Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I notice that monitor owners advocate very high basking-spot temps, such as 135 or 160 F. I assume these are the gun-read temps of the substrate under the heat source.

Do you-all have any guess about the lizards' core temps? I'm just curious.

Roger

That mentions low torpor temps for a lizard, high core temps, and optimal core temps as tested. They actually mentioned 98.6 or close as optimal, and 110 as cooking their brains, and 60-something as going into torpor. High basking temps (surface)help them get to useful core temps more quickly to allow them to do normal activities so they dont need exposed to predators, or prying eyes all day long.

from what I have read, most monitors try to maintain a core temp of around 34-36C when active. Some monitors that hang around water (niloticus and salvator) will maintain a lower core temp (around 32C).

The value of core temps in captivity is not very useful. We should already know, monitors are reptiles, they will move when its warm to hot. Not cold and not to hot.

What is useful is allowing captive monitors a range of useful temps to allow a range of functions. As any experienced keeper will tell you. Monitors pick cooler temps, then imediately after feeding, will warm up for a period of time. This tells you they have a need for different core temps, depending of the metabolic proccess that need to occur.

Your job is to understand this and apply it. Monitors do well in the 70F to 150F(hotspot) range. Remember, monitors do not bask in air temps, they bask on surface temps. F