Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got som silkies in the mail about 100 I am using some as feeders and to get some eggs. The recommended temps are78-88. Should I keep a heat source on them at night? Would using a heat pad o.k.? Thanks in advance Matt

Hey Matt,

I never bother and I live in NH (and keep the house cool)- they were in avg. 60 degrees at night in their tank. They will grow slower in cooler temps and faster in warmer. I always want mine to grow slower so they last longer - except both Luna and Darwin often got tired of them long before they were finished growing so I ended up with many cocoons, thus many eggs!!

If you do choose to use a night temp here are a few things to consider:

>>be sure there is plenty of ventilation in the tank/tub b/c the higher the temps the more moisture, therefore more risk of mold.

>> if you use a heat pad UNDER the tank MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GAP B/T BOTTOM OF TANK AND TOP OF PAD and the pad an surface it is sitting on. I once used a waterbed heater for emergency bottom heat for some seedlings and I nearly began a fire! The plastic of the tank melted and the heat mat fried in a few places! Yikes! I knew better (a rack is always used when using a propagation mat but I was just being lazy and wrapped it in a towel. You can actually use an oven rack.

>> have a good way to measure the temps.

Btw, how did you end up doing with your hornworms?
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

I had two coccoons and put them outside in a container in my garden. I checked them the other day and one was much darkerv then the other one. Does that mean it is dead? One more silky question They are mediumsize should I cover them? I can not find the cover for the tupperware I am using. Thanks Matt

hornworms: Did you cover the puape with sopil or is it sitting in direct light? Hard to comment on its condition w/o seeing it. What you can do is pick it up and tap the tip of the abdomen and if it wiggles it is alive. Also look at the pics of the pupae in the article on chamnews. You do realize they will fly off when they come out? to do you have them in a closed cage?

Silkies: you can cover them with a screen and then place a towel over half, this will keep some moisture in but also allow for ventilation. Just keep a very close check on humidity. food can mold quickly.
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet