleons, just a basking bulb. Alls you need is a white housebulb 40-60 watt to obtain a basking temp in the 85(baby) to 90(adult) degree range. Just buy a cheap dome from home depot and you are good to go on that.

 

[Emcee101]

I hope so too! Oh and I noticed Lowes has cheap domes! Oh and Carol, you noticed that my lamp was a bit far from the cage, I sort'of lowered it a tad, and am still keeping a rough 85 in the basking spot but I'm worried about the cage since tops reading around 110F

 

[fluxlizard]

I think you are kind of stuck with 2 heat sources, and for both of those lizards it should from light sources because they are sun-baskers by nature.

The reason the portable heater is a no-go is because it will heat the entire room. Lizards really need to thermoregulate by moving through a variety of temperatures in their environment, rather than having one or two forced on them- A portable heater forces them to a certain temperature. They cannot choose from 105 (in the case of the iguana) 104, 103, 102, etc on down to 75 or so with a portable heater because it will warm up the entire room- not just the enclosures.

If you are concerned with the fire hazard or cost of electricity or whatever-

you might be able to get creative with some south-facing windows on your home- but you have to be very careful about ability to heat up enough as well as cool down enough, and the design of a window enclosure must take these things into account. My kids have a pair of bearded dragons in a south-facing bay window for almost a year now and they do great- but to keep enough heat on them we still use a basking light most of the time. I could block off more of the window with plexiglass so it heats up more in parts but then the kids couldn't have as much fun with the lizards which are currently kept in only by a plexiglass wall that the kids can reach over. But it wouldn't be hard if I wanted to make the investment and bother to make it a bit more solar efficient and safe at the same time and eliminate the need for a heat light altogether. I may do that one of these days...

 

[carol5208]

I hope so too! Oh and I noticed Lowes has cheap domes! Oh and Carol, you noticed that my lamp was a bit far from the cage, I sort'of lowered it a tad, and am still keeping a rough 85 in the basking spot but I'm worried about the cage since tops reading around 110F

so your basking is 85 and the cage temp is 110 at the top?

 

[Emcee101]

Sorry to interupt the thread, but yes basking rougly 85, toproughly 110, and little Reggie already gave me a heartattack by hanging upside don directly above it (he's a little stressed/ and or investigateing)