If you cover the top and place the light to one end of the cage it will not over heat. Unless you use a high wattage bulb. if you are using a high wattage bulb in an open air top cage you are probly going to make beef jerky.



They do not like high humidty levels you right but they do need to be able to retain moisture. If kept in a dry cage with an open top and high wattage bulb the air will be robbed of moisture and so will your monitors body.



Covering the top and using a lower wattage bulb will solve this problem. I use 65 watt indoor flood bulbs. Most of my basking areas are 10 to 18 inches away from the backs of my monitors. The basking area that is heated is wide spread not just one isolated focal point. It will heat the entire body of the monitor. If doing this with a larger species I simply use more then 1 bulb. Then I adjust the wattage if needed.



Now if you want to adjust your animal to the bulb then go ahead but i think your doing things backwards. I'd much rather build around the animal then build the animal around the setup.

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