I know this looks very basic, but its what I follow for all my dragons, they seem to do well. The DTH gradient is almost unavoidable by the lizards unless they really get on the floor, in that case this chart would of been different.



In there habitat contrary to what is believed, the sun heats parts of the forest floor and every level thereafter, so thermoregulation is not a matter of height, DT temps of 90f in the shade are not necessarily avoidable by the lizards, some keepers seem to think they would go under the canopy and automatically be in the 70s, not really if its to hot for them to be active they just sit it out and move later when temps are permissive.



Wild lizards adjust well to this, in hot times they soon learn to feed and drink in the morning when the temps are right, sitting all day avoiding higher heat is what they evolved to do, that’s why these species don’t move a lot, this doesn’t mean they don’t need the heat, on the contrary heat in the 84-90 zone allows them to properly digest.



There arboreal oriented morphology (skinny legs and slender body) is designed to hang on trees effortlessly, not to run around in the sun like more muscular lizards.



These are mourning ground feeders, they dig for bugs and worms under leaf litter still wet from the mourning mist, having smaller muscle means having little cartilage better suited for this cool and wet mourning activity, larger predatory lizards cant occupy this niche as the coldness don’t allow such early feeding, plus imagine arthritis affecting there larger cartilage.



Also notice there scale morphology, its especially designed to allow water drainage, these leaf like scale channel water off the lizards very effectively, turn the lizard upside down on a tree trunk and you get the reveres process, it retains water, practical in the dry season don’t you think?





So what do I mean exactly?



Simple allow them to heat

Feed them first thing in the morning before they heat up



Peoples feeding them during the day usually don’t get a response from there lizards, normal its not part of there natural behaviour.



ps. remember you and only you are responsible for your dragons, this chart is exerimental, it works for my dragons but then, I know how to read my lizards and make adjustements, do you?

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