Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Today I bought a nice, healthy captive bred Berm that's around 6 months old and about 2.5 ft. long. I am currently keeping it in a 40 gallon breeder with a basking light that is 75 watt and a normal 75 watt light bulb on the other end. Also, the side with the basking light has a nice heating pad underneath. This setup keeps the warm side around 80 and the cool side around 70. Is this the right temperatures to be keeping it at? Also, how often should I mist her? The tank has a screen top so it loses moisture faster than a hard top. Any and all info would be appreciated.

I have gotten the temps up to 76 on the cool end and 83 on the hot end, still not where I want them but getting better.

Yes, those temps are far too cool to keep a burm healthy on a long term basis. There are many ways to heat glass tanks with screen tops. You might consider using a ceramic heating element of a sufficient wattage that can be left on continually. These are good devices for heating glass tanks that are oftentimes difficult to heat. Personally, I would try to purchase a cage like a neodesha, vision or habitat systems.

Well I got the temps to 92 on the hot side and between 76-80 on the cooler end. Would having a water dish underneath one of the lights provide enough humidty for the cage?