Collareds had a "theme" in the mid 80's... they do well for a stretch eating and so forth but after a time simply continually lose weight and eventually die. Even as many would eat they would keep losing weight and die. Supplentmants were used,UVB,natural sunlight ect same results, death...Back then it was sort of the expected norm for most keepers.
Today we are fortunately better off but not by much. Many are starting to understand the role proper thermoregulation in herps. That means letting them have a wide range of USEABLE temps so there bodys can function properly and not get all these poor husbendry problems like mouth rot,MBD,intestinal impactions ect...
HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART...many herpers may "get" the heat part but miss the big picture...if you dehydrate your critter all the proper temps,food, water, ect...will not help. Overtime the stress from continually being "drained" will either kill them or not allow for real lizard behavior(feeling sick all the time). The most common problem????/....SCREEN TOPS. I know some can never fully understand this(or wont accept which is sad because its sort of common sense) But here again i will try to explain as i know some will "get it". A screen top dehydrates your lizard in almost every case. Here is why....
As the hot end (under light) gets heated the heat RISES. As the heat rises it creates a "pull" if you will. In this miniture world that "pull" upward draft, current whatever TAKES MOISTURE WITH IT. That is one of the reasons we used to see them slowly deteriorate over time. Guess what happens if you add a higher watt light? They dehydrate faster(more heat,more evaporation,more air flow out and moisture gone). It is very important to understand the whole picture. A screen top is a REALLY BIG KILLER OF HERPS...ITS THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS HOW BEEF JERKY IS MADE. I am not saying HIGH HUMIDITY I am saying do not suck all the moisture out of them by allowing all the transfer of air. I use a piece of plywood which is counter sunk into the top of the setup...attatched to the plywood on the inside(top) is a fixture with a 75 watt buld. This keeps it from around 150 for the hottest spot and low 80 cool (never,rarely used). In here they thrive with tons of personality. (wood does generally suck for use in cage tops(warps).
