Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok first day in the new cage and my veiled was stressed over the move but got used to it. She loves to climb upside down under the 100w mercury vapor bulb 2 inches away! That makes me nervous. I set up a basking spot 5 inches away but of course she can reach up to the screen.

Anyway, Ive caught her gaping a few times on the basking branch. She can go down the branches and get a lovely cooler gradient of temperature if she wants to cool off and theres even a constant drip source nearby but is the fact that she's gaping telling me something?

How far from the 100w mercury vapor bulb should she be?

Gaping is normal, especially when he is basking.

I would revisit the -2" away from the screen - thing. Being that close to the bulb can cause burns. (Something that you don't want to see)

The bulb is physically about 2.5" away from the screen and her basking spot is about 4" below that.

Since the last post I saw her clim the top of the screen and head towards the light but changed her mind and went down to the branch. Can I assume she's learned to not get too close?

I've read that chams are dumb when it comes to hot things, and they get burned so badly b/c they sometimes don't realize that they are getting too hot.
I would move the light up another inch or two if possible
My panther used to climb the roof of her screen sometimes, and now she uses it to bask. She has a branch set up perfectly that she uses as well, but she likes to hang from the roof, turn her belly sideways and soak up the heat.