Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know a lot of people don't use them because of burns, etc. But does anyone use them anyway? I was given two from a neighbor and I thought maybe if I put one (unplugged) under a basking light it would absorb the heat. I don't even know it that's possible, but I was just wondering. I hate to see things go to waste!

Laura

and have found them to be an invaluable supplemental heat source for collared lizards housed indoors. Does this mean I consider heat rocks appropriate for use in most lizard/reptile enclosures?... Absolutely not! However, the Crotaphytus genus of lizards as a whole is well adapted to living in harsh desert environments. As such, collared lizards (and other diurnal desert dwellers) have developed precise methods of controlling their own body temperatures, allowing them to maximize exposure to thermal heat sources (i.e. rocks) with no ill effects. I have been keeping and breeding Crotaphytus in captivity since 1997, and attribute a fair bit of my success to the prudent use of hot rocks with my collared lizards.

Brock

I don't rely on them in every tank, but like you...My neighbor gave me one, so I use it LOL. I agree with Brock 100%...I would attribute his success to the rocks, more than I would the playsand, regardless of what people on this forum say LOL...

It is true, heat rocks can burn some reptiles. It is also true that incandescent lighting can burn your lizards. This is why it is extremely important to measure the temps on your basking sites. I'd say with basking rocks, you do not have to worry about burns nearly as much as if you put too high of a wattage incandescent buld too close to the basking area.

Hope that helps a bit.

John Eddington

Thanks y'all. Do you use the heat rocks under a low watt basking bulb (to simulate a hot basking place)?

Laura
(also a Playsand groupie)
LOL

I hope he can adjust!!! LOL...

I don't put the basking light over the heat rock...I use the incandescent on the opposite end with a basking light. The basking light will get hot enough on the surface.

John Eddington
Filter Sand Representative

LMAO!

Laura

ahhhhhahahhahahhaha Johneeeeeeeeeeeee your stuff stinks, Eve

Known as the USArmy Sandbag Junkies! LOL
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Let there be Lizardz.
- Scott

On Rocks that wild Collared lizards were spotted (by me) basking on. They have a much higher heat tolerence than us (and probably a lot of other lizards.)
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Let there be Lizardz.
- Scott

Collared lizards - particularly those species native exclusively to hot desert environments - are equipped to handle surface temperatures which within minutes would be lethal for many other lizards/reptiles/animals. Crotaphytus in the wild do not thrive under these harsh conditions by accident - these lizards are highly skilled thermoregulators! In other words, they know exactly how to maximize sun/heat exposure without overdoing it. That being said, it is vital to provide collareds (and other herps) in captive environments with a thermal gradient so that the lizard(s) may choose among specific locations/temperatures within the enclosure at any given time...
Again, I do NOT recommend the use of heat rocks with the vast majority of herps!! Yes, serious thermal burns can - and do - occur if these devices are not used prudently, and/or are used with inappropriate animals. However, to conclude that heat rocks essentially serve no useful purpose with any and all reptiles housed indoors would, in my opinion, be a rather naive judgment...

Brock

hot I also can not stand to touch it. But... they just sit, very comfortably. And if it does get t toasty they move, or even go under a ock for awhile in late afternoon, to return later.

I use heat rocks in all my cages. They work awesome. You can get them within inches of the UVB lights. I never had any burns and I use them with all my hatchlings.

I use em too, though mine are usually hidden under sand and rocks

I use heat rocks in all my cages. They work awesome. You can get them within inches of the UVB lights. I never had any burns and I use them with all my hatchlings.

I use heat rocks in all my cages. They work awesome. You can get them within inches of the UVB lights. I never had any burns and I use them with all my hatchlings.

I use heat rocks in all my cages. They work awesome. You can get them within inches of the UVB lights. I never had any burns and I use them with all my hatchlings.

I have to throw in the other side of the coin here sorry I have seen plenty of severe burns and even fatal results from the plug in heat rocks. Not only in snakes but also lizards. I also have to say that most of the lizards I have seen had much thicker skin than Collareds do. Since the rocks are not thermo-regulated (hehe big word) there is no real way to make sure they are at a safe temp. Yes, some say they turn off @ 95F and others say they won't get any hotter than "xxF" but you have to throw in the malfunction factor, the human error factor and the loss of a good friend factor it is simply not worth it, IN MY OPINION Like I said I had to play the other side here. I can provide photos of burns but feel they were inappropriate for posting. The burns do happen and in most of the other forums you will see that heat rocks are reptile tabu with many experienced keepers. Just my two cents as I felt it was important. On another note they make great paper weights or you can cut the cord off and make a nice bsking rock!
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Peace!
KofSeattle
Reptile-Like
Here lizard lizard.........

...supposedly they are "new improved safer". I sort of don't like them anyway; I think they look like a home-made electric cow-flop in a jarring shade of fake pink LOL. I use a nice (real) flat rock over a small, quality UTH bedded in a thin layer of nature's finest playsand, all available a few isles down from the neat electric stuff you make the home-made dimmer-switch-rheostats out of, in a major home improvement outlet near you! And for clarity: The UTH IS under-the-tank, BTW. Taped to the underside of the glass with the wonderfully superior pure aluminum HEATER DUCT tape, none of that horribly peasant cloth "duck" tape for me, thank you very much.

(I'd rather be a tape snob than a *sand snob* any day LOL)

DC
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I've got the blues...LOL...them screamin' yellow-head blues...

I use them under my tegu and my female collared. She prefers the hidespot over the "UTH" over the cooler spot (Her temps are OK she is just weird!)The bearded dragon likes to lay under a black light at night. What a weird bunch of herps I have!

Laura
(The newt sits on top of the filter where the water goes through)

Herps are so funny sometimes!

I use 12" heat tape attached to a thermostat on all of my leaopard gecko enclosures as well as my Collared enclosure. I too use that wonderful aluminum tape to hold the heat tape to the bottom of the glass enclosures. Just have to be sure to keep a small air gap at the bottom or the glass will crack from heat stress. As far as my Tegu and Dragon enclosures I use ceramic heat emitters and standard spot lights for the basking spots. I am getting ready to take out a small loan to outfit all of my UVB needy friends with Mercury Vapor bulbs instead of Reptisun tubes too. They not only provide UVB but a good basking spot as well I stand firm on not using the heat rocks and do agree they look like pink cow patties! NOw off to bed I have had a hard day fishing and it is hard to post these long winded posts from my PDA! Night All
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Peace!
KofSeattle
Reptile-Like
Here lizard lizard.........

that heat rocks aren't necessarily the most visually appealing component of a naturalistic vivarium...especially the electrical cords! LOL

Brock

Below are links to webpages that have been created for the sole purpose of educating the public to the dangers of "Hot Rocks". The first is provided by Melissa Kaplan, a respected herpetologist and has comments from several DVM's. Please take a minute to look over these links. Yes, they can work and everything "could be" fine but are you willing to wait and see if something happens to your precious pet or breeding project? Again, my opinion is a firm NO. If hot rocks are safe then why all the warnings out there and why are pets being burned? Something to think about.....

The hippy dippy lizard keeper will now step down from his soap box

http://www.anapsid.org/hotrock.html

http://www.reptilecare.com/NoHotRocks.htm

http://www.noahonline.net/mtlog/archives/ask_the_vet/danger_of_hot_rocks_to_reptiles.html

http://www.petinfo4u.com/advanced_reptiles.htm#Burns

http://coloherp.org/cb-news/Vol-28/cbn-0104/HotRocks.html
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Peace!
KofSeattle
Reptile-Like
Here lizard lizard.........