140 temps are bs....

[Guest]

temps to that extreme are not safe...for anyone.it is anoyying me to no end seeing temps as a normal for basking spots for savys...in africa if temps ever got that extreme they hide under ground..its dangerous.that is why they do it.i am sick and tired of seeing these temps and people telling that the enclosures are to be a this temp or the lizard will die...that is f@#$ing stupid.sry for the languadge but this has been bugging me for a while.and i know some of you will prolly tell me otherwise but bring it on.

 

[Guest]

cmon im just itching to talk about this.

 

[kaa]

As a basking surface temp, I think 130 is a good temp for monitors, but 130 for the ambient is too much. 110 is the recommended temp for a tegu basking spot. the cage should be big enough that they can get too a cooler side if need be, or a hot side. I do agree to an extent.

 

[Guest]

yeah as a basking temp its ok.but to get temps up to 140 is potentialy dangerous.its you have a really big cage and the basking spot is aorund 110 or 120 at the highest its ok since that is only a small area.

 

[Guest]

No one in his right mind would encourage you to keep the ambient temps that high, even on the "warm" side of an enclosure. Obviously, if the cheapie analog thermometer affixed to the side of an aquarium reads 130-140 degrees F., then your lizard is cooked.

Surface temps are another matter. Countless monitors die in captivity because of low temperatures. Successful keepers and breeders like Frank Retes and the folks at NERD and Pro Exotics all advocate higher basking SURFACE temperatures because the temps on rock faces and branches where monitors are found basking in their natural habitats far exceed 120 degrees F. To get a sense of how hot such basking areas can be, go outside on a 90 degree summer day and use a digital temp gun to measure a bit of asphalt or rock. Now, how hot do you suppose the surface of an exposed rock would be in sub-Saharan Africa?

My Argentine tegu's basking area has an ambient temp in the upper 90s, but the rocks closest to the MVB are are between 111 and 113 degrees F.

Consider also that many keepers use stacked basking/hiding structures that allow monitors and other basking lizards to choose the right temperature. The wood or stone slab closest to the spotlight will reach around 130, but each "level" is slightly cooler than the one above it. Here are some examples of the "Retes Stack" from the Pro Exotics website:

That's an Ackie in the first photo, but I've seen similar stacks used for savannah and black throat monitors.

Of course, this attention to detail is impossible to achieve without an accurate digital thermometer w/ probe or, better still, a temp gun. I got one a few months ago and absolutely love it.

 

[Guest]

now that sounds alot better than what iv been reading.the racks sound cool i might use em for my savannah when i get it.and where do you get the temp guns? and how much do they cost?

 

[Guest]

I think your new monitor would love it! One could come up with any number of plans, so do let us know what you decide to do. The idea is to provide a gradient within the gradient, so to speak, and to provide a way for him to feel safe and warm at the same time.

I got my temp gun from Pro Exotics. They have two models available, both of which are incredibly easy to use "point-and-shoot" devices that allow you measure a small area with tremendous accuracy.

Here's a link to their online store:

http://www.proexotics.com/store/home.php?cat=248

The PE-1 is only $25, which is a bargain considering how much you'll use it for all your animals (and perhaps cooking, fooling around, etc.). The PE-2 has a neat laser pointer.
:roon

I should add that Pro Exotics is staffed by very friendly and helpful people, and that if you have further questions about your new monitor, you should definitely send Robyn an email and/or check out his Savannah monitor FAQ.

Best of luck, and be sure to keep us updated. I love my 'gu but I have a lifelong affinity to savs and albigs, so I will try to live vicariously through you until I have the space to add one to my collection.

- David

 

[Guest]

thanks a bunch.yeah as soon as i get my materials around im gonna get on my cage.im prolly gonna use the dementions i was gonna use for my tegu before he died.=/ it was 6x3x3 or something and ill put one of those racks in it too.i just gotta see exactly how tho.the guns sounds like a good price ill prolly pick one up.

 

[armison89]

you can also get a temp gun from a local auto store people use them to check engine temps.