Heating your reptiles

[Kevin McRae]

Why do people use a heat pad for there reptiles instead of heat lamp?A ball python would get there heat in the evening when it comes out of its burrow.The sun in the day would of heated a rock and the snake would come and lay on the rock at night ot the evening, right?So the sun acted like a heat lamp right?

I am sure someone has areason for using heat pads, I would love to here your opinions on using heat pads.

Just my opinion, but I'm sure you can change it!

Does anyone here use a heat lamp also?I know breeders will use heat tape, because they have lots of reptiles to heat and heat tape is cheaper then buying hundred of heat lamps or heat pads.

[Nicki]

In my opinion, a heat pad/tape is basically like having a hot rock to lie on to bask up the warmth. Except that it's heated directly by electricity rather than collecting warmth from above (a light or the sun).

So I think it's a very natural way for many snakes to get heat, as lots of nocturnal species wouldn't bask directly under the sun anyways. They'd lie on a heated rock. Or a heatpad, if such a thing is there for them!

Does this make sense?

[Kevin McRae]

but how would a nocturnal reptile get heat in the wild?

In the day the sun would warm a rock, at night it will still be warm and the snake/lizard would come and lay on it, so its like the heat lamp was shining on the rock in the day and at night the rock would still be warm and the reptile will come and lay on it.

[hhw]

Firstly, it is much more energy efficient to use a heating pad.

Secondly, an overhead heat source tends to have a dehyrdating effect, which is a problem for species that require higher humidities.

Thirdly, unless using a heat lamp that provides no visible light, you are liable to throw off a reptile's circadian rhythms, which are dependent on photoperiodism.

[crazyboy]

its cheaper, it acts as the rock that you were tlking aobut in your story, it takes up less space, it can go in a rack,