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Can anyone tell me why the advice given for basking temperatures are told to be 130-150F? How can this possibly be healthy or even natural?

Most mammals run in the mid 90's F to function; doesn't it seem logical that reptiles would be very much the same as far as a healthy temperature?

Can some "expert" explain the necessity of this high temperature?

Those temps are not air temperatures they are a small focused area where a reptile can warm up to keep his metabolism and body working well. Higher the temp the more active the reptile will be and it can eat more. It's simply mammals are warm blooded reptiles arnt. If the lizard has trouble getting away from those temps thats where the problem begins as well as if it dehydrates.

when we say 130 basking temp, we're talking about the temperature of the surface area where the heat light is aiming. This temperature is much different than air temperature.

If you have a temp gun(if you don't, get one), do a little experiment. On a warm day go outside and check the temperature of different surface areas such as the road, your grass, your car etc. you'll find that some surface temperatures exceed 150 degrees on a day that doesn't exceed 85. So considering that we see lizards running all over the place on these surfaces, we know that they make great use of them, and we should include these temps for our captives. And they're happy to do so.

cheers
shay

Heres the deal. Monitors use body temps from the 50's to the 90's even up to the high ninties, small individuals higher. I get the feeling we can agree on that. So I will move on.

The problem is not the actual internal body temp. I do not care actually what it is. Its how it gets its temp/s that is important. The behavioral aspect and the physical aspect of how these reptiles obtain their temps is TOTALLY MISUNDERSTOOD. I am not captitalizing to yell, but in lieu of underlining. Someone teach me to underline and I will stop yelling.

They do not bask AT THE TEMP, they want to obtain, they bask at temps way above the desired temps. The reason is simple, If they bask at 90F and they started at 65F, it could take many hours of basking, this is not compatible with their behavior. They seek to raise their bodies to a temp(whats needed for that task) then they do that task. Basking is a method of elevating temps, it is not what they do. It allows them to continue with their life. They want to reach their temps quickly and then stay out of sight/danger and do the required task.

To bask is dangerous. This is a time when they are very vulnerable. Behaviorally, they want to limit the amount of time in the open. THIS GOES FOR ALL REPTILES. They do not want to be in the open.

I know, turtles basking on a log in the water comes to mind. When using example, keep in mind, turtles use the water to escape threats from above and they are sorta safe from below. All reptiles have some sort of escape plan for basking. But its still a time to be limited.

Also, what is very very very important is, people are TOO FRIGGIN DUMB to understand that reptiles do not seek one temp, but instead take advantage of many temps for different tasks. I say that because these are reptiles, not mammals. This appears to much for most to understand. With a broad range of temps, from cool to very hot, they can choose what THEY WANT, not what you think they want/need. Sir, this is very important to understand.

The truth is, reptiles can be active at any temps that are not so cold to stop movement and so hot to kill them. But, another important "but", they require very defined temps to accomplish important tasks, not one single temp. But a range of task related temps.

I could go on and bring up all sort of reasons, but you could argue the theory of this and that. But there is one and only one thing you cannot argue. And that is, IT WORKS WITH MONITORS Ok, I did yell that. When all is said and done, it works and it works well. In fact, it works with all reptiles I have worked with. It works BETTER with monitors. It may be because people suck at keeping monitors.

So to think in a productive way, who gives a, ton of beans, why it works. Its more important that it DOES work, then us coming up with some reason why it works or should work(to fit/acommadate our theory). Its this thought that thrashes me. People are so narcissistic they believe they have to understand something for it to work. I think I am very smart, I do not have to understand it, if it works for my purposes fine, end of story. I am looking for results. I am not trying to confirm what I think. I think obtaining results is smart and a good way to confirm something, that is smart.

Lastly, air temps and mass temps and reflective temps are all different. These reptiles could give, a pan of beans, about air temps, that is for humans talking about weather. They care and more importantly understand mass and surface temps. Which are in most cases totally different, then air temps. For instance, a basking rock in the sun, can have a surface temp of 130F with a air temp of 75F. This is what they understand and use. I live where there are lots of reptiles and on any given day in the summer, oh heck, even winter, I can find temps from 125 to 165F. The funny thing is, this is the places lizards choose to bask. Cheers

Thank you guys, that put things in better perspective. That was something I thought about but unfortunately it's all the farther I got. I'm going to make that change in my enclosures immediately.